So often, treats for chickens can prove counterproductive due to the unsuitable ingredients they contain. Well, the new Hentastic range of 100% natural poultry treats, launched by Unipet International Ltd, aims to change all that.

Hentastic Foraging Feast is a pellettype treat that can be fed either using a feeder or simply sprinkled as a scatter feed for the birds to scratch around and fi nd; great exercise and healthy eating too.

Alternatively, Hentastic Foraging Cake is attached to a specially designed stand that allows the chickens to peck and feed while keeping themselves active.

Both products are herbal not chemical, and contain garlic, ginger, basil, mint, parsley and oregano. As such, Hentastic treats can provide a natural and healthy supplement to the daily diet.

For more information send an email to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit: www.hettyshenhouse.com

Kate Humble, famed for Springwatch and her latest project, Volcano Live!, has become a patron of the British Hen Welfare Trust. Kate who, with husband Ludo, runs a farm in the Wye Valley, Monmouthshire, first approached the charity in June 2012 to adopt some of their hens.

“When we heard about the British Hen Welfare Trust, we thought we’d try some of their ex-battery hens,” Kate recalled. “After a little bit of scrapping, pecking and feather-pulling early on, my little flock of 20 are now all very happy together. We just love being able to eat fresh, healthy eggs from happy, free-ranging birds that we know are well cared for.”

Kate’s now become more involved with the charity’s work too. “It started with collecting my first batch of ex-bats at the very glamorous Cardiff Services car park, and now we’ve started doing British Hen Welfare Trust re-homing days from our farm, just outside Monmouth. It’s become a passion,” she added.

After growing online encouragement to present a course on poultry genetics, Grant Brereton believes it could be a good idea.

“I get hundreds of emails a week on the subject, and it would be good to have many people in the same room at once to explain the basics,” he explained.

“It may surprise readers to learn that the interest in this subject is much greater than I could have imagined.”

Grant wrote the ebook Making New Colours in 2006, and the follow-up, Making New Colours 2 in 2011. Both publications have had global appeal and assisted many people in their various projects, and understanding of the genes.

Course details are yet to be finalised, but they’ll be packaged attractively to include: live birds, refreshments, audience participation, Q&A sessions and discounts on future products.

To register your interest, visit: www.gbpoultry.com then send an email to Grant from there.

It’s strange, sad and very emotional for me to have to report of the death of a real friend, expert poultry breeder and accomplished showman. Melvin specialised in Old English Game, with a particular liking for both the spangle and black red (wheaten) versions; the latter being his true love. During the early days, he was the young protégé of leading OEG fancier Joe Darwood, and learned his ‘bantam trade’ from this master. The pair went on to be founder members of the Mansfield & Ashfield Poultry Club. Outside the Fancy, Melvin was a trained car mechanic and spent a lifetime working for Northern Food, in Mansfield. He also ran his own workshop and built his own house. Melvin suffered with the severe and debilitating condition, Parkinson’s disease, but you never heard him complain. If you met him he never moaned and was always quick to switch the conversation and ask how you or your children were; such was the measure of the man. He leaves two daughters, Holly and Eve, and his brother, Barry. Melvin will be missed by a great many people, not least me. Richard Rowley