Useful Links
Bird health products: www.birdcareco.com
F10 disinfectant safe for birds:: www.F10biocare.co.uk
Diatomaceous earth products against red mite: www.natureguard.co.uk
Chicken School provides 1-2-1 chicken keeping courses tailored especially for you and your family; we also offer group courses, where you can meet like minded people. The courses are suited for beginners and existing keepers. Teaching you everything you need to know; we promote good chicken keeping skills to ensure you get the most from your hens. Come and see how it all works in the back garden. Consultancy and advisory also available, we teach at organisations, pet shops etc and offer talks on keeping chickens. www.chickenschool.co.uk
Email: val@chickenschool.co.uk
Country Smallholding magazine, www.countrysmallholding.com
Fancy Fowl magazine: www.fancyfowl.com
Your Chickens magazine www.yourchickens.co.uk
Practical Poultry magazine: www.practicalpoultry.com
Smallholder magazine: www.smallholder.co.uk
Chicken boarding in Essex: loubradley1990@yahoo.co.uk
Freedom Food
Although not ensuring organic food, the Freedom Food initiative should mean animals - including Laying Hens and Turkeys - enjoy greater standards of welfare. Freedom Food is trying to be the most credible animal welfare assurance scheme in Great Britain, and embraces RSPCA Welfare Standards. Freedom Food members have to pay to join the scheme, and to remain members. It can also cost them to introduce and maintain welfare improvements. But, in many cases, supermarkets do not pass on this extra cost to the consumer and they sell Freedom Food labelled products at the same price as the equivalent, non-Freedom Food products.
Food products bearing the Freedom Food label can now be found in independent shops and supermarkets nationwide. For further information on where to find Freedom Food labelled products, you can call the RSPCA’s enquiry line on 01403 223284 (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm), or email enqserv@rspca.org.uk.
National Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens
The Federation works to represent the interests and views of its members to national and international bodies and raise the profile of community farming and gardening. The organisation is a registered charity and has a Council of Management which is elected from community managed City Farms and Community Gardens. The Federation has over 60 affiliated City Farms distributed throughout Great Britain and estimates that they attract over 3 million visitors and regular users annually and that Community Gardens benefit at least 300, 000 people on a regular basis. The Federation also supports a network of some 112 schools that still retain farm units.
Each City Farm and Community garden is different and is based on a response to local people and their needs. It is all about people and their communities becoming stronger, enjoying themselves, learning together, working together, and supplying some of their needs through community farming and gardening, on the philosophy that ‘Communities growing together will grow together!’. Entrance to all the farms is free and many have pure, rare and traditional poultry breeds on display. For further information on the Federation or where to find your nearest City Farm , you can call the Federation on 0117 923 1800 (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm), or email Ian Egginton-Metters, the Director, at farmgarden@btinternet.com.
Spitalfields Farm
Spitalfields Farm is a city community farm in the heart of the East End of London, and is supported by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Founded in 1978 as a small allotment scheme on derelict land, it has since developed into an urban farm which aims to bring the countryside and rural activities to the East End. Spitalfields has a range of farm animals, some of which are rare or traditional breeds. Entrance is free for everyone.Tucked away behind Allen Gardens and covering approximately 1.5 acres, the farm is a place of escape - a tranquil green oasis on the very edge of the City of London.
Spitalfields has a nature garden, herb garden, coppice, and pond, vegetable allotments, workshops and a pottery, which are available to rent to local crafts people. The animals and farm site are used for photo shoots and regularly appear on TV. The farm sells produce including free-range chicken and duck eggs, seasonal vegetables and herbs, manure, hay and straw, and rabbits and guinea pigs for pets.
The farm’s address is: SPITALFIELDS FARM, Weaver Street, London, E1 6HJ, England. You can contact them by phone on (0171) 247 8762.
Freightliners City Farm
A member of the National Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens, Freightliners is a farm with all traditional farm animals and brings the country to the city right in the heart of Islington. Freightliners provides an exciting opportunity to experience a real working farm in action. It’s certainly a great place to get away from the bustle of the City of London and make contact with the world of farming. Freightliners has a beautiful ‘sensory’ garden, a cafe, and a wildlife garden complete with frogs and newts. The farm sells its own produce, including free-range eggs, honey, vegetables, and aims to use caring compassionate methods to produce the food. They also sell compost, hay, straw, and animal feed.
Freightliners has existed for over 30 years and has many different types of livestock, from old and rare breeds to newly-born chicks, piglets, and lambs. Poultry breeds kept at the farm include Pekins, Polands, Scots Dumpies, and an assortment of Ducks. The farm also loans incubators to schools. Entry to the farm is free at all times - why not give them a visit?
The farm’s address is: FREIGHTLINERS CITY FARM, Sheringham Road, London, N7 8PF, England. You can contact them by phone on (0171) 609 0467.
