Page 24 - ALG Issue 2 2021

chickens
Barrowby Chicken Co-Operative
Since 2008 a group of allotment holders have kept a flock of hens on an allotment plot unsuitable for cultivation at Barrowby, Lincs. It’s not a formal part of the Allotment Association, but a separate group whose membership has varied over the years and is typically five to seven people.
The group formed an informal Co- Operative to construct the facilities
and then run the flock – no-one is in charge or has a formal ‘role’, and the group meets monthly in the village pub to sort out tasks, rota changes, money etc. Central to this collaborative model is that there is a ‘clear and agreed way of doing things’, and that everyone does what they need to and helps with a
fair share of the tasks such as buying the food and general maintenance. Everyone pays a ‘joining fee’ which is used for the plot rental maintenance of the ark and compound, and a monthly ‘subs’ which covers food, grit, dusting powder etc.
We have a rota where each member looks after the hens for two consecutive days; letting them out in the morning, checking they are OK, feeding them and changing the water, cleaning as necessary, shutting them up at dusk
– and, crucially, collecting the eggs. You keep the eggs from ‘your’ days. Whoever is ‘on duty’ every Saturday carries out a more substantial cleaning of the ark and the food/water utensils.
It obviously helps for the group to get on, and we have actually had very few disputes/issues over the years. Having someone who has previous experience of keeping poultry is a big plus – and we had several such members. We have also been guided by the RSPCA guidelines on the ‘Welfare of animals kept on allotments’.
We’ve currently got 19 hens – a mix of Ross Lohmann and White Legbars (who lay blue shelled eggs) – and a beautiful Norfolk Grey cockerel to keep the hens in order. We change the hens every two
years, and ‘give’ the old birds away to new homes via Freecycle.
The model has worked well – people have come and gone over the years, but the way we do this has always attracted new people and has proved workable and durable. Three of the current group have been there since the start! Looking after the hens is fun. It gives you the benefit of really fresh eggs, but doesn’t tie you to looking after birds every day, and the group has always worked round each other’s holidays etc. We’d be happy to talk to anyone thinking of setting up such an enterprise.
Nigel Jones
Chair
Barrowby Gardeners Association
Trusted supplier of farm & poultry feeds, bedding, & equipment.
www.chestnutmill.co.uk 01256 578011
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24 Allotment and Leisure Gardener