Silver Brakel – hatching eggs

Brakel (or braekel) chickens are a wonderful mid-sized hen. A tough, highly active and vigorous hen. They are incredibly inquisitive and quite friendly once they get to know you and make good pure breed laying hens. They are a rare breed in the UK and quite unusual, they have lovely big doey eyes and a red single combe. They love to forage and free range but can also be happy in a smaller set up provided they have a large walk-in run with enrichment. Although a lighter-weight hen than most hybrids, they can mix with most other breeds and we keep ours mixed with all our hybrids. They like to get to the highest perching spot, we clip their wings so they can best settle with new owners. They like nothing better than digging over a compost heap. Originally, they were left to fend for themselves and are wonderful foragers, managing to live well on what they could find. They are the first to spot predator and can often be seen zooming around. They lay a slightly smaller and more pointed white egg, nicknamed the ‘everyday layer’ they are capable of 200 eggs a year and rarely go broody.