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Practical poultry session: Saturday 16 June 2012
10.30am to 12.30pm
The Course
By request, this session is for people have attended our poultry husbandry day and wish to extend their knowledge, perhaps after acquiring poultry themselves. It offers a further hands-on session in a small group at a local private smallholding.
The Tutor
David Bland assisted his father with a breeding flock while still at school and started his official poultry training in 1951. He went on to become the youngest Poultry Manager of the largest egg producing unit in the South of England at the age of 21 and six years later formed his own poultry company: Southern Poultry Engineering Services.
In 1969 David formed Southern Pullet Rearers (S.P.R). Since then he has professionally advised producers of all sizes up and down the country as well as overseas. For a period of 22 years David has advised and also written articles for Smallholder magazine, Fancy Fowl magazine and Feathered World magazine. A few years ago, he decided that one magazine was enough and settled with Feathered World magazine; writing a regular column called ‘Poultry Talk’.
During his time in the poultry industry, David founded the West Sussex Commercial Association in 1968 and together with two others; he founded the National Producer Retail Association (NEPRA) which represented egg producers all over the UK.
Concerned about the poor quality of birds auctioned up and down the country, David introduced the Graded Card System whereby trained poultry judges would inspect every bird’s condition and card them with relative information. Sadly the scheme was not adopted by the Poultry Association of Great Britain, however it has been implemented by the Rare Breeds Association.
Having written and published his first book Poultry for the Garden in 1974 followed by Practical Poultry Keeping in 1996 and Turkeys, a guide to management in 2000.
David is now a director of UKEPRA (United Kingdom Egg Producer Retailers Association.)
Ken Rowsell. Further biographical information to follow.
Participant Information
You should wear working clothing and bring wellingtons. Details of how to get to the smallholding will be sent on booking. If you do not have transport, please let us know on booking and we will try to arrange a lift for you.
Course Fee
£25 per person.
To book, download a form here. Alternatively, fill in the booking request below.
