This office is no longer taking bookings for 2018
Timetables for 2019 will open on September the 1st 2018, so please do come back then to book in!
Tel: 07502596622
Email: southeast@incredibleeggs.co.uk
This office is no longer taking bookings for 2018
Timetables for 2019 will open on September the 1st 2018, so please do come back then to book in!
Tel: 07502596622
Email: southeast@incredibleeggs.co.uk
This office is no longer taking bookings for 2018
Timetables for 2019 will open on September the 1st 2018, so please do come back then to book in!
Tel: 07502596622
Email: southeast@incredibleeggs.co.uk
Archived Blog
Winter, late 2017 - Our new educational posters are now on sale
We are very excited to announce that our beautifully illustrated A2 laminated educational posters are now in stock - guaranteed to add impact and brighten up any classroom wall. We will donate £1 from the sale of every poster to our 'Charity of the Year'. This year we've teamed up with Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity, who provide specialist nurses to support children with serious illnesses.
Our thanks to the lovely Isobella, for proudly showing us her own personal copy!
You can find out more about the charity and our posters here.
Winter 2017 - New 'Eggmobile' in the South West
Keep an eye out for branch manager Nick's new van...although it's a bit hard to miss! All our other branch managers are now experiencing numberplate envy...
Autumn 2017 - New breeding cockerel at our London and East branch!
Meet Crackers, our latest addition. Crackers is a lavender Pekin with frizzled feathers, which explains his dragged-through-a-hedge-backwards appearance! At the moment he is busy getting acquainted with his new smooth feathered lavender Pekin wives. Half of the chicks produced will be smooth feathered and half will be frizzled, so if you hatch out a spiky looking grey chick, you know who's the daddy!
Autumn 2017 - It's all go at Incredible Eggs South East!
Just two more of the beautiful new breeds of duck whose eggs will be included in hatching kits in the South East from 2018, subject to availability. On the left are Silver Appleyards, another rare breed (more information here) and some Indian Runners on the right.
Autumn 2017 -Black eggs in your hatching kit?!
Do not be alarmed - all is well!
Giles and Kate at Incredible Eggs South East are thrilled to welcome a new breed of duck to their farm in Kent, called Black East Indians. And yes, even their eggs are black! Their eggs will be included in some hatching kits in the South East from 2018, when available. If you are lucky enough to get some, be prepared for cuteness overload when the ducklings hatch! You have been warned! Adult birds develop an incredible beetle-green sheen on their feathers, which is absolutely stunning in the sunlight. The Black East Indian is another rare breed listed with the Rare Breed Survival Trust.
Autumn 2017 - Rare breeds at Incredible Eggs South West
Branch manager Nick Meagor has been preserving pure and rare breeds of poultry for decades. Below are some of the birds hatched in schools, nurseries and care homes in 2017. These will be grown on at his farm in Cornwall and then sold to local poultry enthusiasts, where they will live free-range lives in domestic settings. Nick also shows his rare breeds. His next champion may be growing up somewhere in the photos below!
Indian Game or 'Cornish'
This breed is listed with the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and was
developed in Cornwall and Devon using birds brought in to Falmouth and Plymouth from Asia and local Pit Game.
Birds are heavy and muscular with a large breast and wide set legs.
The Indian Game Club was originally formed in 1849.
Ancona
Another rare breed listed with the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. The birds originated from the Ancona region on the east coast of Italy. They were then further refined by British breeders. As well as being very pretty, Anconas are good layers and can lay up to 180 eggs a year. The Ancona Club was originally formed in 1898.
Campbell
Also listed with the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. Named after its creator, Mrs Adele Campbell who used a Rouen drake, a fawn and white Runner duck and some wild ducks.
Campbells were one of the first of the utility duck breeds designed in the 20th century. They are fantastic egg laying birds, with some producing as many as 300 eggs a year.
Summer 2017 - Where are they now?
Julian is one of a select group of smallholders we work with here at Incredible Eggs. It's always an absolute pleasure to visit this wonderful smallholding in Norfolk, where Julian lives with wife Vicky, their children and livestock. These are some of our London and East branch ducks, which were hatched in schools, nurseries and care homes earlier this year. Also featuring a few of the other lucky animals (and a rather splendid restored vintage tractor!) who live here too.
