I expected to find poultry farmer Paul Sykes working among his chickens when I arrived at Westmill Farm. Instead, he was waiting patiently with Molly his dog who stays at her master’s side throughout the working day, living a life most dogs can only dream of.

Paul and his wife Clare run Clare’s Organics, a poultry farm on the edge of Oxfordshire and Wiltshire. It’s here, on a ten-acre field, that the couple have been rearing prize winning organic chickens for the table since 2006.

Paul wasn’t born on a farm, indeed this venture is a real career change. Before taking over the farm, he had spent most of his working life selling commercial trucks.

He explained that although he was a very successful businessman, he never liked what he was doing.

“I always felt I should do something on the land, which I did eventually, thanks to Pete and Sonia Richardson who run Coleshill Organics. I ended up working with them for a year looking after their hens. It proved wonderful on-the-job training which convinced me I really should work on the land and become a poultry farmer,” he said.

He and his wife sold their house to raise the funds they needed. Their aim was to raise slow-growing, free-range organic chickens, using traditional methods, in an environment that allowed them work alongside nature.

When Paul and Clare began their farm with just 120 day-old chicks, they soon discovered that other organic producers in the area were happy to provide advice too.

“Organic farmers are always keen to encourage new producers, which is why they were all there for me when I needed help during those early days,” he said.

He remembers the time he wanted advice about the buzzards flying over his fields threatening his chickens. He was told to get a model owl and set it on a post near the hens. He did just that, but the plastic American eagle owl he fixed in the field proved so realistic that it angered a passer-by who, on spotting the model, assumed he had a real owl tethered to a post. She blew her top, and it took him some time to convince her it was made of plastic Paul and Clare have about 2,000 chickens now, which come from the Food Animal Iniative, in Wytham, as day-old chicks. The FAI runs one of the few truly organic hatcheries in the country, and produces superb birds. The strain the FAI provides is the slow-growing Hubbard bird which are not slaughtered until they are at least 12 weeks old. (Chickens reared in battery conditions are slaughtered after five to seven weeks.) This breed is known for their strong legs, good health and generally energetic disposition. They are perfectly suited to the table, as their flesh is both succulent and full-flavoured.

When the chicks arrive at the farm, they are kept in a large warm shed until they are old enough to go outside and forage for their food. During this period, Paul gradually introduces bales of straw for them to jump and perch on and hangs strips of fresh greens from the ceiling that they can peck at. If weather permits, they are given their first taste of freedom when they are two weeks old. He then gradually reduces the heat in their shed. By the 21st day, their feathers are fully formed and they are ready go outside Paul says that the most important thing when rearing the chicks is to ensure they live in a stress-free environment and can roam fresh, green pastures full of wild flowers and an assortment of plants that some would describe as weeds.

As chickens are far more comfortable when they have cover in which to forage, Paul has planted strips of ranging cover throughout the field. He said: “The strips either side of their sheds provide both shade and shelter and an abundance of seeds and insects for them to eat.” He added that chickens much prefer to forage in ground cover than be in open spaces.

Recently, Paul added a few dozen guinea fowl to his flock, which range freely among the chickens. Guinea fowl are very attractive birds with featherless heads and dark grey or blackish plumage covered with dense white spots. They grow to be quite large birds that can weigh anything from 700 to 1,600g. Their flesh is similar to chicken, but with a subtle hint of game. Paul is sure that there is a market for these birds once the public come to appreciate their flavour.

Paul and Clare are among 12 finalists in the Waitrose Country Living Made in Britain Awards. They are the first Oxfordshire farmers in the finals.

Waitrose does not stock Clare’s Organic chickens at present. Paul and Claire entered to bring their products to Waitrose’s attention. It was the taste of their chicken that caught the judge’s attention. They described it as an honest chicken taste.

You can learn more about Clare’s Organics by going to: www.claresorganics.co.uk