Are you an egg-spert?

How much do you know about your feathered friends? Try our fun quiz and
see if you have counted your chickens before they’ve hatched! 

Home brew - making your own alcoholic drinks

Dave Hamilton provides some tips on home-brewing, including a recipes for home-made ale.

Land Of Dreams

Accountant and smallholder TOM MAIN gives advice on finding a property and prudent financial planning

Poultry - winter moults

Q - We bought some Wyandotte bantams in early August last year at six-seven weeks old. We started them off on chick crumbs (they also have a source of grit), as that was what they had been used to. After about a month, we gradually introduced rearing pellets. We are about to change to layers pellets, and they get a little mixed grain. They started to lay about a month ago, and things went well. Then my partner noticed the Gold Laced and one of the Silver Laced were missing feathers on their necks, right below their beaks. They have a dust bath made up of fine wood ash and sand, and fresh water is always there for them. I would appreciate any advice you can offer.
 Gareth Jones

Separation anxiety in dogs

Q- My dog tends to get destructive when left alone, and damage the furniture. I am told this is because of ‘separation anxiety’. What can I do to reassure my dog and stop this happening?