Summer 2017 - Incredible Eggs with CBeebies, 'Down on the Farm'
When CBeebies asked us if we would help create an educational TV programme all about hatching in schools as part of their 'Down on the Farm' series, we were delighted to accept.
A fun day of filming followed and the programme is now live!
Series 3, episode 1 - 'Ducklings and Spring Barley'
Summer 2017 - Introducing Princess Twix, ruler of the...erm...ducks
Twix is a pekin bantam who prefers the company of ducks to that of other chickens. Twix also insists on having exclusive use of her own private feeding bowl and drinker. She lives on the South East branch farm in Kent, where she will determinedly pursue/harass any passing humans until they pick her up and make a right royal fuss of her.
Summer 2017 - Ducks, chickens, geese...and pied wagtails?!
Over at our South East branch, Kate and Giles were about to attach a new nest box to a coop which had been stored in the yard, when they discovered someone had already moved in and had to down tools! You can find out more about this farmyard-loving little songbird here:
https://www.livingwithbirds.com/tweetapedia/21-facts-on-pied-wagtail
Summer 2017 - Our gold Silkie hatching diary 2017,
0-4 months - see how they've grown!
One of our favourite chicken breeds over at Incredible Eggs London and East is Silkies.
Below are some photographs taken from this year, following one of our breeding pairs.
February 2017 - We notice Mr. and Mrs. Gold Silkie guarding the hedge. We take a sneaky peek and find a hidden nest of eggs!
11th March 2017 - Mothers Day! Mrs. Silkie comes off her nest followed by 6 gorgeous chicks!
April 30th 2017 - The chicks are 7 weeks old. Mr. Silkie takes his responsibilities very seriously and guards Mum and babies. He always stays close to them and at feeding time he lets Mum and chicks eat before him.
19th June 2017 - The chicks are just over 3 months old. Here they are in their dust bath in the wildflower garden, with Dad. But where is Mum? Busy sitting on more eggs! Her second brood of chicks are due any day now!
Summer 2017 - Wonderful Welsummers and
Fantastic French Copper Black Marans
Over at Incredible Eggs South East, the Campbell family have been selectively breeding these birds for two whole generations. The results are not only fantastic birds, but big, beautifully coloured eggs - and a long waiting list of domestic poultry keepers keen to keep some of their own!
Here are a few of the French Copper Black Maran boys, who will soon be off to meet their new wives. The eggs shown below are from the Welsummers.
Summer 2017 - A rural smallholding in the summertime
A warm welcome is always guaranteed at Karen and Richard's delightful smallholding in West Norfolk. They are one of a select group of smallholders we are proud to work with here at Incredible Eggs. If you hatched chicks with us in the Midlands, London or Eastern counties this year, they may well be growing up here now! The family has been dedicated to preserving and improving rare and pure breeds of poultry for many years. This ethical home-based business supplies chickens to local poultry keepers, where the birds go on to live out their lives in domestic free-range settings.
Spring 2017 - Greetings from the North!
Some of our North branch ducks, going about their daily lives on the farm in Yorkshire.
Spring 2017 - Just for you!
We promised a certain little girl from Mossley Hill Childcare in Liverpool, that we would post up some photographs of the ducklings once they were safely back at the farm in Yorkshire. So here they are, having a lovely time with Felicity - our North branch manager's niece.
Nursery manager, Christine Barnes told us; 'We had a lovely time looking after the ducklings. The experience was wonderful! The children had so much fun observing and learning from the hatching process. We would recommend the experience and would like to take part again."
Thank you Christine! We very much look forward to working with you all again in the future.
Spring 2017 - It's a ducks life...
Our thanks to Kara in Norfolk for sharing these photos of some of our ex-ducklings with us. We are always delighted to work with ethical smallholders like Kara, because they share the same passion for 'old-school', small-scale, low intensity farming as we do.
