About us
Meet the Kindreds!
Lakie Hill Farm is situated in the heart of the Blackmore Vale, in the parish of Caundle Marsh which lies on the A3030 between Sherborne and Stuminster Newton. The farm has been home to Jono and Debbie Kindred and their young family for the last 12 years.
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The farm comprises of two static sheds and ten mobile sheds which provide our hens with a warm and comfy shelter. By day the hens roam in the fields enjoying a wonderful free range life.
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The farm is also home to a manageryie of dogs, cats, geese and pet house rabbits.
Our family method of farming is based on traditional freerange farming. We have 10 mobile Arcs which each hold 200 hens. The hens are fed outside in metal feeders and we have plenty of water troughs scattered around the paddock for them. This encourages them outside so they get plenty of sunlight and fresh air. They can enjoy scratching and pecking about all day along with the odd dust bath.
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Inside each Arc we have two blocks of nest boxes so plenty of room for the hens to lay their eggs. They are roll away nest boxes and Debbie and I collect the eggs twice a day.
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Our traditional farming methods
The Barn shed holds 2000 laying hens with a bank of nest boxes that run the length of the building. The hens have access to food and water all within the shed so unlike the free range hens they are not hand fed but instead we operate a chained system. However unlike most commercial barn sheds we have built a winter garden so that all our birds can get to enjoy sunlight and fresh air. The winter garden is a huge aviary type pen that is open to the fresh air. It has a roof so our girls can go outside each day but are nicely sheltered from the elements. Eggs from the barn cannot technically be called free range eggs so are a separate part of the business. However the hens still have the freedom to go outside and get fresh air and exercise much like our free range hens. The welfare of our hens is paramount to us which is why we like every hen, free range or barn, to have as natural and happy a life as possible.
Our daily routine
Both Debbie and I see to the day to day running of the farm. At first light the free range hens are let out of their Arc's to get some exercise and food at this point we collect the eggs and climb inside the Arc's to ensure no hens have gotten stuck inside or come to any harm. Then we make sure they have clean fresh water, each trough is washed out daily.
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Next we head over to the Barn sheds where we floor walk the inside of the barn to check all the hens are healthy and happy. We check the water drinkers are clean and working correctly and the food track is operating well. After this the eggs are collected ready to be boxed for delivery or grading. The whole family helps out with boxing and sorting the eggs. I then head out on my delivery round which takes me all across the Southwest.
At the end of the day before it gets dark we head back out to shut all our girls in safely for the night before Mr Fox does his rounds.
Meet The Team
Jono
My part of the operation is to tell the others what to do (I will be in trouble for that hee hee). I share the general running of the farm with my wife Debbie which includes caring for the hens, sorting and boxing the eggs. I also have an egg round that takes me all over the Southwest delivering our eggs.
Debbie
As well as being a busy mum to three girls Debbie shares the daliy running of the farm. Which includes caring for the hens, sorting the eggs and taking care of all the emails and orders. On top of this she has a household to run and a menagerie of pets to look after. As a keen baker she enjoys cooking up lots of cakes for the family with their free range eggs.
Jessica
Jessica works as a teacher but is always on hand to to help out when she is not at work and steps in to run things when Debbie and Jono need a day away from the farm.
Jasmin
Jas plays an important role in helping out around the farm, being a keen photographer means she is perfect in her role of managing the website and social media page. Also a great cook she helps her mum in the kitchen when things get hectic on the farm. She hopes to publish a recipes page on the website in the near future as she is constantly using Lakie Hill Farm eggs to bake wonderful cakes .
Beatrice
Beatrice loves helping out around the farm. whether it be feeding the chickens, collecting the eggs or just giving the hens a cuddle, Bea is not worried about mucking in and certainly a farmer in the making.
