Success Breeding Chickens: Prepotent Males
I have read with great interest the breeding articles by Stan Simister (Creating a Strain), Derek Alsop’s response and more recently, Robin Ramus’ Federation Interview in Fancy Fowl Magazine UK. I found their advice to be very wise and coming from a wealth of experience in poultry. The common theme in these articles is “records.” […]
Federation Poultry Show 2015
Last weekend Rupert and I visited the Federation of Poultry Clubs’ Championship Show or “The Fed” as it’s called by most to take photos of some of the prize winners. The Federation 2015 had over 7000 poultry & waterfowl in more than 1450 classes, it’s one of the biggest in the country and is always […]
National Poultry Show 2015
Once again, I had the pleasure of visiting the Poultry Club of Great Britain’s National Poultry Show 2015 which was held at the International Centre in Telford. With nearly 7000 entries and 500 sales pens, it’s one of the biggest poultry shows in the country and a highlight of the year. I visited with poultry photographer and […]
Kent Poultry Show 2015
We were delighted to welcome our judges; Marcus Walker and Simon McKean. They had travelled down from Huddersfield to officiate for us. A huge thank you to them as they very kindly took the appointment when our original judges realised they had double booked. Our judges were impressed with the standard of the birds, but, […]
Northampton Autumn Show 2015
Sunday the 25th October, the club held its second show at our new poultry show home at Bugbrooke Community Centre, Northants. We were joined for the day by three Cornish poultry judges Mr Rodney Gregory, Mr Jake Gregory and Mr Adam Simmons. The show had a total entry of 408 entries (330 birds and 78 […]
Foie Gras
Zoe Brodie-James has written several articles on the welfare of ducks for us, some of which have been quite moving but none of them have been quite so emotive as this one which focusses on foie gras [liver fat] and its production. Gavage [noun: The administration of food or drugs by force, especially to an […]
Diseases Common to Polands
The Poland is recognised instantly by its massive crest, the exhibition Poland is truly a sight to behold. Sprightly and erect, birds have a fairly long body, similar to a long ‘u’ with a full neat tail carried somewhat low. There are some diseases that are common in Poland chickens.
Worm Egg Count Kit for Chickens
If you don’t want to use a wormer indiscriminately or need reassurance that a herbal product is working, then a Worm Egg Count Kit could be the answer!
British Waterfowl Association National 2015
As always, it was a pleasure to visit the British Watefowl Association National Waterfowl Exhibition held at Moreton Morrell, Warwickshire last Sunday 1st November. This has been an annual date in my diary to see some of the best domestic waterfowl in the UK, together with a chance to catch up with friends, old and […]
Diseases Common to Silkies
Silkies are unfortunately prone to a few different poultry diseases. In this article, Lawrence provides some information on diseases that he has found are common to the Silkie chickens.
Time for the Annual Moult
It’s mid-October and the chickens are in the middle of their annual moult. This is the time they take a rest from laying eggs and need a little extra care and attention.
Commercial Duck Welfare
Most of us have been aware of High Fernley Whittingstall’s ongoing campaign to raise the welfare standards of British commercially reared chickens, but what about commercially reared ducks?
Exhibiting Silkies: The Breed Standard
Judge Louise Carpenter judging Silkies at the Reading Bantam Show. In this article, Laurence, who has previously judged at the National level, examines the Silkie Breed Standard and provides some tips and tricks for exhibiting Silkie chickens. Probably one of the most popular of the exhibition breeds and certainly one of the best suited for […]
Fillongley Agricultural Society Poultry Show 2015
After last year’s deluge, courtesy of Hurricane Bertha, fingers were tightly crossed for fine weather and we were not disappointed. Show day arrived bright and fair. A continuous stream of visitors soon filled the car park and the site was buzzing.
Albino or Leucistic?
Most of us have a mental image of an albino; a bird or animal that is completely white. To complete the picture accurately we should also see the red eyes. In birds, albinism is a complete lack of pigment in all feathers and soft parts. Their feathers are white, and bill, legs and eyes are […]
Poland Chickens
The Poland or Polish as it’s called in some parts has a remarkable crest of feathers, it’s an outstanding breed and was one of the first to be standardised.
Bird Flu 2021: Advice for Backyard Chicken Keepers
Avian Influenza, or bird flu, is an infectious virus that affects many species of birds, including chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese. There have been many outbreaks worldwide, including here in the UK, The winter of 2020-21 saw us housing our free-range birds for nearly four months! This page offers basic advice to backyard poultry keepers about bird […]
Top 3 Traditional British Chicken Breeds
There are some truly striking traditional British chickens. However, the Sussex, Dorking, and Orpington win favor with me as all time favourites.
Releasing Domestic Ducks into the Wild
Zoe Brodie-James investigates the ethics and law of releasing domestic ducks into the wild on the local pond and finds some sad and sometimes illegal scenarios that go on there.
Hybrid Chickens
No. of Eggs 4.5/5 Easy to Keep? 3.5/5 Uses: Utility – eggs / meat and as pets.Origin: Crosses between pure breeds or other hybridsEggs: Hybrid layers: usually more pure breeds.Weight: Various – layers are usually light, fast maturing with good feed conversion. Table hybrids are heavy to provide a good carcass in a short time so are […]