EGGS FOR ST VALENTINE

Historically, St Valentine’s Day is intertwined with fertility and the arrival of spring, when the world seems to burst into life. Here at Hen Corner, our pure-breed hens – from our Chocolate Wyandotte bantams to our Gold-laced Orpingtons – begin laying around now after their winter break. Once they start, they’re quite regular, until they become broody and try to hatch them. Younger hens can produce an egg every 26 hours, although they lay less frequently as they get older. When a hen is preparing to lay, she looks for somewhere quiet where she won’t be disturbed. We provide a nest box in each coop just for this purpose. If she discovers there’s a queue, she can create a bit of a fuss, so we have to make sure we have enough. Once she has laid the egg, she will proudly announce it by crowing exuberantly. The season lasts until early October when the days shorten. It’s eggs for breakfast until then.