Deirdre is one of our four Bovan Neras who came to live with us in August 2007.  We were, at this stage, getting worryingly low on chickens with only Tiger, our cockerel and Chocky, our old hen still with us.   The daily clean of the chicken house was becoming a bit of a chore with rarely any eggs to show for it and our small holding just didn't seem the same without a clutch of clucking feathered friends. 

Because Chocky was no longer laying regularly, we were not in the position to hatch out any more for ourselves. We were fortunate to live fairly close to an organic farm whose kind owner let us have four of his chickens.  At about a year old, they weren't’t at their peak of laying anymore but would easily be productive enough for our needs.  The Bovan Nera wasn't a species we were familiar with, but we soon did our homework to gain a little more knowledge of the new additions to our animal family.

A hybrid species, regarded as a good disease-resistant, free ranging bird, the Bovan Nera is a Rhode Island Red crossed with a Barred Plymouth Rock. Producing large brown eggs at a very good rate, we couldn't have been happier with these beautiful new birds. As you can see from our pictures, they are all very similar looking, with gorgeous black feathers that appear to have a green shimmer to them in the light. Around their neck and chest, they have copper coloured feathers, which add to their majestic air.