Farm Life Box Set, 5PCS (CollectA)

Review and images by Animal Lover; edited by bmathison1972

On the farm, spring is one of the busiest, most hopeful, and alive times of the year. Longer days, warmer weather and the promise of a productive year are ahead. It is a season of hard labor and great reward for farmers. It marks a turning point from the cold dormancy of winter to a season of new beginnings. The grass turns green, the flowers and trees begin to bloom, the cheerful songs and chirps of the songbirds can be heard, the bees can be heard buzzing, the air smells earthy and fresh and the morning is crisp and misty, with fields sparkling with dew. The entire farm seems to breathe again. Farmers prepare for the growing season and witness the birth of new life. While laying the groundwork for the year’s harvest, the farm is also bursting with new life as spring is the birthing season, when fresh grass and warmer weather offer the best conditions for raising young. A chorus of tiny moos, bleats, soft grunts, squeals and snorts and light peeps and cheeps can be heard mingling with the background sounds. To the joy of the farmers, calves, lambs, piglets, chicks and ducklings are born and have hatched. The farmers are vigilant in tending to and caring for the newborns and their parents. Today, let us witness the beauty of spring with one of CollectA’s Farm Life box sets which consists of five pieces; namely a duck, ducklings, a cockerel, a hen, and chicks hatching. All are domestic fowls in this set; no other farm animals in this set.

To start off, let’s have a look at mother duck and her ducklings.

Mother duck appears to be of the American Pekin breed, with the whole body being white. The tiny eyes are black. The beak is of a vermilion (orangish red) colour and the legs are of a red colour. Mother duck is on a dark green grassy base. The detailing, which consists of sculpted feathers, is decent. The white duck measures about 5 cm in length and about 4.5 cm in height.

Let us now take a look at the cute little ducklings. The five ducklings each have a different pose. The one on the left hand side seems to be looking at something whereas the four other ones seem to be interacting with each other, with the one in the center sitting. They are yellow in colour, with a brown wash applied to highlight the detailing on their bodies, which is the fuzz that baby ducks have. Their tiny eyes are black, with their beaks and legs being orange. The ducklings are mounted on a sturdy, dark green grassy base. In terms of length, the whole piece measures about 6 cm and in terms of height, about 2.5 cm. I once had a pair of pet Pekin ducks, which I got from a local agricultural fair. These five little ducklings from CollectA bring back fond memories. It is as if I’m seeing their funny waddling gait, hearing their little peeps and cheeps back when they were ducklings (they grew quickly into adults eventually) and watching them bathe. It was a heartwarming, delightful experience. This beautiful piece from CollectA shows their social behaviour; playing and interacting with each other and thriving in a group.

Let us now move on to the chicken family, starting with the cockerel. According to me, it is the New Hampshire Red breed, one of the most popular breeds of chicken. A fact about domesticated chicken is that they are descended from their wild ancestor, the red junglefowl from Southeast Asia. The New Hampshire breed also comes in white, which explains why there is also a white variant of this figure. It measures about 5 cm in terms of length and in terms of height, about 5.5 cm. The body is of a yellow-orange colour, with the start and tips of wings being light brown and the tail feathers are dark green, with some light brown highlights. There are dark brown feathers on the breast. The fleshy crest/ comb and wattles are dark red. The tip of the beak and eyes are black. The legs are orange with brown claws. The detailing shows the intricate feather patterns and textures. The figure shows the rooster’s proud stance, on a grey, rocky base. The cockerel appears to be surveying its territory or about to make its iconic morning cock-a-doodle-doo A fantastic representation of this iconic, barnyard fowl.

Now onto the hen. In terms of length, it measures about 5 cm and in terms of height, it measures about 4.5 cm. The colour for the whole body is brown with the tail being white. The fleshy crest/ comb, a lot smaller than on the male, as well as the wattles are dark red. The beak and legs are yellow. The eyes and feet claws are black. The detailing is very well done; looking closer at the figure, you can appreciate the intricate feather patterns and textures. The hen figure is depicted in a standing pose, on a green, grassy base.

And last but not least, the chicks. This charming mini diorama features two cute chicks, three eggs that have yet to hatch, and one chick that is just beginning to emerge from its shell. The one on the left hand side has its head turned, as if looking at something, the one in the middle is just beginning to emerge from its shell and one of the chicks on the right hand side is flapping its wings in excitement. Three eggs are yet to hatch. All are mounted to a base with a textured surface that resembles faux straw. The chicks are yellow with cream beaks and legs and tiny black eyes. The eggs are white with a brown wash applied to give them a dirty look, which works well. In terms of length, this charming little diorama measures 5.5 cm and in terms of height, it measures 2 cm. While mostly viewed as a source of food, chickens are also kept as pets. When I was little, I also had pet chicks. I have fond memories of their little cheeps and following me everywhere like I was their mom! A fun fact about chicks is that before hatching, the mother hen can hear the chicks peeping inside the eggs, and will gently cluck to stimulate them to break out of their shells.

Overall, this farm life box set from CollectA is very charming and will make a fantastic gift for children for their farm/ barn dioramas, as well as collectors. These five pieces are part of CollectA’s Farm Life line, and come either in a boxed set like mine or individually. Available on most online sources.