Spring 2017 - Meet Daffy, Fergie and Dotty
Our congratulations to Michelle, who recently became a new duck keeper! These are some of the ducklings which hatched at Burleigh Primary School in Hertfordshire. She tells us that they have all settled in well and like sitting in slippers! Thanks for the update Michelle - we wish you and your terrific trio a very happy future together.
Spring 2017 - Thank you Julie!
Our thanks to Julie for sending in this lovely photograph she took of her father with one of our chicks that hatched recently at Mistley Manor Care Home in Essex. It was so nice to see and made our day.
Julie wrote: "He really enjoyed the experience of handling living creatures; thank you for providing such a valuable resource!"
Spring 2017 - Bath and then bed!
There's nothing our 'teenage' ducklings enjoy more than their morning and evening bath time.
The sound of the hosepipe going on is always met with a chorus of excited squeaks!
Here are some snaps of them taken this evening before they were put to bed for the night.
Spring 2017 - Fabulous footage from
Childeric Primary School in London
One of our ducklings hatching, captured in glorious technicolour
and seen later with his siblings. The children named him 'Bob'. Welcome to the world, Bob!
Spring 2017 - Top display from St Begas RC Primary School in Teesside
Our thanks to Kathryn for sharing this lovely classroom display with us.
We're loving those chick paintings, names and descriptions!
Spring 2017 - Internationally recognised artist Lucy Boydell pays us a visit!
Lucy came looking for some inspiration and our ducks were happy to oblige! Much preening and posing took place and these beautiful pieces are the result. These stunning, enormous charcoal studies are now being exhibited in various galleries around the country.
Lucy tells us she loved creating them so much that there are more to come!
We can't wait to see them - watch this space!
Spring 2017 - Thank you Murrayfield Academy in Suffolk!
We love it when the postman delivers us thank you cards and we're so glad to hear you had lot's of fun!
Thank you back from the Incredible Eggs team!
Spring 2017 - Kate had a little lamb...
It's lambing time and Kate has a new helper! Meet Twiglet, whose hobbies include 'helping' to collect the eggs, sniffing the ducks (the ducks are not so sure about this), nibbling Kate's ears and basically following her everywhere she goes. As you can see, Twiglet also finds emails very interesting. Twiglet is one of triplets and her mum can only feed 2, so Kate is bottle feeding Twiglet 3 times a day.
Now, farmers don't have favourites, but if they did...
Spring 2017 - Eggstra special visit for Risby care home residents
Our ducklings were part of pet therapy at the home run by The Partnership in Care, for residents, many of whom are living with dementia.
“The residents absolutely loved them and with many from a rural or farming background, watching the ducklings hatch and then wander around brought back many fond memories.”
Noreen Adkin, Manager, Risby Hall, Suffolk.
as published by Bury Free Press
Spring 2017 - Greetings from the 'nursery'!
Just in case you're missing your ducklings, here they are in the 'Nursery Barn' today, where they are running about, playing, making a mess with their water and then falling asleep in the warm patches of spring sunshine streaming in through the windows. If this lovely weather holds, we'll be taking them out into the old cattle yard tomorrow, where they can start exploring the great outdoors in a safe, enclosed environment.
Happy Easter holidays everyone!
Spring 2017 - Our hatching kits bring reality
into the school...
“It’s about bringing reality into the school. For the children to experience this first hand is so important as they can relate what they have seen with the ducklings hatching to what they have learnt in lessons. Also they are learning softer skills such as sharing with their friends as well as how to handle and care for animals.”
Louise Spall, Head Teacher, Somerleyton Primary School, Norfolk
Spring 2017 - Mother's Day Surprise!
Do you remember Mrs. Silkie, with her secret nest, from further down this news feed? Well, today she proudly got off her nest - followed by 6 gorgeous chicks! What a perfect sight on Mother's Day!
Here they are in the sunshine on their first little outing. It's her first time at being a mum and she is doing a great job. Silkies make great parents. They were often kept by gamekeepers in the past, to rear baby pheasants, because they love being mums so much!
Totally brilliant hatching diary alert!
This hatching diary, produced by Sun Hill Infant School in Hampshire, is an absolute Must-See.
