Our Farm Manager
Karen Kelly has 12 years’ experience working with egg-laying hens – the past eight as farm manager at the Glenpark Free Range Farm. Karen’s level of care for “her hens” is known to all who have seen her at work.
"My normal day starts at 7.30am, when I go around and check the birds. We hand pick off the eggs at about 8.45am and we are mostly done by 1pm. The truck comes to collect the fresh eggs late in the afternoon and I finish up about 5.30pm, after I’m sure the hens are settled in for the night.
The best part of the job is being in with the girls when they are nesting. They are so placid and inquisitive. I just love it.
Yes, I do have favourites. When we’re sitting outside having a cuppa, there’s a wee one that comes by and has a yarn with us. There are always hens following you, talking away.
And, if you tell them off – which I do if a couple are having a squabble – they make this soft, upward ‘oooohhhh’ noise, exactly like children would in the same situation.
They are a lot like naughty kids. If one finds something, the others want to know what it is. Then they’ll start chasing about like children in a playground.
The hens really enjoy being outside. They always have their heads down, scratching and foraging away. They love dust bathing under the trees. They have favourite spots and – if someone thinks someone else has got a better spot – they will try and claim it for themselves. You certainly can spend a lot of time watching them. It’s very soothing.
While there are a variety of trees on the farm, the hens like the olive trees best. They are lower to the ground so they can reach up and, on dewy mornings, will peck droplets of water off the branches. Some of the brave ones will get right up in the olive trees.
When it’s too hot or cold outside in the open, the hens often choose to be in the winter gardens. They can still dust bath and carry on like children out there.
Most of us whistle or sing when we’re about the hens and they seem to enjoy that, especially the Christmas carols at Christmas time."