News & Advice

Magpies, while beautiful and intelligent, can sometimes become a nuisance, particularly in garden settings. If you’re experiencing problems with these birds, trapping them can be a viable solution. But where can you buy reliable magpie traps online? In this article, we’ll explore the best places to purchase these traps, offer…

Exploring the secrets to building the ultimate release pen, discover key design tips, netting, pop-holes, electric fencing—and more…

Discover the top seven automatic feeders for game birds in 2025, each boasting cutting-edge features and impeccable design. As advancements make feeding easier and more reliable, which feeder reigns supreme? Dive into the details and uncover…

As UK heatwaves intensify, many chicken owners overlook the subtle signs of overheating in their flock—until it’s too late…

Explore troubleshooting common incubator problems, from uneven temperatures to poor hatch rates, with solutions…but what if the problem lies elsewhere?

Setting up an electric fence for poultry and waterfowl, in just 60 minutes, may seem daunting. But what if…

Creating a rat-free haven for your cherished wildlife feeder requires more than vigilance: discover ingenious design tricks that…

Unearth the secrets of fox-proof chicken coops with time-tested strategies that ensure your flock’s safety. Discover why understanding these cunning creatures’ behaviour is key to protecting your coop effectively. With threats heightened during cub-rearing season, it’s imperative to be alert and fortified. But what happens when traditional defences aren’t enough?…

Amidst the Avian Influenza 2025 outbreak, protecting your backyard flocks is more crucial than ever. Discover five essential biosecurity steps that could safeguard your beloved birds. But just how far should these measures go to ensure their safety? The answer may surprise you…

Over the past few nights, a fox has been stalking around our partridge release pen. He’s been pushing in the wire and scaring the birds in his attempts to get inside, but as yet, he’s only been able to kill one bird outside the pen. With the electric fence and…

The Solway Ladder Trap, our own version of the traditional crow trap (also known as a letterbox trap) which has been used across the country for the past century. Unlike Larsen traps, letterbox traps don’t use springs or any moving parts to catch birds. They depend on the same principle…

After eighteen days in the incubator, disaster struck. A day before the eggs were due to hatch, the incubator was accidentally switched off overnight. The temperature fell to just 25 degrees and stayed there for around ten hours. Despairing and distraught, our first reaction was to call the whole project…

With the shooting season started, losing pheasants and other game birds to neighbouring grounds can be infuriating for any gamekeeper. To keep birds, and attract new ones, game bird attractants are the best bet for keeping numbers consistent throughout the season. Game bird attractants have always been an important part…

Spiral feeders are a unique and effective way for feeding poultry or game birds. Designed with practicality in mind; the spiral feeder is easy to use and install, makes the birds work for their food, reduces waste and keeps pests at bay. Filling with grain (whole wheat or barley) or standard…

To keep game birds as wild as possible while keeping them on your land can be quite a challenge. Too much contact can lead to them being more difficult to flush out and a degree of domestication which has no value on a shoot. Leaving them to their own devices…

The purpose of this series of writings is to introduce new comers into the very special world of hatching your own eggs and breeding your own flock. Approaching my 60th year, I am still intrigued and excited by putting an egg in the incubator and three weeks later a baby chick…