Poultry-keeping

'When we moved to Achamore we inherited a few old hens, a banty hen and a gander whose age was twenty-three. When we were converting the house we found time to convert the small byre into a hen house, realising that free range eggs are one of the good things in life, thus becoming hooked on poultry as it were.

After a few months, and the banty had gone broody we put a setting of eggs under her, and eventually after three weeks, had ten chickens - a working basis for better poultry management. The following year we thought about breeding ducks and got a setting of duck eggs from Mrs Stewart at Acha. These were Rover ducks, a domesticated form of the wild Mallard duck. Out of the six eggs which we set, we got five live ducklings, which turned out to be three drakes and two ducks.

Two years ago, on a Guild outing to the Isle of Muck, I brought back some ducklings from Kathie Campbell's. The problem was to make a brooder, as I had no broody hens. This by husband made by using a circle of hardboard and an electirc light bulb. Out of the five ducklings only two survived and these were both drakes.

In conclusion it has been a very worthwhile project, as we always have hen and duck eggs for the table, and also some extra which we sell locally.