United Kingdom
Favourited 134 times
This is a family run game bird farm which rears pheasants, partridges and ducks. It is situated in the Highland area of Scotland and 15kms east of Inverness.
Gardening
Building
General Maintenance
Cooking / shopping
Farmstay
Other
Help in the house
Animal care
Language practice
Helpers will experience the rewards of successful animal husbandry, wide variety of jobs .... Communication, Support and guidance between helpers and staff is important.
Currently looking for helpers from mid February
Motivated Helpers with a good attitude, stamina and compassion are required to assist with all aspects of rearing the birds. A willingness to learn and participate easily compensates for lack of experience. Work includes looking after the breeding stock, collecting eggs and preparing them for the incubators. After hatching dedicated care is required for the chicks until such time they are old enough to be sold or moved to wintering pens.
Types of work - Gardening (occasional) , working with the birds (husbandry), construction of pens & buildings, landscaping, maintenance and more. Work relevant to Animal Welfare takes priority. Work allocated by ability. Maintenance is also a major part of the daily routine around the farm.
JANUARY - Ongoing monitoring and feeding of breeding stock. General Maintenance, outdoor activities restricted by daylight and weather at times
FEBRUARY- I overwinter around 3000 Pheasants plus a few hundred Ducks, these need checking daily. Most of the work at this time of year is Maintenance, Preparation for the breeding season and general tidying up/gardening/firewood etc.
MARCH- Early March we catch up the breeding stock and transfer them to their laying pens at another farm. We tend to work between the two sites, again, preparation, maintenance and tidying up! The birds start laying towards the end of the month.
APRIL- Main focus on egg collecting and processing the eggs prior to Incubation. The first hatches are set during the 3rd and 4th wks. Ongoing preparation of Rearing Field and maintenance.
May - Ongoing egg collecting and setting eggs. First hatches and the care of chicks begins. Starting to get busy .... animal welfare becomes a priority over other work
.JUNE- Ongoing egg collecting and Hatchery work, weekly hatches thereafter care of chicks and rearing of birds..... workload increases weekly with each hatch. Feeding - Animal Husbandry, General assistance.
Mid June egg collecting comes to an end, by this time very busy on the rearing side
JULY - Still very busy Last hatches early July thereafter ongoing Husbandry work to rear the large number of chicks. Cleaning up phase starts, maintenance .
AUGUST - Workload reduces significantly as the birds grow older they require a less intensive form of husbandry. Rearing and Cleaning up are on a par.
SEPTEMBER - Last of the Pheasants and Partridge poults are sold. Lots of cleaning up and maintenance to do. Breeding stock are prepped and moved to their wintering pens. Planning on starting some construction work, relocating a timber shed and the construction of a steel building
OCTOBER - Care for breeding stock, cleaning and sorting equipment, repair and renewal. Hope to have Timber and steel buildings erected and complete by end of month.
NOVEMBER - Short daylength & Poor daylight restrict working hours, ongoing maintenance and storing of equipment for the winter. Decommissioning of hatchery and rearing facilities. Care for birds being overwintered.
English
Accommodation - Summer & Winter - There are two rooms available in the farmhouse, one double room and one twin (Two single beds)
FOOD is provided- ideally you participate in food shopping to accommodate your dietary preferences. In the home you are expected to cook and clean-up after yourselves.
There is a fully equipped mobile home which will suit couple and small groups travelling together. Ideal for summer unless you are a Polar Bear!
Farm is 15km from Inverness, Transport hub ....Rail and Bus. Inverness Airport 7km. I'm free to taxi early morning/evenings
There are lovely walks in the forest surrounding the farm. The coast is nearby, seal colony within walking distance as well as an abundance of waders and waterfowl in the bay. Fort George 3km, Culloden Battlefield 10km, Car hire 7km, Oh! ... golf courses!
Inverness is the Capital of the Highlands and very central, good base for exploring. Easy striking distance to Loch Ness, Aviemore, Fort William, Isle of Skye, Ullapool, the North and the Hebrides.
WORK - I prefer my workawayers to work full days, this frees up days where workawayers can get out and explore! Farm is 24/7 so flexible on which days are worked/taken off. It is hard work and I'm looking for Work hard, Play hard types! I expect folk to be motivated and get out and explore the Highlands during their time off.
Ideally I want my workawayers to enjoy their stay, have a base called home for a few weeks (Secure,Food, Warmth, Bed, Shower, Laundry and of course Internet!!!) Escape from tiresome constant travelling! Take short trips and work between trips - two or three days or day trips, experience the Highlands. I'm here to help and advise.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
More than two
Maximum 25 Hours per week - Flexible (See Below)
