Its World Egg Day today so we are starting the day here at farmingfriends.com with an egg for breakfast. World Egg Day was first established in 1996 and was done to raise awareness of the benefits of eggs and their importance in human nutrition. Over the years we have been lucky enough to sample hen, Read more

The hubby was up very early on Monday and managed to capture a beautiful sunrise. You can just see the tops of the houses of the village silhouetted in the first photograph and the shapes of the trees looks fabulous. We are very lucky to live on our family farm and see such stunning views Read more

We have seen lots of the Red Admiral Butterflies in our orchard in the last few weeks (August/September 2019). This post was originally published on (4th August 2007) and updated on (13th September 2019). Latin Name: Vanessa Atalanta Description:The Red Admiral is a brightly coloured butterfly with red bands and white spots on a black Read more

Running a farm during Winter and the use of LPG Running any kind of successful farming business requires a significant use of energy. Tending to livestock and their needs, heating crop stores, machine usage, all – for example are extremely energy-intensive processes. Energy use can be even more critical during the Autumn and Winter Read more

Should you separate a broody hen from other hens and cockerels? This is a tricky one as there are arguments for and against. If you separate a broody hen from the rest of the flock you are safe guarding the safety of the hen and chicks when they hatch as they are not going to Read more

I am often asked what does a pipped egg means.  A pipped egg is when the chick is beginning to hatch and a crack forms in the egg shell where the chick is breaking through the egg membrane and shell. The chick pecks at the inside of the egg and the shell cracks and then Read more

Here is a set of instructions for how to incubate hen eggs in an incubator without an automatic egg turner. Collect 6 to 12 fertile hen eggs. Store with the pointed end of egg facing down. Plug in the incubator the day before adding eggs to make sure it is working. Add water to the Read more

The age a cockerel will first crow can vary, but they can start crowing at about four or five months of age, usually this coincides with them beginning to look like a mature cockerel, when their tail feathers grow and their crown becomes red and prominent. As I said the age can vary and we Read more

For all you budding gardeners out there we have some resources you may find useful. How To Grow Herbs For Cooking eBook At a cost of only £4.00 the How To Grow Herbs For Cooking eBook will provide you with information about: how to grow herbs, sizes of herbs, growing herbs Read more

Do you have any advice on helping quail chicks hatch out? There is a lot of debate about whether you should help a quail chick or any chick out of their shell. I believe it is up to the individual to assess their own situation and decide if they are going to intervene or not. We Read more