Longdown Poultry and Pets

Longdown Poultry and Pets Longdown Activity Farm is situated in the New Forest, We supply quality Hybrid Chickens and Ducks, and other various pets, feed, equipment and housing.

Longdown Activity Farm has been open to visitors for more than 30 years encouraging children and adults to have close contact with various types of farm animals. We supply Hybrid Chickens and Ducks to the domestic market and pride ourselves in providing free practical advice to the novice keeper. Our stock have been vaccinated and monitored by our veterinary practice, and have been accustomed to h

aving been with children of all ages. Feed and equipment can be purchased at the Farm's Produce shop and realistic prices. Help and advice is readily available, either by email or phone.

GRASS CUTTINGS & GENERAL GARDEN WASTEFeeding grass cuttings this time of year is fine as it provides our girls with adde...
27/06/2026

GRASS CUTTINGS & GENERAL GARDEN WASTE
Feeding grass cuttings this time of year is fine as it provides our girls with added protein and helps to produce a brighter yellow yolk. Obviously, if the lawn has been treated with a w**d killer or slug pellets, then please do not feed the cuttings to the girls. Fertiliser can also cause digestive problems, so, again, best to avoid any grass that’s been fertilised during the past thirty days. A handful of grass per bird should be the maximum provided as any more than this will be left on the ground and will ferment, which in turn could create a harmful mould.
Weeds and vegetables from the garden will always be welcomed in small quantities, but please ensure that the girls have a water source close by to aid digestion.

If you are looking to top up your coop we have a very strong batch of Warrens, these girls are very close to lay so you will not have to wait too long before you start baking.

Hope to see you soon
Farmer Bryan

Flies;Please watch out for fly-strike on your girls or any other pets that you may have, this is ideal weather for flies...
20/06/2026

Flies;

Please watch out for fly-strike on your girls or any other pets that you may have, this is ideal weather for flies to breed like mad, ideally to reduce the risk of a mass invasion of flying creatures the coop should have a thorough clean out at least once a week, all manure should be removed from the area and ideally covered to prevent it being used as a ‘fly maternity unit”
When cleaning the coop please ensure that all waste food is removed and the water containers are washed.
The outside foraging area should have any feed or waste vegetables have been collected.
Fresh wood chip or similar should be spread across the area.
The chickens should be checked twice a day, a visual check should be sufficient if they look lethargic then a closer inspection will be required, moving the feathers backwards will soon identify if there are any maggots burying into the flesh, if you have witnessed this then you know just how devastating this can be for the birds.
A deep clean with an antiseptic wash at least three times a day will be required to treat any form of fly strike.

On a happier note I am pleased to say that we now have the Calci-worms back in stock in the new improved escape proof packaging!

Plenty of Warrens at Point of Lay available also Cherry Valley and Khaki Campbell ducklings available.

Hope to see you soon
Farmer Bryan

SHOULD WE CLIP OUR GIRLS' WINGS? This is a topic which has been debated over and over again and the answer is... it’s u...
12/06/2026

SHOULD WE CLIP OUR GIRLS' WINGS?
This is a topic which has been debated over and over again and the answer is... it’s up to each individual. If you have a low fence between you and your neighbours and the chickens are free- ranging then it would be advisable to clip a wing. This would prevent the need to have an embarrassing conversation and having to apologise for the destruction of a manicured garden. My concern is if a chicken has had its wing clipped and a predator attacks, then they have no chance of escaping whereas if they had a full set of wings they stand a chance of fluttering out of the reach of snarling teeth or sharp claws.

Clipping of the wing is quite easy with the use of a sharp pair of scissors. Stretch the wing out fully, placing your finger and thumb onto the bone at the tip of the wing, then gently cut the secondary layer of feathers. There are also two very small feathers closest to the head - I call these the balancing feathers, and these need to be clipped also. If you notice any bleeding of the feathers, please do not panic as there are no major arteries involved, so no sticky plasters required. Please remember that to enable an imbalance flight, only one wing should be cut. If you have a persistent escape artist then the second wing should be “half cut” to off-balance the flight.
Hope to see you soon
Farmer Bryan

Children and poultry:I am a great believer in starting them young, introducing children to chickens or ducks at an early...
06/06/2026

Children and poultry:

I am a great believer in starting them young, introducing children to chickens or ducks at an early age is vital and they will learn so much from them.

The responsibility of looking after
any pet must be advantageous to a child of any age, feeding poultry, collecting the eggs, ensuring that there is clean water in the drinker as well as cleaning the coop out on a regular basis, carrying out health checks,all these things add up to be a responsible poultry keeper.

