Hazelwood Farm Walk
North West club members enjoyed a visit to the Hazelwood herd
of Doug and Sheila Hazel at their Chalton home on October 9th 2004. After our
journey a very welcome lunch was gratefully devoured whilst the Hazel’s
amused us with some of the memories of their early showing days via a variety
of photographs and press articles.
Once outside we were greeted with traditional farmyard occupants - geese, ducks,
pigs and turkeys - along with over 12,000 free range hens. As well as their
pedigree and commercial cattle the Hazel’s have a flock of sheep which
clean and sweeten the grazing pastures. The feed for all the livestock is grown
on the farm and with careful selection of the requirements of the varying nutrition
for all, what would be a ‘left over’ for one is quite happily a
feed for another.
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| Hens enjoying shade |
When wondering what form of shelter to give to the hens which
are free to come and go inside and out, Doug hit on the ingenious idea of growing
rows of sweet corn which grow tall enough to give shade and shelter with the
cobs being well out of reach of the hens and also the position of the ‘shelter’ can
be moved year on year as required.
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| An inquisitive heifer |
Their renowned bull Hazelwood Freshman is to be found in many pedigree’s
of established Belgian Blue herds throughout the country and semen from this
bull and many other Hazelwood progeny has been exported all over the world. Freshman
is no longer with us but his influence still forms a major part within the herd,
the only regret being that they do not have more of his daughters on which to
try a variety of the current top bulls.
The herd has been developed to consist of natural calving
cows and with this aim in mind the heifers are allowed to grow on and are not
usually flushed until they are three years old or are put in calf for the first
time at this age. Different bulls have been tried with great success under
this strategy. The cows calve year after year under this regime and their homebred
bull, Hazelwood Jake, is still happily enjoying his work with the herd at the
age of thirteen.
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| Hazelwood Jake |
Doug is a master engineer and whatever equipment he needs
to help in his everyday running of the farm is seeming quite effortlessly manufactured
by himself from items which perhaps the rest of us would not deem possible.
We bore witness to this as we were transported around the lanes over motorway
bridges etc. to view his livestock in an expertly modified open topped former
cattle trailer jauntily towed behind his pickup (MEMO: To all trailer occupants
- all agreed - When towing cattle in future, less haste and speed).
Such must be Doug’s standing within his local community that when a police
patrol vehicle appeared from a M1 motorway slip road we were passed by without
a second glance.
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| Hazelwood females |
Whilst Doug is the engineer, Sheila is the entrepreneur. When
one flock of hens produced more than their fair share of not absolutely perfectly
shaped eggs not suitable for their wholesaler, Sheila decided to put them on
sale at their farm shop alongside their usual perfectly shaped eggs and termed
them ‘wrinklies and wobblies’ . The customers’ children had
the fun of deciding which were purchased. Soon enough the eggs were in great
demand and now there is as much pleasure in discovering the few ‘wrinklies
and wobblies’ as the normally perfectly shaped eggs.
Doug told us that he found great happiness when he had watched his calves being
born and also when he was out ploughing. We would like to say to Doug and Sheila
that we found great happiness in visiting you and we will no doubt recount
our visit many times over. Thank you very much for your kind hospitality from
your friends in the North West.
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