Brilliant blogging, photography and videos - we are very seriously impressed! Bravo!
Designer duckling corner
We just had to share this incredible hatching corner from Denholme Primary school in West Yorkshire. It's got the lot - including its very own purpose-built duckling playground! Great to see our new 'Where do the baby birds go afterwards?' resources up on the wall too! Top marks!
Thank you for the thank yous!
Who doesn't love getting a 'thank you'?!
Just two of the lovely letters sent in from Falla Park Primary school, County Durham, by Summer and Harvey.
We don't have room to show all of them, but a big thank you from us back to all of you!
"What an amazing experience this has been for our class, school and community. The children and staff have been thoroughly immersed in the whole process from watching the eggs hatch in the incubator to seeing the ducklings grow and develop into naughty teenagers at just 3 weeks old! The learning opportunities, discussions and fun this experience has provided has been truly incredible! Our classroom has never been so popular with children, staff and parents regularly popping in to see our new additions.
The staff from Incredible Eggs have been friendly and supportive during the whole process and have given us everything we needed to ensure that we and the ducklings were happy throughout the whole process."
Mrs Cameron, Gobowen Primary School, Shropshire.
A great big 'Thank You' from us to Mrs. Cameron, Michael and Alex of Gobowen Primary School, Shropshire!
Mrs. Cameron sent in these lovely photos and told us all about the schools hatching experience.
How wonderful that the ducks are going to go and live on your Head Teachers smallholding and you will all be able to stay in touch.
Look how much they grew from your first photo to your last!
“The ducklings have been funny when they have run around our classroom. I have enjoyed weighing them every day to see how much weight they had put on. I have learnt what happens to the ducklings as they grow inside the egg and have made a non fiction book all about ducks”.
Michael 6 yrs old Hazel Class Gobowen School
“The worst thing was when Mrs Cameron gave me the soaking wet duckling to hold! The best thing about the ducklings is they are really speedy and fluffy. They have learnt to swim really fast! I had never seen an egg tooth before. The cutest thing is when they sleep all huddled up together. The funniest thing is when they do duck yoga when they stretch their legs out!”
Alex 7 yrs old Hazel Class Gobowen
Ambergate gets arty!
One of the things we love about collection time is seeing all the fantastic work the hatching experience inspires. Well done Ms. Horsman, for putting this cosy looking 'hatching corner' together and a big well done to the students of Ambergate Primary School in Derbyshire, who then decorated it with their fabulous paintings. What a lovely range of colourful ducks!
"Where do the baby birds go to afterwards?"
Our latest resource:
This wall display will reassure all involved that your hatching project was sourced both ethically and responsibly and hopefully make those goodbyes a little less sad.
It's a beautiful, fascinating, easy-to-assemble display and a geography lesson all rolled into one, which also provides an insight into traditional, small-scale approaches to farming.
"Where do the baby birds go afterwards?" is something we are often asked and also something we fully understand those involved want to know more about. Find the farm your birds will go to if you decide not to keep them and enjoy the wonderful photographs taken there.
Simply visit the resources area to download, print and assemble for all to enjoy.
Suitable for all ages and settings.
New Early Years Pupil Premium Project for 2017!
Introducing our fabulous new 'stand alone' project, designed exclusively for Incredible Eggs by educational professionals. This project delivers a structured, individual, targeted intervention to selected EYFS children eligible for Pupil Premium funding.
Spring is springing...
We thought Mr. and Mrs. Gold Silkie were behaving a bit strangely, guarding the hedge. After some investigating, we discovered why. Mrs. Silkie has made herself a rather splendid and cosy nest. She also made it crystal clear that these particular eggs are NOT to go in hatching kits and that they are hers to keep. Who are we to argue with a determined broody chicken?! Once Mrs. Silkie has finished laying her clutch of eggs, she will begin to sit on them, only coming off for short periods to feed, drink and go to the toilet. After 21 days, her chicks will hatch.
Watch this space!
Posts from previous years
2016 Key Stage 2 Literacy Competition: the results are in!
Our congratulations to the winners and our thanks to all who entered! Remember to enter next years competitions - there are 2 to choose from and some great prizes to be won!
