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What began as an interesting hobby to keep Gordon and Joy Lyall in fresh free-range eggs during their retirement years has turned into a full-time family enterprise at their home in New Yatt, near Witney. The couple retired there in 1995, having spent most of their working lives in London. They had reached a time when quality of life seemed more important than being cooped up in a city office, and decided life in the country could be taken at a far slower and more relaxing pace. Ironically, they are now working harder than ever.

As Joy spent her childhood in New Yatt, it seemed the obvious place to look for a home with a plot of land large enough to grow a few vegetables and perhaps keep some livestock. They eventually found two acres of land on which to build a house on the outskirts of New Yatt. This was ideal, but once the house was built it failed to give them quite enough space to raise cattle or keep horses, so they decided to go for half a dozen point-of-lay chickens instead.

"Well, that was the plan," said Gordon. "However, we ended up with ten hens to start with, rather than six, housed in an old shed which I converted into a roomy hen house."

Once they had settled in, the hens began laying a few very small eggs, but it wasn't long before the eggs got bigger and the couple noticed they had a dozen eggs, which were surplus to requirements. They got round this problem by placing the eggs in a cool box near the gate, having erected a small sign saying "Eggs for Sale". They didn't have to wait long before they had made their first sale.

"Two hours later the eggs had gone and people were asking for more," said Gordon.

A month later the couple bought 20 more hens and, a few weeks after that, a further 20. Now they have so many hens they house some in a nearby field belonging to a friend.

Thanks to their supplier Mick Hodgkins, who rears chickens, help was on hand to ensure that their growing family were housed properly and that Gordon and Joy were operating within the law's set out by Defra.

"Mike was brilliant. He's been our mentor all the way through and the sort of man you could even ring on Christmas Day if advice was needed urgently," said Gordon.

He remembers the time they thought that someone was stealing their eggs. "When I opened the hen house one day and discovered there were very few eggs in the box. I fitted a new lock on the door and assumed that would be the end of the matter. But when there were 50 per cent down the next day and the next I called in to see Mike."

Mike explained that there were lots of things that could stress a hen that could affect the number of eggs they lay. Hens can be stressed by a shaft of light, too much sunlight or even snow and rain. But in this case it turned out to be something far more threatening which caused the hens to stop laying. Neighbours informed them that a buzzard had been seen flying round the area four days previously. It was this bird of prey that had scared the hens.

Then there's flock suffocation caused by hen's innate desire to lay their eggs in a corner. This need to lay eggs in a particular spot can become so overpowering that they have been known to crowd into a corner, one on top of the other, forming a pyramid three feet high. Inevitably, some will suffocate. Gordon gets round that problem now by making sure that there's an inbuilt obstruction in each corner.

He said that when this happened the hens were like a crowd of shoppers at the winter sales, all trying to push each other out of the way so that they could get to the bargains.

Obviously he had to build more houses for the hens once his flock expanded. Unlike many labour-saving industrial hen-houses, which hold thousands of hens, Gordon's individual ones provide comfortable housing for a few hundred hens. Each house has been approved by Defra, has fresh water and feeding stations and pop holes at the front to enable the hens to come out at any time during the day and range free. Naturally, they are all locked away at night to keep them safe from foxes.

The hens that range the nearby fields have two very well-fed sheep, Snowdrop and Harry, as company. They are so tame that they come when their names are called. Gordon calls them his mobile grass control operators, as they really do help to keep the four-acre field mowed and free from nettles and thistles. The sheep and the hens live amicably together, always rushing over to the gate to greet any visitor who appears.

Besides selling their eggs at the farm gate, the couple also count a number of local hotels, restaurants and cafes among their customers. Joy sells eggs at the Witney Country Market (formerly the Women's Institute Market) every Friday morning at the Masonic Hall, Witney, too.

The catering outlets get the grade A eggs which are so clean they do not require washing before they are boxed. The remaining eggs, which vary considerably in size and can frequently include a double yolker, are washed and graded in a shed close to the house. This contains a registered packing station that conforms to the same standards as those applied to the large companies which supply supermarkets.

Gordon believes the secret of their success lies in the fact that visitors to the farm gate can see the hens roaming free, and know that they are fed on wholesome food. The fact that no eggs sold at Mayfield House are more than two days old is also a big plus factor.

Gordon says that the price helps too. "This is still a hobby where we aim to cover our costs, not make a fortune. Given this, we charge just £1 for half a dozen large free-range eggs, whereas the supermarkets charge around £1.45."

For further information you can go to their website (www.mayfield house.eu).

3:06pm Wednesday 7th May 2008

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