From everyone at Jim Vyse Arks, we would like to wish you all a very Merry Chickmas and a Happy New Year.
We look forward to seeing you in 2024!
From everyone at Jim Vyse Arks, we would like to wish you all a very Merry Chickmas and a Happy New Year.
We look forward to seeing you in 2024!
With another housing order sadly in place, poultry keepers across the country have found themselves in another “flockdown”. As we know, the disease is spread via bird-to-bird contact, contaminated feeders, water bottles/bowls, vehicles, clothing and footwear, and also through contaminated bodily fluids and faeces.
However, with robust management measures, you can decrease the threat to your flock. Here are our top tips for getting through Avian Flu:
Home sweet home:
Poultry should be kept under cover to prevent the risk of contamination from wild birds. Sheds, stables, greenhouses and polytunnels are all ideal places to move your poultry to, if you have access to these kinds of buildings.
If you’re making improvements to your current set up, tarpaulin, corrugated plastic sheeting, or small gauge netting will prevent the wild birds and their droppings from getting into your housing.
Increase your biosecurity measures:
As we’ve said above, physical barriers to prevent wild birds from getting into or near your housing is an effective measure against the virus. As well as a cover above your housing we’d recommend covering the sides and consider installing netting or fencing around the housing to prevent people or other animals treading contaminated materials near to your house.
Covered foot-dip outside of the entrances can easily be made with buckets or trays filled with DEFRA-approved disinfectants. Also consider wearing PPE when inside the house or having dedicated clothing and footwear which can be stored in box, easily disinfected, and only worn when in contact with the poultry.
Good general husbandry is also key. Keep bedding and feed clean and stored away from anywhere that can be accessed by pests or wild birds. Add cleaning feeders and drinking stations to your to do list. Also disinfect any paths and areas of hardstanding within the run regularly.
Finally, check your housing and fencing on a regular basis to spot any holes where your flock might escape or wild birds get in.
Fight the boredom:
If your flock now can’t access their favourite bathing places, replace this using a litter tray, hard plastic paddling pool, or trough to create a dust bath and keep them healthy and happy.
Hang up vegetables such as corn on the cob, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli for your hens to peck at. The reduced section of your local supermarket is a great way to stock up on healthy treats.
For waterfowl, consider shredding foods such as cabbage or frozen peas that will float in water so they can spend time “hunting” for their treats.
If you’re looking for higher fat treats, for example for chickens having a late moult or to help them prepare for winter, pecking blocks and other shop bought treats are ideal when given sparingly.
Give them new and interesting places to perch during the day. For example, branches which have been disinfected, straw bales, or even a chicken swing provide entertainment and let them view their surroundings from a new angle.
Toys designed for other animals, such as dogs, cats, and parrots, can also provide entertainment. Just ensure that there aren’t any moving or loose parts that could be removed and swallowed before purchasing. Pet safe mirrors appear to be popular with poultry.
Variety is the spice of life, so regularly changing the enrichment activities and treats on offer will help to keep your poultry entertained and occupied until they can safely free range again.
If your flock is used to free ranging, being contained might come as a shock to them. However, there are plenty of ways you can keep them entertained, and with winter coming, they might appreciate the extra shelter.
If you’re looking to improve your housing, we offer a range of runs and enclosures (with or without onduline roofing) which will last you through Avian Flu season and for many years to come. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch to discuss your specific requirements: 01264 356753 or jimvysearks@aol.com.
We’d like to thank you for your continued support in what can only be described as an interesting trading year.
Our workshop elves are as busy as ever getting houses ready to go before Christmas. The last order date is Wednesday 15th December and we’ll try our very best for a pre-Christmas delivery.
After that, our elves will be taking a well earned break with the workshop and office closed from 21st December to 4th January 2022.
Wishing you all a very Merry Chickmas and a Happy New Year,
from everyone at Jim Vyse Arks
Pets make a great addition to family life, and in recent years, people have been moving away from the traditional companions such as dogs, cats, and goldfish, to embrace animals usually found on a farmyard.
The popularity of poultry keeping comes as no surprise to us. After all, they’re fantastic company, and who wouldn’t want fresh eggs for breakfast everyday?
If you’re considering welcoming some feathered friends to your outdoor space, here are some reasons we think you’ll be making an egg-cellent choice:
Eggs, eggs, and more eggs
The most obvious benefit of keeping chickens is the eggs. As part of a healthy diet, eggs contribute to strong muscles, brain health, energy production, and a healthy immune system.