Our thanks also to the wonderful children's and teacher's author, Molly Potter, who so kindly judged our competition.
Thank you Molly!
'Incredible Eggs maintain high standards of animal welfare and birds returning from schools are cared for and reared in good conditions. The company has been established for six years in London and the Eastern counties and have now expanded their operation.'
Our ducklings inspire some crafty goings-on at
Seabrook Primary School in Kent...
Well done to all the pupils who got their creative hats on and produced some super models of ponds and nests. We think they're brilliant!
"The whole school have absolutely loved watching the ducklings hatch and seeing them grow. It was a truly lovely experience and one I’d recommend to all schools. Thank you!"
Lydia Thompson, Supervising Teacher, Seabrook Primary School, Kent
Our thanks to Seabrook Primary School for sharing their wonderful photographs with us.
Displaytastic!
We love to see the wonderful classroom hatching displays inspired by our kits. Our thanks to Ceri Warner from Royal Russell Junior School in London for sending this one in. We've added a couple of other 'crackers' (sorry, couldn't resist) below. If you've created a hatching-related display, we'd love to share it!
Please send your jpegs to headoffice@incredibleeggs.co.uk
Rehoming the birds you hatch
Is your school, nursery or care home thinking of keeping the birds you hatch? Do you have parents or family members who want to start keeping poultry or to add to an existing flock? Keeping chickens and ducks is easy, fun and completely addictive! Our resources area contains all the rehoming advice you need, but if you have any further questions, give us a call! We are always happy to give advice.
Gill Davies, Head teacher at Barrington Primary School, rehomed the chicks she hatched with a family close to the school. Here they are in their new home, where they have made best friends with the family dog, who apparently likes to stand guard and protect them!
Our thanks to Gill and the chicks new family for the update.
"We are having an amazing couple of weeks with the incubator and the chicks – they have really captured the imagination of all the children. The children are really excited that Flash, Eggbert, Creme Egg McFluffy, Baldrick, Nugget and Eggward will be staying near to school so that they can keep in touch – as you may be able to guess the children were very much in control of choosing the names!!"
Gill Davies, Head teacher, Barrington Primary School, Cambridgeshire
Lucky ducks!
The ducklings that hatched at Colne Community School in Essex are now living a life of luxury in the school grounds. Christina Till told us: "The Science Team dug out the base and built the enclosure in the end, students have been fundraising and we have a quiz going ahead tonight for their upkeep (ducks not students). I hope you think we've done them proud..."
🤗Wow, Christina! What can we say?! If we were ducks we'd definitely like to be one of YOUR ducks! A really impressive example of team work too.
Well done Science Team!
Our ducks go to a wedding!
Miss McApline hatched some ducklings in her classroom and she decided to keep two of them. She named them Sebastian and Jemima and they quickly became much loved members of her family. When Miss McAlpine became Mrs. Bootes, it seemed only right that Sebastian and Jemima where there to share
her special day.
Our congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Bootes and thank you for sharing these wonderful photos with us!
Love a duck! Feathered friends provide
‘perfect therapy’ for Prince George House residents
The new arrivals form part of a special project provided by Incredible Eggs.
"It boosts their cognitive function, something which degerates in those living with an illness like dementia. We support their families too - several grandchildren have come in for cuddles with the ducks and it's great to see such a hands-on project boost the residents quality of life in such a way"
Angela Hodge, Dementia Care Specialist for Care UK Suffolk
Life Cycle of a hen...
Our thanks to Ripley Court School in Surrey for sharing this bold and beautiful life cycle display with us. We think it's most eggsellent!
Do you have an Incredible Eggs hatching display you'd like to share with us?
If so, please send your jpegs to bookings.incredibleeggs@yahoo.co.uk
'Chick' this out!
It was was a special time at Active Learning Finchley Nursery and Preschool in London.
“It was a remarkable experience seeing the chicks hatch right in front the children, giving them sense of awe and wonder for nature, new birth and growth.”
Principal Poppy Hinton.
