Our main flock of chickens are a heritage breed called Dark Cornish developed around 1820 in England by Sir Walter Raleigh Gilbert.

Dark Cornish are a beautiful breed of chicken – their feathers are lustrous with black and deep brown concentric circles, and the roosters have an iridescent green hue, particularly in the tail feathers.

Their feathers are close fitting, making them stocky rather than fluffy. They’re great foragers and terrifically protective moms.

Of course, one does not simply have one type of chicken – and we have a couple of Silver Spangled Hamburgs, an Andalusian, three Buff Orpingtons, a few Dominiques, a couple of old Amerucanas, two elderly Guineas, a Cuckoo Maran that prefers to lay hang out by herself in the sheep barn, and a Rhode Island Red that belonged to Aunt Elizabeth.

Our plan is to raise Cornish chicks and to cross the Cornish with one of the larger breeds to see if we can’t find a good cross for meat.

Dad and his chickens, ~1938