Eggs are easy to turn into quick and delicious meals, so are the ideal ingredient to get budding chefs into the kitchen.
Finally, let’s not forget that eggs are also a key component of cake…
Children learn responsibility and empathy
Having animals at home helps to teach children fantastic life skills such as taking responsibility and having empathy for others.
Smaller children can fill feed bowls, collect eggs, and check that the water is clean. Older children can really get stuck in with hands-on chicken care by cleaning out the hen house and shutting the hens up at night before they get ready for bed themselves.
Teaching children how to handle chickens safely builds their understanding of empathy and encourages discussions about emotions and behaviour. Chickens may not speak but their body language and vocalisations ensure they make themselves understood!
There are brilliant breeds to choose from
There are so many breeds of chicken that you’re sure to find one that appeals to your family.
Silkies, Buff Orpingtons, Polish, Wyandottes, and Warrens are all breeds which are popular to keep as family pets.
Chickens also lay a variety of different coloured eggs. If you’d like something more unusual than the eggs you find in the supermarket, consider a breed such as the Araucana, who lay blue eggs, or the Black Copper Maran, who lay chocolate brown eggs.
Chickens offer many opportunities for education
As well as the practical and emotional skills children can learn from chicken keeping, you can also incorporate more academic subjects into chicken care.
Children can develop their mathematical ability by counting eggs and chickens or working out how many days a bag of food will last.
Allowing your children to name the chickens will spark their imagination and they can learn to spell the names they’ve given their new pets.
Chickens are the ideal way to spark conversation about where our food comes from, animal welfare, and the environment.
Pets are good for mental health
Studies have shown that when we stroke or cuddle a pet our bodies release the “feel good” hormone Oxytocin.
With time and patience chickens can become very friendly and will come running when they hear their names called (or they know you have treats!)
Many families who keep chickens report that their poultry are firm favourites and often find their child cuddling their preferred hen and sharing tales of their day.
We understand that it is still a challenging time for everyone and we hope that you are all keeping safe and well.
While all our suppliers are open, some of our raw materials and fixings are becoming more difficult to source especially those which are imported. We apologise that for all our run and enclosure products using wire mesh we have had to change the mesh size from a 1/2″ to 3/4″, but we have upgraded the wire from 19 gauge to 16 gauge.
We have now been able to recruit additional staff to try to cope with the unusually high volume of orders.
We have unfortunately had to extend our lead times to about 4 weeks and it is frustrating for us not to be able to despatch orders more rapidly.
When you place your order via the website we will try to keep you abreast of the progress of your order and an estimate of despatch dates.
Our carriers (Tuffnells) will not be asking for your signature when delivering poultry housing. Please also do not be offended if they keep their distance when unloading your order.
We would like to thank all of you for your orders and continued support and we look forward to returning to more usual times later this summer when we can look forward to meeting more of our customers when we deliver your orders.
If you have any concerns at all, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Kind regards,
Jim Vyse Arks
In the colder months your hens can spend more time in their run and less time free ranging in your garden, field, or orchard. This can lead to boredom and bad behaviour as chickens need something to occupy their time…
In many ways chickens can be like small children – they like shiny objects, they’re easily distracted, and they can cause mass destruction if they’re not kept entertained.
Luckily keeping your hens occupied doesn’t have to be difficult and unlike small children they won’t be clamouring for the latest toy or games console. In fact, a head of cauliflower could be the best present you could ever give them!
If you’re new to the world of chicken boredom busters or you’re looking for more inspiration here are our top tips for keeping your flock amused:
Fun and healthy!
Any treats that give your poultry something to do and ensure they get all their vitamins and minerals have to be a good thing, right?
Hanging a cabbage or cauliflower from the roof of their enclosure will keep them occupied for hours playing “piñata” and then they can forage for fallen bits of veg when they’re done.
You can also purchase specifically made “treat balls” which are delicious and high in energy to keep hens healthy all year round.
Mirror mirror!
Now we’re not saying that chickens are vain but they do like to check out their reflection from time to time. Lightweight, shatterproof, and plastic mirrors are an inexpensive purchase that can be found in many bargain homeware shops.
Fix the mirror to your run using cable ties and watch your hens pamper and preen!
Another level
Chickens love to have a “bird’s eye view” of the world so providing them with outside perches, swings, or stumps to stand on will give them a better look at their surroundings.
Tree stumps, branches, old ladders, and broom handles can all be used to give your hens a multi-level environment.
For something fancy and ready to go you can purchase a chicken swing from the British Hen Welfare Trust shop.