Our ducklings help Harlow care home residents come out of their shell
Incredible Eggs were delighted to supply a duckling hatching kit to the residents of a Harlow care home for people with learning disabilities.
“It was something different for them to do and it gave them a chance to have some first-hand contact with animals, which they loved. The activity not only encouraged residents to take some responsibility with the ducklings but saw more interaction between those involved. The therapeutic value of animals is undeniable.”
Simon Oliver-Fitch, Support Worker, Livingstone House, Essex
“I loved having them here; they would sit on my lap and I could stroke them – it’s the first time I’d ever seen ducklings up close like this."
Peter Nelson, Resident
Thank You for the Thank You!
Dear Charlotte and students of Caterham School,
Thank you all so much for the wonderful card.
We are so glad to hear you had such a good time and that every single egg hatched! Full house! The arrival of your card really made our day and we have loved reading all of your messages. It now has pride of place on the office wall!
We very much look forward to working with you again next year.
Kind regards,
from all at Incredible Eggs.
Incredible Eggs also covers private homes...
We often get asked if we take private bookings in domestic settings...and we are delighted to say the answer is YES! The same prices and Terms and Conditions apply, although we do ask for payment in full at the time of booking. Simply complete the booking form and state 'Private Booking'.
"Incredible Eggs are a fantastic company and the service that they provide is exceptional. We hired a duckling hatching kit in May 2016, after my daughters school had a duckling kit and she spent every spare moment with them. From the moment I contacted them I had a great experience and was always replied to very quickly and efficiently. We had a fabulous 10 days with the ducklings and the entire family and friends got involved. We are looking forward to getting a chick kit next year!"
J. Hampson, Hertfordshire.
Children at Winton House Day Nursery in Gloucestershire come face to face with ducklings
Jo Martin, nursery manager, said:
"We discussed the lifestyle of ducks, how we care for them. We helped clean out their cages and they were also allowed to handle and hold the ducks."
The nursery makes this a regular event to help educate the children. It also lets the little ones see how the eggs are cared for in an incubator, providing them with an eye opening experience.
Thank You x 23!
Imagine our amazement when not just 1, but 21 terrific thank-you letters arrived in the morning post last week! All at once!
We've only room to put one up here, but rest assured we have read, enjoyed and appreciate every single one of them.
Thank you from everyone here at Incredible Eggs to
Isla, Beth, Cecil, Nass, Tom, Samuel, Kayla, Ciara, Violet, Yetta, Micah, Madison, Chloe, Amelia, Isabella, Mishka, Isaiah, Romamo, Cameron, Catlin, Toby...and last, but not least, a BIG thank you to Miss Cullum and Ms Jones for sending them all in!
What delightful and eloquent students you have there at Ringshall Primary School.
The Children of Cecil Gowling School in Norfolk have been enjoying a quacking time in their school library after seven ducklings hatched there
“We will absolutely be doing it every year now, forever!”
Mrs. Lane Smith, Cecil Gowling Primary School
'Pupils receive an early Easter treat as ducks hatch at Redbridge school'
“Immersing children in our topics through real experiences has allowed us to support children in their development in all areas of learning.”
Hayley Powell, Reception Team Leader
At the LolliBop Festival with The Southbank Centre
When The Southbank Centre invited us to set up a hatching display at the Hatfield House annual LolliBop Festival, we couldn't refuse! It was a wonderful, fun-filled weekend, blessed by blue skies and bright sunshine - At least some of the time! Chicks and ducklings hatched before excited eyes and many hundreds of children learned a little about how to care for living creatures using non-intensive, traditional free-range farming methods.
Our thanks to The Southbank Centre team, for being the perfect hosts and ensuring the event ran smoothly, from start to finish.
At Wolterton Hall's Organic Garden Day in Norfolk
We took some examples of different breeds along from our pure and rare breed free-range flocks and created some information boards. Many people were amazed at the huge variety of chicken breeds that exist and found out a little more about their fascinating histories. Our huge Buff Orpington cockerel, 'Buffy' and his wife 'Henny-Penny' attracted the most attention, which they seemed to quite enjoy!
