Hens for Sale in Haut Garonne

Selected for egg production
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NO young hens for sale in 2024

In absence of our ability to supply - please consider reclaimed hens which are reject from industrial production. These 'poules de reforme' are typically 18 months old when reject - and on the point of their 1st moult. Given a good home and a chance to recover - they can resume lay after some weeks and continue usefully up to 3 or 4yrs old.

Champs Libre Aux Poules for 'poules de reforme'

Poulettes en vente 2021:
  Race / hybride    Status    Age    Quantité    Tarif  
  Isle de Noire / Rousse   poussins  2 mois (mi-Mai)   25/25 9 Euros
  Isle de Noire / Rousse   PRE == pré-production  3 mois (mi-Juin)   25/25 12 Euros
  Isle de Noire / Rousse   PAP == prêt-à-pondre  4 mois (mi-Juillet)   25/25 15 Euros
  Isle de Noire / Rousse   COM == commerciale   5 mois (mi-Août)   25/25 18 Euros


Status of young hens

The status of our young hens is given as follows:
PRE at 3 months old a hen is 'pre-production' - she is too young to lay at all
POL at 4 months old a hen is 'point of lay' - she is ready to lay; 50% of the group will have begun to lay, egg size will be small - weight as low as 30g
COM at 5 months old a hen is 'commercial' - the eggs now have a commercial value; 90% of the group will be laying with 50% of the eggs size medium - weight around 50g

NB at 6 months old all of the group will be laying with 90% of the eggs size medium - weight around 50g

The characteristics of egg-laying hens: Varieties and Hybrids

Firstly, we purchase chicks named "Noir de l'Isle" (after the town - L'Isle Jourdain). They result from the crossing of two breeds which are good egg-layers. They are equivalent to "Harco" - a crossing of "Rhode Island" and of "Plymouth Rock". From time to time, other varieties are available; they are named by the suppliers but their characteristiques are broadly known and comparable everywhere. According to the choice, a hen will vary in the following repects:
  • egg-laying: number eggs/year, 150 - 300
  • brooding: will she make a good mother
  • weight: body size, 2kg - 3.5kg
  • size of eggs: 50g - 70g
  • behaviour: from calm to aggressive
  • robustness: disease resistance
To help in research of the varieties we propose - here is a a quick guide to name-equivalence of the varieties:
  • Noir de l'Isle == Harco
  • Sussex == Blanc Herminé
  • Cendrée == Grise Cendrée
  • Rousse == ISA Brown

Our business

We have raised and kept hens now for 11 years; our principal interest is in egg production. In order to comply with organic certification, we buy day-old chicks (typically in batches of 100) and raise them under organic rules. This includes giving them ample space indoor and outdoor and feeding them organically sourced grain and other supplement. We always buy and raise more than we need for our own egg production, and in this manner some are available for sale at point-of-lay.

In order to keep up the egg production we are always renewing our flocks, typically after 2yrs of laying. These older hens are often sold for the table, but some people are content to acquire these mature hens for laying at a slower rate.

Contact Lee for more details: 05 61 94 64 77 - lunchtime or evenings

To locate us please consult maps on our Home page - click here: Home

Henrietta's flock

Sometimes we also have chicks hatch here on our premises; this can be 'au-naturel' - with the warmth of a broody hen, otherwise with the use of an incubator. We allow or program these hatchings to assist with school visits. The hens which grow from these hatchings are less controlled in characteristic - but can nevertheless be good layers. Cockerels inevitably arise from these broods and may also be available for sale - to keep with a familial flock or for the table.

Sketch of a hen's life

If a chick survives the first 3 days of its life it will grow rapidly in size and mobility. Point of lay may be as early as 4 months but usually at 5 months age. At this point the eggs will be small (a size never seen in the shops). Laying will nevertheless be frequent, and after 6 months egg size may be considered normal/medium.

Given the right conditions a hen will continue to lay eggs for many years but with the trend of larger eggs less frequently. The right environmantal conditions include space and hygiene, while correct nutrition includes essential proteine and minerals. It is normal commercial practice to retire a hen from laying after as little as 1 year (ie. 18months old). We begin to retire our hens after 2 years; at this time, quality of laying within a group will be less predictable.

Egg production without human management is normally seasonal as it depends on daylength - in turn determined by available light. We do at times use a light source to extend daylength but for the most part find this unnecessary. When shorter winter days arrive a hen may quit laying and enter a moult; this can be slight or deep with consequent loss of production.

Backyard hens

The majority of hens sold are sold in small groups - quite often 2 at a time for a family - backyard. Backyard hens are frequently victim to predator attacks by fox, badger, marten or stray dog. However if given the correct security, keeping hens at home can pay for itself and create interest for the family. To help you with planning here are some guidelines to work to:

Requirements for keeping hens:

Perch space: 18cm / bird
Indoor floor space: 6 hens / m2
Outdoor ground space: 1 hen / 4m2
(according to organic rules)

Food ration 130g / adult bird / day