Piles of leaves
This is a great tip for the autumn months when you’ll have an abundance of fallen leaves in your garden. For reasons known only to themselves chickens hate piles so try putting a pile of leaves in their enclosure and see how quickly they start to destroy it!
Something new
Chickens love anything new that they can investigate – wooden crates, a plastic rake, an old broom head, or even a tub of mud – will be greatly appreciated by your flock.
As long as the item can’t injure or damage your hens in any way go ahead and let them check it out.
Move things around
If you can easily move your chicken house then try putting it in a new part of the garden. Not only will this give a bit of your garden a rest but it will also allow your hens to explore a new environment.
If you’ve got a permanent poultry enclosure then why not move your flock’s feeder and other accessories to new places? Your chickens will have fun looking for things that have moved and moving things might even reveal worms, bugs, and other edible goodies!
Duck keeping has really taken off and ducks are becoming increasingly popular pets. They make a great addition or alternative to having chickens. But how much do you really know about your webbed footed friends?
Here are some great facts about ducks to get you up to speed:
Ducks can be found both on fresh water and sea water.
There are 12 different types of duck:
Dabbling ducks
Diving ducks
Eider ducks
Goldeneye ducks
Merganser ducks
Perching ducks
Scoter ducks
Sea-ducks
Stiff tail ducks
Teal
Whistling ducks
Domestic ducks
Ducks don’t have teeth, but they do have a comb-like structure along the edge of their beaks called “pectin”
Diving ducks and sea ducks are heavier than other types of duck to help them dive deeper
Whistling ducks have longer legs than other types and, as their name suggests, make a high pitched whistle
Perching ducks have claws to enable them to grip branches in the wooded areas where they nest
The governing bodies for duck breed standards include:
The Poultry Club of Great Britain
The American Poultry Association
The Australian Poultry Standards
The European Association of Poultry, Pigeon, and Rabbit Breeders
Some of the most popular breeds of duck include the Muscovy, the Indian Runner, and the tiny Call duck.
When people first start keeping chickens they usually choose breeds that they can easily source and are fairly cheap to buy. Hybrid breeds are a popular choice and often people will pick the same breed as the person who inspired them to keep chickens in the first place has.
However, as any poultry keeper will tell you, chicken keeping is an addictive hobby and it probably won’t be long before you’re looking to add to your flock!
Your average breed of chicken will lay brown eggs, ranging from a pale tan right through to a dark brown. But there are many other colours, in fact depending on the breeds you keep you could have a whole rainbow of eggs.
So, here are the best breeds of chicken if you want coloured eggs:
Ameraucana – blue eggs
You can now get the brilliant blue eggs that this bird lays in your local Tesco, but where’s the fun in that?
The Ameraucana is one of only three breeds that lay blue eggs (Cream Legbar and Araucana are the others) but blue egg laying chickens are reasonably popular so you shouldn’t have trouble finding them.
The breed was first developed in the 1970s in America and is an attractive breed with a “beard”. They’ll lay around 250 eggs per year so you’ll never run out of blue eggs!
Andalusian – white eggs
If you’re looking for pearly white eggs then the striking looking Andalusian is the breed for you.
Originating from Spain this breed is calm and active, so they prefer to free range and are good foragers.
They’ll lay around 160 eggs per year and usually continue to lay through the winter and blue-bred White hens are said to lay the biggest eggs.
Olive Egger – green eggs
This is more of a variety of chicken than a breed that were developed when birds containing the “blue egg gene” were crossed with a “brown egg gene” bird.
Olive Eggers produce green eggs that can range from having more of a blue tinge to more of a brown tinge as a result of the crossed colours. The birds themselves are bearded and don’t look dissimilar to the Araucana, Ameraucana, and Easter Egger which has led to some confusion among even the most expert chicken keepers.
Black Copper Maran – chocolate brown eggs
For a truly dark brown egg the Black Copper Maran is an ideal choice.
The breed is active, likes to forage, and prefers to free range or have a larger enclosure. They are also good in colder climates and a hardy breed so they’re perfect if you’re new to keeping chickens.
Their chocolate brown eggs are so popular that some unscrupulous breeders will sell birds called “Black Copper Marans” but if they don’t produce dark brown eggs they aren’t from a pure strain of the breed.
Plymouth Rock – pink eggs
If you want a hen that will lay you eggs with a pinky tinge then the Plymouth Rock is a great bird.
They’re one of the oldest and most popular breeds of chicken so you shouldn’t find it hard to purchase a few. They come in a variety of colours and should continue to lay throughout the winter, although produce will slow down.