My flock began with four Pekin hens in Spring 2017. Doris Day “The Blonde”, Big Betty “The Columbian”, Henrietta “The Buff Baby” and Audrey Hepburn “The Silver Partridge”.

All was quiet and peaceful in 2017, eggs were laid, feathers were preened and there was a fair amount of broodiness. So in Spring 2018 we decided to make use of the desire to hatch eggs and bought some hatching eggs to give to Doris Day to sit on.

Lots of careful attentiveness was bestowed upon her charges until their due date which coincided with that very cold spell in late April 2018. Two days after the 21 days had past and hope was almost gone, a miracle! One small sherbet lemon coloured head “pekin” (see what I did there?") out from under Doris’s wing - Sylvie had arrived. The next day a tiny black and white chick and a ginger looking chick appeared, Mabel and Daisy. Well I thought 3 chicks is fine for a first effort. The following day (4 days late now) when I checked on Doris another yellow chick had arrived, it was to become my beautiful Bertie making a late appearance.

The summer of 2018 was filled with chick firsts; learning to forage, learning to stay with mum when Big Betty is around, growing big feathers, first pullet eggs, learning to cock-a-doodle-doo and after but a few short weeks we had Sylvie “The Lavender”, Mabel “The Black One”, Daisy “Trousers” and Bertie “The Cockerel”.

Bertie is keen to father more Pekin chicks with his girls, so Bertie’s Pekins was formed with a view to breeding beautiful pedigree Pekin Bantams for sale and rehoming. Pekins make the most beautiful starter chicken pets. They do not wreck your garden and don’t require much space. They are calm, friendly and endlessly entertaining.