Provider of poultry keeping courses, copy writer, product development
Chicken Keeping Reference Articles
Here is a selection of articles and papers which I have written for companies, publications and fellow chicken keepers; they are for your use and information only and not for reproduction please. Each article is copyrighted either to me, or the company/periodical for whom I wrote it. Any infringer will be fed to the chickens at 2pm each day
General Care and Nutrition
What do you need to do to keep your hens in top condition?
10 tips for keeping your hens healthy • An article that I wrote back in 2009 for Life-Guard - these tips still stand true • Where to site your coop • Buying a good quality chicken coop • What to feed your hens • Moulting • Introducing new hens to your flock
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What do you need to do for your hens, and when?
A calendar schedule - which I produced for Nettex showing what needs doing and when to care for your flock • Red mite and lice knockdown • Cleaning the coop • What to feed them • Gut care
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How to do a chicken health check
An article written for Nettex in 2019 • Keeping an eye on your flock's health • What to look for when doing a health check on your chickens
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Things you need to consider when starting out with hens
Some top tips which I wrote for NAF in 2009, and they still apply
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How to give your chickens a health check
What to look out for • Some pointers for when you're buying new hens, and your monthly health check on your own flock.
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Essential nutrition for laying hens
An article by Joanna Palmer, Nutritionist for Smallholder Range • Essential, no-nonsense reading about the optimum nutrition for your birds.
Housekeeping
How to prep your chicken coop for the Winter; all you need to do to make sure that your chicken coop is ready to face the Winter months
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Introducing New Birds To Your Flock
So you want to buy new hens? In this article, Clare discusses the pros and cons of buying pullets or chicks and how to introduce them to your existing flock.
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An article produced for Nettex Poultry which appeared in Fancy Fowl magazine; Clare discusses the tried and trusted methods for introducing new birds to your flock. Preventing bullying, isolating for quarantine, and gradual introduction to your existing flock.
Moulting
Supporting your birds through the moulting season - how to look after them when they have a heavy moult.
Clare looks at their extra nutritional needs and their care too, during this challenging time.
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Parasites, Mites, Lice and Worming
How will I know that I have red mites in my coop?
How do I get rid of red mites? • My hens have lice and mites - what can I do? • Written for Nettex in 2019, this article looks at the external parasites which can affect your chickens, and how to knock them down.
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What to look for when treating your coop and birds for lice and mites.
Written for Nettex Poultry, this article looks at the top ten pointers for ensuring that your flock remains lice and mite free in the summer.
How to keep your chicken housing mite free and prevent infestations from occurring; Clare wrote this article for Nettex Poultry, detailing how to blitz an infestation of red mites and, then stop them coming back.
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An article Clare wrote about those Pesky Pests - lice, mites and worms - which can affect your birds. This appeared in Your Chicken magazine in 2019
How to detect and knock them down, what to look for when checking your birds for lice and mites, red mites in your housing and gut health too.
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Clare discusses how to detect and eradicate red mites in your chicken coop and scaly leg mites on your birds.
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Do your chickens have worms in their gut?
Keeping your flock in top condition by worming them regularly; how to check if they have worms, and eradicating those parasites.
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Do you want to know if your flock needs worming? Does one of your birds have gut issues?
This article by Westgate Labs talks you through the process of sending off the sample for your flock, or a particular bird. They are always on hand to discuss your results and advise on internal parasite issues.
Seasonal Care For Your Flock
Identifying and eradicating those lice and mites on your birds; essential checks all year round.
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As with all the seasons, Summer provides its own challenges including nutrition, drinking and shell strenghtening supplements. Clare wrote this article for Nettex as part of their Summer campaign in Fancy Fowl magazine
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Summer care for your girls; written for Nettex Poultry Clare looks at subjects such as heat stress, hydration, and scaly leg mites
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In this article produced for Nettex Poultry Clare talks about the precautions you should take to help your flock get through the winter fit and healthy for the new season. We discuss winter-proofing your coop, nutrition and hygiene.
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Looking after your birds in the summer; Clare discusses the various elements which can cause stress to your flock, and how to counteract them.
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Avian Influenza
Important Information about Avian Influenza: What is it, how is it caught, what we can do. Also find helpful links and a Q&A.
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