I am often asked what happens if a chicken dies how do we explain that to children and grandchildren, it’s easy they learn to accept that animals do eventually do die and very often do not require any further explanation.

As chickens and ducks are so easy to look after they make ideal pets, yes they are a commitment but a very worthwhile pet.

Hope to see you soon
Farmer Bryan

Why aren’t my Chickens Laying?Eggs do not simply appear, there are some factors to consider. The most important requirem...
30/05/2026

Why aren’t my Chickens Laying?

Eggs do not simply appear, there are some factors to consider. The most important requirement is the correct dietary needs. If your girls are not laying for any reason simply remove all tit-bits and confine them to a small area for a few days, giving them access to only Layers pellets and making sure there is a fresh water supply nearby; this should then get them back on track to laying more eggs.
If the girls have had a fright from an attack by the neighbour’s dog or the local fox, this will put them off laying for up to 6 weeks. If you add Poultry Tonic to their water this will help to return the vital vitamins and minerals back into them. One thing to bear in mind is it’s not only you who enjoys eating the eggs that your chickens have laid and if you are not quick enough picking up those eggs in the morning, there could be something else waiting to steal them. Jackdaws, magpies, rodents and even the neighbour’s dogs are all queuing up to collect that egg in the morning if they can get into the nesting area, therefore if your girls have a red comb and her tail stands upwards you would be correct to think that she is in lay, so a quick look around the garden, under the hedges, behind the dustbin – even in the outside loo – would be recommended before changing her diet.
Of course, it may be that they are now too old to produce a regular supply of eggs, if this is the case you may need a few more young girls to help fill the egg basket.
We have plenty of Warrens at point of lay available , just message us for more details.
Hope to see you soon
Farmer Bryan

22/05/2026

We have an excellent batch of Warrens available, these girls are just coming into lay, super friendly and very inquisitive ideal for novice keepers or anyone looking for a regular supply of good sized tasty eggs.
Please contact us for any further information or if you wish to view them.
We stock everything required for poultry keeping, housing, feeders, drinkers, feed,lotions, potions and bedding.

Chickens in your Garden book free of charge with any chicken purchase for the first time keeper.

Email [email protected] to arrange an appointment or call in at Longdown Activity Farm
Ashurst
SO40 7 EH

Local delivery can be arranged.

Who enjoys Duck Eggs?I personally prefer a good duck especially when it’s in an omelette, yes three or four depending on...
15/05/2026

Who enjoys Duck Eggs?

I personally prefer a good duck especially when it’s in an omelette, yes three or four depending on my appetite, a cake made from fresh duck eggs tend to be fluffier and tastier (I’m happy to taste any if you are in a baking mood).

An average duck egg will be 30% larger than a commercial chicken egg, the protein will certainly be higher and of a different type this is helpful if you are allergic to chicken eggs as in many cases you will be able to eat duck eggs.

The shell on a duck egg is a lot tougher enabling them to maintain their freshness longer.

If you are looking to enhance your B12 and iron levels then eating a few eggs will certainly help.

If you are into making meringues then the duck egg will improve the size.

With larger yolks and fluffier whites poached eggs on toast will be much better.

Currently our girls are laying extremely well so we have plenty of fresh duck eggs available in the farm shop at just £2.40 per half dozen, the shop is open seven days a week.

Hope to see you soon
Farmer Bryan

Who else has trained their chickens to use the correct toilet facility, Henrietta found the correct room but struggled t...
09/05/2026

Who else has trained their chickens to use the correct toilet facility, Henrietta found the correct room but struggled to balance on the seat!

Please be prepared for the Red mite invasion once the night time temperatures maintain doublefigures (10c) then the litt...
24/04/2026

Please be prepared for the Red mite invasion once the night time temperatures maintain double
figures (10c) then the little blighters will start to breed, good housekeeping should keep them at bay but it is vital not to let the numbers build up so please, please start scrubbing the coops now with Poultry Shield - it’s no longer called that now but we have the equivalent in stock in one and five litre containers, the use of Diatom powder on the floor will certainly help to prevent the spread of them.

We have plenty of Warrens ready to go to new homes, this batch are particularly docile and will
enjoy being picked up, our next batch of coloured hybrids contains some home reared Light
Sussex currently at eighteen weeks they look very elegant, the other hybrids are a few weeks off
lay but will soon catch up once the warmer weather arrives. Please book an appointment to view/collect your girls as it become very busy at the farm during the summer months.
Hope to see you soon
Farmer Bryan

Address

Longdown Activity Farm Deerleap Lane
Southampton
SO407EH

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+442380292837

Website

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