A course in poultry husbandry at Highgrove House, England.

How I once learned about chicken keeping from experts, led by the Poultry Club of Great Britain – and met His Royal Highness King Charles III's large flock and their keeper!

The Highgrove Facebook post where
I first saw the courses advertised.

The benefits of the course - for me and for you!

For me, the great benefit was that the course gave me the knowledge and understanding to know that the way I'm raising my flock, from hatching right up to old age and death, is the form of husbandry which experts (including King Charles!) agree is caring, humane and gives my flock the best possible life.

All of which I enjoy passing onto you, both here and in my newsletters.

Highgrove House Course Content.

Day 1: The basics.

Day 2: Intermediate - incubating and hatching, breed selection and showing.

The intermediate course dealt more specifically with the detail of hatching and raising young chickens.

It included how to choose the right eggs for incubation, the hatching process, rearing with broody hens and care of young chicks including best husbandry practice.

It also covered showing chickens. Although I often go to poultry shows both in the UK and Italy, showing is not an area I'm particularly interested in.

My aim in going to shows is more to do with speaking to experienced chicken keepers, and learning from their wisdom.

Day 2: Meet the chickens!

The great benefit of this course, though, was the opportunity to talk with some incredibly knowledgeable and experienced chicken owners from the Poultry Club.

I was fortunate to be able to speak with them about the benefits of different types of chicken coop, feeding treats, healthy chicken food and incubating and hatching.

I was also able to actually meet some of their chickens, and learn how to handle them in a way which keeps them calm and supports their body weight.

And finally, we got to meet King Charles' free range flock.

The most fascinating experience was having the opportunity to talk to the Highgrove chicken keeper (by Royal appointment!) about the King's love of all things organic, and his belief in the need to provide all creatures with as natural and healthy a life as possible.

It was noticeable that all the chickens were wandering happily around orchards and fields, were beautifully healthy, and obviously happy.

Meet the chicken house!

We were also privileged to see the prototype of a chicken house which had been designed by King Charles, in partnership with a small, local company who hand-crafted it from locally sourced, sustainable materials.

We were asked for comments: mine was that it was lovely and clearly lovingly designed and built – but much too expensive for most backyard chicken keepers at a cost of £3,750 (just under $5,000).

The chicken house is no longer available for sale. 

Why I was nearly arrested...

We were warned in the security briefing beforehand not to bring cameras of any description as taking photos would not be allowed.

But I didn't want photos of King Charles, nor even of Highgrove House. I just wanted some pics of his chickens. How much of a security risk could chickens be?

So a member of staff kindly called security to ask if I could just take one or two, of chickens only...

They responded by saying that if I even tried, my camera would be taken away and I would be arrested. So I didn't. 

But seriously chaps – I only wanted a pic of some hens!

King Charles III and chickens.

As chicken keepers we're in good complany: chickens have been kept by British royalty for centuries. 

The first member of the royal family known to have kept chickens was Queen Victoria, whose favourite was the huge, soft-feathered Brahma chicken.

The then Prince Charles was introduced to chicken-keeping by his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, when he was very young. Her preferred chicken breed was the Orpington – one of the best breeds for rearing chicks.

In his preface to the book "The Illustrated Guide to Chickens", King Charles talks of his grandmother's pride in having been Patron of the Buff Orpington Society.

As for King Charles himself, he is Patron of both the Poultry Club and the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. His own flock is made up of a variety of breeds, but his preference is for  Marans and Welsummers. 

The experience of visiting Highgrove House.

Both courses took place in the Orchard Rooms, located in the stunning grounds of Highgrove. Did we catch a glimpse of King Charles or Queen Camilla? Sadly, no! 

We were able to see the gardens and the house itself, though. As Prince, Charles was known to spend a good deal of his private time on the Highgrove estate and spent many years developing it into the magnificent oasis of ethically managed calm it now is.

His sense of humour and love for the unexpected is obvious too. Nooks and crannies hold unexpected sculptures like this chicken family, made of willow...

Although the poultry courses are no longer available, it's possible to book tours of the beautiful Highgrove Gardens. King Charles is known to take a keen interest and play an active part in these gardens – his favourite of all the royal residences.

So if you're coming to England and want to have a taste of what royal life is like and how King Charles created an organic refuge away from the crowds – and a legacy for future generations – my strong advice would be to book a tour.

Who knows, you may even get a glimpse of those royal chickens!

The village of Tetbury.

Where to stay.

If you're able to visit Highgrove, staying in Tetbury is a good option. I stayed at the Hare and Hounds, a traditional, upmarket British hotel / pub set in its own grounds, complete wth woodland. I'd wholeheartedly recommend it.

I stayed there on my own and the staff were very helpful and friendly. 

The rooms are beautifully kept: clean, warm and with a feeling of luxury. This was my bedroom, complete with four poster bed!

I ate in "Jack Hare's", the bar bistro type eating place within the hotel. I stayed in the winter months and the log fires there were very welcome!

It's also convenient not to have to go out and find somewhere to eat, and the food was lovely – this was just the starters! Home-baked bread with delicious local produce as dips. 

Sadly there were no chickens at the Hare and Hounds! But the restaurant does use local free range eggs. Are they from King Charles' flock? Maybe!

The surrounding area: the Cotswolds.

The English Cotswolds is a stunningly beautiful area, full of quaint villages, their houses built in the warm, honey-coloured tones of local stone. Many of the roofs are thatched in the traditional style.

If you're visiting England, this is an area I would highly recommend you stay. The typical villages of The Slaughters, Stow-on-the-Wold and Bourton-on-the-Water, for example, are about 30 miles from Highgrove House. It's an easy drive if you're visiting the royal gardens.

You'll find a part of England far removed from the noise and bustle of London.

There's wonderfully fresh local produce in the shops and restaurants, including cheeses, veggies, meats and drinks. The countryside is made of fabulous rolling hills and the houses have pretty gardens full of cottage garden flowers from early Spring.

And in the summer, more often than not, you'll find fun village festivals and fetes which provide a warm welcome to visitors.

Want to see more of the Highgrove House Gardens?

This is a short video giving glimpses into the Highgrove world, including information about the beautiful wildflower meadows, the composting and heating systems – and a very brief shot of the chickens!

Enjoy!

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