Newsletter Library - Poultry and Other Animals

I was asked to write an article about chicken keeping and I very reluctantly agreed! However, I'm no expert, there are plenty of people out there with more knowledge and experience than me. This is just to show that if I can manage to keep happy, healthy chickens then ANYONE can. More →

So why is a vegetarian writing an article on turkey farming? Well, because I appreciate vegetarianism isn't for everyone - certainly not my husband and teenogres - and I would like to encourage meat eaters to be aware of the conditions their meat is raised in. Turkeys are reared intensively because of the demand of ‘us' the consumer for cheap meat but the cost of your Christmas turkey is not just financial; there are welfare and environmental costs to consider too. More →

Christmas is expensive. For the vast majority of omnivores, Christmas lunch means turkey and the full works. Sitting around the table, wearing a ridiculous paper hat and carving the biggest joint of the year is all part of the ritual. Until recently very few people questioned where their meat came from and the vast majority shopped by price alone. More →

Compassion in World Farming emailed me to draw attention to a series of programmes highlighting the plight of animals in intensive farming. Intensive farming is terrible in terms of animal welfare and is extremely bad for the environment. Cheap, sub-standard meat is imported from all over the world at a huge cost to the environment as well as animal and human health. Looking at images of animals suffering in any way, but especially at the hands of humans, is the stuff of nightmares for me but I was very keen to hear what these programmes had to say. So armed with a cushion to hide behind, my trusty laptop and a stiff gin I started to watch... More →

So You Want To Keep Bees? Whether you approach it from the point of view of conservation, entomology, crop pollination or simply a love of honey, beekeeping is an engaging pursuit and a fascinating window on the natural world. So what does it take to become a beekeeper? More →

Phil Chandler tells us how traditional beekeeping has contributed to their recent demise, and what we can do to help. More →

'I was sitting thinking about what to write for this month's newsletter. Christmas is coming and I could do something about the plight of our poor intensively reared turkeys...but, with the help of the lovely Mr Dick Strawbridge, I did that last year. So what else could I do? Whilst I was mid ponder, an email plopped into my inbox and it was so sad it made me cry...' Jo considers the plight of our dairy cattle. More →

Rachel has kept hens for five years now. This book is the one she has turned to most often, and recommended to quite a few novice hen keepers. Find out why... More →