Predators can be a constant worry for many small holders and poultry keepers. A single fox can ruin years of careful husbandry and breeding in a few minutes, and stoats think little of killing a broody hen as she sits on eggs. We all know the dangers posed by these two hunters, and with a little care and attention, we can keep them back with a combination of electric fences, traps and deterrents. However, an equally harmful predator lurks in the wings for many poultry keepers, and while mink numbers are reported to be falling, the danger remains a serious one.

Most chickens, turkeys and geese should be treated regularly against common poultry worms with poultry wormers. This can be achieved quite simply: many people keeping chickens on a small scale will be using Flubenvet® 1% to worm their chickens. This comes in a 60 gram pack that will treat around 20 chickens, dependant on the size of the birds. Geese can also be treated with a poultry wormer, such as Flubenvet®, as can turkeys – though a different dose rate may be required for different species of birds, so always check the on-pack instructions.

Photo above right: Large Roundworm Ascarida Galli blocking the intestines.

June is a marvellous month, really, isn’t it? Generally the weather is fine. The garden begins to look its best with the first flush of flowers on the rose bushes. The days are long enough to allow a few pleasant hours to potter outdoors in the evening, and the harsh winter seems a world away. No more worrying about drinkers freezing over, or hens having to be removed from their perches with a chisel. Lovely. But don’t get carried away thinking that all the hard work is behind you.

The summer brings a whole new lot of poultry keeping concerns. Just as you begin to relax about drinkers freezing over, you suddenly have to start worrying that your hens have access to enough water. The same flock which barely drinks half a litre of water a day in the winter can easily empty a 3 litre drinker in a morning in hot weather. It is very important that your hens have access to fresh drinking water at all times, so if you’re not going to be about to keep drinkers topped up, invest in a couple more. This is a particularly good idea if you’re planning on leaving your hens for any period of time.

We frequently get owners asking questions about the risks of getting Salmonella from their chickens and eggs.

What exactly is Salmonella?

An increasing number of people are starting to keep chickens in their back gardens and 'backyard hen keeping' is fast becoming one of the most popular gardening 'hobbies' not only in this country but around the globe. Aside from the campaigns to improve chicken welfare beyond that of a cheap egg laying machine, people are now seeing them as more just a source of food. They are filled with character, make a great addition to the productive garden and can fill both the boots of accessible livestock and those of household pet.

The more people I meet and speak to the more I'm starting to feel that the poultry concept of 'dual purpose' is being challenged and in some folks eyes this no longer means 'table & laying qualities' but more 'productive & pet'. Let's face it, how many pets can you name that are happy and content when interacting with humans who are also capable of converting food and unwanted green waste into a nutritional parcel of food every day.... and the waste they produce provides a perfect medium for growing more food!

However, just a little research will unearth the facts about intensive chicken farming, which make very uncomfortable reading.

May is always a busy and hectic time for a chicken keeper. Your hens should be back in to full laying swing at this point, and I know that as I look at my over flowing egg basket I have to start getting creative with egg recipes. You can of course sell a few of your surplus eggs to friends and neighbours, although I tend to make gifts of mine because they have to live next door to me and my currently noisy flock. It's amazing how a half dozen eggs can soothe ruffled feathers. 

While we're on the subject of noisy flocks, the beginning of May is usually the time that I get rudely awoken by at least one gobby Pekin. As the mornings get lighter, my girls rise earlier for breakfast and start laying earlier. Which means earlier 'Wow! I'm brilliant! I laid an egg!' songs. If, like me, you are a suburban keeper, this is not a particularly welcome change.

The Poland is an old breed, although its ancestry is unclear due to many countries having laid claim to its making. Some books connect the type with the Paduan (Patavinian) fowl. What is clear is that this was originally a utility breed for both table and egg, with the bantam (or miniature) varieties coming along in the late 1800s due to several matings with different breeds to reduce size. A shame really as the bantam varieties that we see are probably more genetically mixed up than their large counterparts. First shown in London in 1845, the Poland was one of the first breeds to be standardised in 1865.
Did they originate in Poland? Possibly, but their name is more likely to be a result of the 'poll' or 'poland' sat on top of their head (the knob and crest), which them makes them Polands rather than Polish...... snobbery on my part perhaps, but perhaps a more fitting reason than simply a country that they at one time may have proliferated in.
In some parts of the world, Polands are referred to as 'Dutch' which does little to help with the naming of this magnificent breed.