Six research grants are available from the British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT), one of which is co-funded by the prestigious British Small Animal Veterinary Associations‘ PetSavers.
The aim of the grants is to build evidence and enhance veterinary knowledge to increase the quality of welfare and longevity of pet hens.
Steve Smith, BVetMed (Hons), CertZooMed, DipECZM (Avian), MRCVS, an EBVS European veterinary specialist in avian medicine and surgery, is encouraging people to apply for these grants and improve hen health information among the profession.
Steve, who frequently presents on pet chicken illness and prescribing legislation and has been seeing pet chickens in practice for the past 12 years, said: “Chickens are now a popular pet choice in the UK, which means it’s increasingly likely that one will be brought into your practice for diagnosis and treatment.
“We all know that the veterinary curriculum doesn’t cover these birds extensively, so anything that can enhance knowledge among our colleagues can only be a positive thing. And if you’re planning to specialise in avian medicine, taking on a funded research project like this could be a great experience.”
The deadline to apply for the BHWT’s grants is 15 July 2022.
All applications will be considered and shortlisted by the BHWT Grants Committee before being submitted to a Scientific Research Committee consisting of six vets with a wealth of experience and expertise in poultry and birds.
Jane Howorth, MBE, founder of the BHWT, said: “Hen keepers often find there is a lack of treatment options specifically for chickens, and with more people discovering the joy of pet hens, this is an issue that’s not likely to disappear soon.
“As a charity, we’re dedicated to improving pet hen health in numerous ways and these grants will go a long way to providing more support for the nation’s hen keepers and plugging the research and knowledge gap around these beautiful birds.”
To find out more about the grants visit the grant page on the BHWT website.
