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Deadline approaches for poultry research grants
"I'd like to encourage everyone to take the opportunity for funded research into this area and help grow the evidence about poultry health and welfare" - Jane Howorth MBE.

BHWT offers funding opportunities to improve pet hen health.

The deadline is approaching for veterinary nurses and students to apply for a research grant funded by the British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT).

Students and veterinary nurses can apply for a grant of up to £3,000 to research a topic on the behaviour and welfare of chickens, specifically to improve pet hen health. 

Six grants are available, and the application deadline for this round of grants is 15 July 2022.

Applications can be made via the online application form on the BHWT website, and must also include the CV of the principal applicant and any co-applicants, a summary of the research to be conducted, a summary of how the research will benefit pet hens, a letter of support from the head of department or practice principal, and approval from an Ethical Review Committee. 

The BHWT's desire to advance veterinary education on pet hens has also inspired the organisation to launch an online course on caring for poultry, which is aimed at veterinary surgeons and veterinary students.

Poultry Health, available for free on FutureLearn and created in collaboration with the University of Nottingham, features videos of surgical procedures on poultry, and a range of educational material on caring for poultry.

“As more people discover the joy of keeping hens as pets, the likelihood of a chicken being brought into your practice can only increase,” said Jane Howorth MBE, founder and CEO of the BHWT.

“We know that the veterinary curriculum doesn’t cover poultry in-depth; to plug that educational gap and help vets feel prepared for the possibility of caring for pet hen, we have created these research grants and online course.

“I’d like to encourage everyone to take the opportunity for funded research into this area and help grow the evidence about poultry health and welfare while gaining valuable, specialist experience and knowledge.”

Any veterinary nurses or students interested in applying for the research grants can visit the BHWT's website for further information. 

 

Image (C) The British Hen Welfare Trust

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
RCVS pays tribute to well-loved equine vet

The RCVS and the Riding Establishments Subcommittee has paid tribute to well-loved veterinary surgeon and riding establishment inspector, Rebecca Hamilton-Fletcher MRCVS.

Linda Belton MRCVS, RCVS President, said: "I, along with my colleagues on the RESC, RCVS Council, RCVS Standards Committee, as well as RCVS staff, was very saddened to hear of the sudden death of Rebecca, or Becca as we knew her, last week.

"She was a true advocate for equine welfare and in her many years on the RESC worked to continually improve the quality and consistency of riding establishment inspections, all in the interests of enhanced horse welfare and rider safety."