Before Half Term we took ownership of a range of chickens and ducks that are going to be an integral role in the new vocational course Level 2 Technical Award in Land Based Studies from City and Guilds. The poultry will be looked after by the students on the Land Based Studies course and they will be able to gain valuable practical animal husbandry skills along with learning the behavioural nature of poultry.

We have selected breeds of hens and ducks that are suitable for the location and support traditional breeds from the UK such as the Silver Appleyard Duck which was originally bred in 1930 as a dual-purpose bird. This breed of duck is currently on the Rare Breed Survival Trust Watchlist as numbers of these are declining rapidly. We also have a mix of hybrid and pure breed chickens from Light Sussex, Rhode Rocks, Cheshire Blue and Leghorns which will lay a variety of egg colours from dark brown to blue depending on the breed. Eggs that are laid by the hens and ducks will be used within cooking lessons at school and bought by staff to help cover feed and animal husbandry costs. Keep an eye out on our social media pages to get more regular updates.