Tag: Smallholding

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Honey Bee on at Rose RHS Rosemoor

Bees are enjoying the roses at RHS Rosemoor Rose Festival

The RHS Rosemoor Rose Festival was glorious. The roses were all out in bloom and their sweet scent wafted through the warm summer air.

Even though the blowsy colourful blooms thickly clustered with petals looked magnificent, it wass the simple open single rose flowers that attracted the attention of the bees.

This is always the way, the double blooms may look glorious to us, but simplicity is beauty to the bees.

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Newly mated honey bee queen just returned from mating flight

The Queen is Laying!

The #BidefordHoneyBeeSwarm, collected from Bideford in Devon, has settled into its new hive nicely.

With the poor weather, I have continued to feed the bees, which has enabled them to build comb quite rapidly.

I inspected the bees last Sunday to discover a whole frame (both sides) full of sealed brood (bee larvae) and a large Healthy Queen bee walking around. This is a very positive sign!

I often get asked “What does the Queen look like?”. In this picture, in the middle, you can see a Queen Bee that has just returned from a mating flight.

Surrounded by attentive workers, she will soon get slightly bigger to the extent that she is unable to fly. At her peak she could be laying in the region of 1,000 eggs a day!

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Collecting a honey bee swarm from a plum tree in Bideford, North Devon

Two Swarms Collected from Bideford this week.

Today I collected my second swarm this week from the Bideford, North Devon.

A large swarm collected yesterday in a plum tree and was still present today, so I nipped along at 12:00 and picked it up.

It’s now located in my quarantine apiary, ready to be put in a hive tomorrow.

When collecting swarms, people, often ask me: “what happens next”?

I’ve decided to write about this swarm, so that anyone who is interested can track it’s progress. Check back to my website for updates: www.ChilcottsFarm.co.uk/news/ or follow the tag #BidefordHoneyBeeSwarm on Instagram.

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Decorated goose eggs

Decorating Goose Eggs

Evgger wanted to decorate an egg for Easter?

We use goose eggs, as they are large, however chicken and duck eggs can also be used following the method below:

Preserving The Egg

Eggs can be hard boiled and then decorated, however, these should then be eaten.

Goose egg shell is quite robust, so can be used to make a decorated egg that will last and keep indefinitely.  To make a decorated egg, the white and yolk need to be removed, and the inside given a little wash.  This can be done by 'blowing' the egg.

Blowing an Egg

Blowing an egg is quite straight forward, the method being applicable to most eggs.  Here's what to do:

  1. Holding the egg over a bowl, pierce a hole in both ends with a clean wood nail.
  2. This will make a pin prick hole in either end of the egg.
  3. Make sure that you push the nail deeply into the egg to make a hole in the egg membrane.
  4. At this stage,still over the bowl, pierce your lips over one hole in the egg, while keeping the other end unblocked.
  5. Give a gentle blow.
  6. The egg should start to come out the other end.
  7. If you are having difficulty, cover both the holes, give the egg a vigorous shake to try and break up the yolk and white inside.
  8. Try blowing again.
  9. Once the white and yolk has been completely removed from the egg, don't throw it away!  The egg yolk and white, can be used for cooking.
  10. Now hold one hole of the egg under a cold tap and let water fill the egg.
  11. Give the egg a shake, then let the water drain out.
  12. Leave the egg to dry.

Two goose eggs laid at the beginning of March

Geese Eggs, boiling on the stove.

Goose Eggs Blown and died ready for decorating

Basic dyeing

  • Once dried the egg can be decorated.
  • Decoration can be left to your imagination using a variety of techniques, from pens, to stickers, to paints.  We use an edible egg dye, but food colouring can be used too.
  • The advantage of the egg dye is that it is edible and can be also used on hard boiled eggs.
  • Follow the instructions on the egg dye packet, but typically this involves dissolving the dye in water and then dipping the egg.  An egg could be dipped multiple times, to get a rainbow or blend of colours.
  • In our picture, we have dyed the egg all one colour, there are a couple of eggs, that have been dipped in a marbling dye, which gives a marbled affect.

Further Decoration

If you are colouring your egg first, as described above, wait until the dye is dried, then embellish your design with transfers, and felt tip pen.

