New Pond Farm is home to a small flock of chickens that spend their days roaming around the coop beyond the barn, enjoying fresh air and sunshine. We have a variety of breeds in the flock, which consists mostly of laying hens, with just a few roosters to keep guard. A few of the breeds of chickens New Pond Farm has include White Polish, Buff Orpington, Cochin, and Araucana.
Our hens lay about one egg a day and those are collected by our farmers and then washed up and sold in the diary annex. The egg color will depend on the chickens breed - our flock consists of white, brown, and even light blue layers.
On warmer days, you can observe the chickens roosting in the fruit trees. Chickens feel most comfortable up off the ground, safe from predators. Most people assume that chickens cannot fly, but they are able to fly short distances, onto tree branches and roosts.
Although they are fed grain on a daily basis, chickens love fresh fruits and vegetables, so summer is their favorite time of year. After a morning of weeding, the farm staff will treat the chickens to a wheelbarrow of weeds and they couldn't be happier! They will also dine on the fallen fruit from the dwarf apple, pear and peach trees.
The flock is an educational asset for our school field trip programs, our birthday parties, summer camp, and family farm chore programs. Everyone loves to collect the eggs!
