Our Community Hens
Bringing Farm Life to the Heart of Castor - New for 2026!
We are excited to introduce our Community Hens project - a small but meaningful initiative that we hope will bring a little bit of farm life right into the heart of the village, whilst creating a brilliant first job opportunity for two local young people right here in Castor & Ailsworth.
Thirty free-range hens will soon be making Thorolds Paddock their home, roaming freely during the day and foraging just as nature intended.
Our Social Impact Project - Giving Back to the Community
This project means a great deal to us, not just because of the hens, but because of the opportunity it creates for young people right here in Castor and the surrounding area.
Two local young people, aged 14 to 16, will take on the role of Junior Farm Hands as part of this project, giving them what we hope will be a genuinely memorable first job experience. But it's about far more than just a job. Working hands-on with the hens, our Junior Farm Hands will develop real, practical knowledge that simply can't be taught in a classroom:
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Animal care - learning how to look after living creatures responsibly, understanding their needs, behaviours and wellbeing
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Food education - discovering where food really comes from, how it's produced, and what makes truly high-quality, ethical produce
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Feeding and nutrition - understanding what hens eat, why it matters, and how diet directly affects the quality of the eggs they lay
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Routine and responsibility - the day-to-day commitment of caring for animals, building work ethic and reliability
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Sustainability and the environment - learning about free-range farming, land management, and why how we farm matters for the planet
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Confidence and communication - being part of a real working project, interacting with the community, and taking pride in a job well done
We believe that giving young people early, meaningful experiences like this - rooted in the natural world - is something truly special. We're proud to be able to offer it right here on the doorstep of the village.
Thorolds Paddock - A Safe and Happy Home
Our hens will reside in a fantastic area within Thorolds Paddock, secured by an electric fence to keep them safe from predators and happily contained.
During the day they'll scratch, peck, and forage freely across the paddock - living exactly as hens should.
Anything they don't get from grazing is supplemented with a high quality organic feed, and they're hydrated with fresh filtered water.
No antibiotics, no chemicals, and completely GMO free - because what goes into our hens goes into your eggs.
When they're not out foraging, our hens have a custom-built hen house to call home - a safe, secure and comfortable space where they can roost peacefully at night and use the nesting boxes to lay their eggs with ease.
It's a simple, natural rhythm - and one that produces the kind of fresh, flavourful eggs that only truly happy, well-kept hens can provide.
Fresh, Local Eggs for the Community
As well as providing a wonderful opportunity for our Junior Farm Hands, the hens will of course be doing what hens do best - laying beautiful, fresh, free-range eggs for the local community to enjoy.
There is something genuinely satisfying about knowing exactly where your eggs have come from - that they were laid that week, just down the road, by hens that have spent their days roaming freely in the Castor countryside.
No food miles, no mystery. Just good, honest, local produce.
A Thank You to Castor Parish Council
None of this would have been possible without the generous support of Castor Parish Council.
By giving us the opportunity to rent Thorolds Paddock, the Parish Council has not only helped us bring this project to life - they've made it possible for us to give something genuinely valuable back to the community we love being part of.
We are truly grateful for their trust, their support, and their commitment to making Castor a place where community projects like this can flourish. Thank you.