As a final layer of protection an clear lacquer or varnish can be applied.

To finish it off, why not thread a bit of ribbon through the egg, so that it can be hung up?

Decorated goose eggs swinging from a tree in spring - Easter
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Soft boiled goose egg

Soft Boiled Goose Egg with Soldiers

This is a meal in-itself.  Soft boiled goose egg.  Boiled to perfection, soft white, and creamy yolk.

This is how we did it:

  • Add water to a large pan (sufficient size pan, so that when the water is added it just covers the goose egg)
  • Before adding the goose egg, get the water to a rolling boil;
  • In the meantime put some slices of bread in the toaster;
  • Once the water is boiling, gently add the egg to the water and set the timer for 6 minutes;
  • At the end of 6 minutes remove the goose egg from the boiling water and place in a tea cup or small coffee cup;
  • With a knife slice the top of the egg off;
  • Hopefully a runny yolk and perfectly cooked white ready for eating!
  • Serve with the toast buttered (when warm) and cut into strips ready for dunking into the egg.

 

 

Geese Eggs, boiling on the stove.
Geese Eggs, boiling on the stove.

Soft boiled goose egg with soldiers
Soft boiled goose egg with soldiers

Chicken Duck Goose Egg Size Comparison
Chicken Duck Goose Egg Size Comparison

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Chicken Duck Goose Egg Size Comparison

Goose Eggs for Sale!

We have goose eggs for sale.  About 3 times the size of chickens eggs, they are a meal in themselves.

Local collection only.

Two goose eggs laid at the beginning of March
Chicken Duck Goose Egg Size Comparison
Fresh Goose Eggs, laid by Geese at Chilcotts Farm, Bickington
Decorated goose eggs

Fresh Goose Eggs Laid by Our Geese

£3.00

Goose eggs are truly distinctive being almost three times the size of a hen’s egg!  We have three girls that typically lay from the beginning April through to the end of May.

Price is per egg, minimum order of 2 eggs.

CLICK & COLLECT only. Buy online and schedule a time to pick-up.

Card payments only online.  chilcotts farm takes mastercard visa maestro  Find us here …….

 

Out of stock

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Description

Having a more pronounced flavour than a hens egg, but slightly milder than a duck egg.  A Goose egg is simply a meal in itself eaten boiled, scrambled, or fried and shared.  As with all eggs they can be used as an ingredient in baked dishes such as gratins and quiches or as the base for the finest Yorkshire pudding.

Our Geese lay their eggs between Spring and early Summer by free roaming in our fields. With access to grass all year round and free to roam, they produce the most delightful eggs with deep orange yolks!

Uses for Goose Eggs

Goose eggs can be used in exactly the same way as chicken eggs.  The only difference is their size.  About 3 to 4 times the weight of a chicken egg, they can be used in cooking in the same way.  If a recipe is asking for 3 eggs, one goose egg may do.

Examples of use for goose eggs:

  • Soft boiled:  To get a nice runny soft boiled goose egg, boil for 6 minutes. Read more here ….
  • Hard boiled:  Boil for about 8 to 10 minutes to get a hard boiled egg, and use in the normal way.
  • Blowing:  Its great fun for kids to blow goose eggs and then paint and decorate them, especially around easter time.  Use the egg blown out of the shell to make scrambled egg or omelette.

About Our Geese

Our Geese are kept naturally, predominantly eating fresh grass.  In February, in preparation for egg laying, we may supplement their feed with a premium quality specialist goose breeders feed.

At this time of year, the grass can be low in nutrition, and supplementing their feed provides necessary minerals and vitamins in preparation for the laying season and the number of goose eggs they can produce.

Unlike many keepers of geese,  we feed all of our birds on quality premium food, containing natural ingredients that contain no Genetically Modified crops or chemical additives.

Geese fed naturally on grass - Do not feed the geese
Geese fed naturally on grass – Do not feed the geese

Additional information

Availability

Normally available February to June, Seasonal
Life Style

Access to Grass All Year Round, Given Free Range to Roam
Origin

Produced in Devon, United Kingdom
Weight

Average weight approximately 160 grams each
Allergy Advice

Eggs

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Two goose eggs laid at the beginning of March
Two goose eggs laid at the beginning of March

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