Category Archives: General

Suzie Baldwin Talks Turkey in BBC Countryfile Magazine

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Talking Turkey

Look out for the December issue of BBC Countryfile magazine where Hollywater Hens’ poultry expert Suzie Baldwin contributes to an article all about turkeys.

The firs time Europeans saw turkeys – in North America – they believed the birds must be related to guinea fowl. As guinea fowl were thought to originate in Turkey, their larger American ‘cousins’ were given that name.

The article “Turkey: A Natural History” tells you everything you never knew about the Christmas bird.

Clock

Winter opening times at Hollywater Hens

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With Winter closing in now, Hollywater Hens will be moving to our Winter opening hours after this weekend.
We will remain open at weekends from 10am to 4pm but will be closed on weekdays apart from Friday (by appointment only please)
Monday to Thursday – Closed
Friday – by appointment
Saturday and Sunday – 10am to 4pm
lambs in front of the Hollywater Hens shop

Open again as usual

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The family wedding is over and Hollywater Hens is open again as usual:

 

Chickens for sale in the shop at Hollywater Hens in Hampshire

Open Wednesday to Friday
9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Open Saturday and Sunday
10:00am – 4:00pm

Closed – Monday and Tuesday
Open – Bank holidays

Chicken Sculpture at The Savill Garden

Sculpture in The Savill Garden – including a very nice hen

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Chicken Sculpture at The Savill Garden

1 SEPTEMBER - 31 OCTOBER

Visitors to The Savill Garden in Windsor Great Park will be able to explore and enjoy a display of imaginative and innovative sculpture, forming an exciting trail which leads around the Garden. The sculptures are inspired by the natural world. All pieces are available to purchase and standard Savill Garden entry fees apply.

Chicken Sculpture

 

 

 

While being very careful to blur the price off this sculpture - it was quite expensive! - another visitor to the Sculpture Trail did say with all sincerity "She's being very still for you to take your picture".

water feature

pig sculpture

sculpture

flower

sculpture

sculpture

flower

sculpture and flowers

What sound does a duck make?

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According to Oxford Dictionaries (part of the Oxford University Press) the noises that animals make is different depending on where they are from:

The onomatopoeias used to describe the sound produced by a rooster are comparatively different. In English we would say ‘cock a doodle doo’ (which quite frankly sounds more melodic than any sound a rooster could ever produce). For once, the Germans use a word that is shorter than in English, ‘kikeriki’. A French rooster says ‘cocorico’ and an Arabic-speaking one will sound something like ‘kuku-kookoo’. Whereas the vowels differ in these examples, all of them contain a plosive (/k/). Once again, this is the quality of the sound produced by a rooster translated into human speech: loud and piercing. Another example where this is the case is the different onomatopoeias for the sound of a duck: ‘quack’ in English, ‘coin coin’ in French, ‘cua cua’ in Spanish.

Read the full story at http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2012/04/onomatopoeia-in-different-languages/

Country Strife: Abz on the Farm

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Swapping city life for the good life on a smallholding

Possibly one to watch...

In a brand new series for BBC Two, Country Strife: Abz On The Farm, former pop-star (5ive) and Big Brother contestant Abz Love will swap the luxuries of his life in the city for the good life, as he and his partner Vicky leave the music business behind them and head to rural Wales to live off the land. Watch as the two novice farmers set about buying and renovating their very own smallholding.

Abz and Vicky are determined to realise their dream of self-sufficiency, but with plans bigger than their pockets and very limited farming know-how, will their ambitions and enthusiasm withstand the harsh reality of living off-grid?

Abz says:

"Moving to Wales was a complete shock to the system - the house, the chickens, the horses, the foxes, the cats, the splinters, the leaks, the grass, the gates, the fence, the rain. This being said, I have met some wonderful people with beautiful insights - I currently love my life."

 

Head of Natural History and Specialist Factual Formats Commissioning, Tom McDonald says “Country Strife is a warm, engaging series following a charming, open-hearted couple try to live the good life against all odds – with no knowledge of country life, very limited funds and a series of increasingly outlandish ambitions & plans, Abz and Vicky are in for an often hilarious reality check as they touch down in rural Wales. Through their eyes, the BBC Two audience will get a real sense of what it really takes to make a go of the countryside dream.”

Three half-hour episodes will air on BBC Two later in 2015 (possibly July).

Lamb at Hollywater Hens

Hollywater Hens update from Facebook

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Hollywater Hens regularly posts photo updates on our Facebook page.

Here's a quick sample of some resent posts:

Photos of gorgeous Hybrids - they make wonderful pets and lay lots of eggs.

Hybrid Hens at Hollywater Hens

hybrid hens

We have had an exciting few weeks at Hollywater Hens, Ed from The Observer spent the afternoon enjoying all the animals. I had a lovely interview with Bunny from the Telegraph. My new book "The Smallholders Handbook" has been released, we have 2 gorgeous lambs, lots and lots of chicks and more broody hens. Its been lovely to catch up with previous customers and meeting so many new ones. Thanks everyone for all your support and good wishes.

Ed from Observer

lamb 2

feeding lambs

feeding lambs 2

FABULOUS day today, the weather is fantastic and all the birds looking so happy. Great visit from the local Brownies and all my children being lovely ! Long may it last!

brownies

 

"The Brownies had a lovely time, thank you - I think you were lucky to get all the chicks back!!"

"The girls were a real pleasure,if they want to come back we could get them mucking out !"

New enclosures with lots of fun for the girls, my husbands been a busy boy, some might say he's hen pecked x

new enclosure 2

 

 

new enclosure 3

new enclosure 1