There are just a few weeks left for vet nurses and students to apply for a research grant of up to £3,000.
Six grants are being offered by the British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT), with one co-funded by the prestigious BSAVA PetSavers.
The grants are for studies into the behaviour and welfare of chickens and are just one of the ways that the BHWT is trying to enhance veterinary knowledge to increase the quality of welfare and longevity of pet hens.
The deadline to apply for this round of grants is 15th July 2022.
Alongside these grants, the BHWT has also launched an online Poultry Health course aimed at vets and vet students.
Created in collaboration with the University of Nottingham and available for free on FutureLearn, the course includes videos of surgical procedures and a wealth of expert material about caring for poultry.
Jane Howorth MBE, founder and CEO of the BHWT, said, “As more people discover the joy of keeping hens as pets, the likelihood of a chicken being brought into your practice can only increase.
“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.”
For more information about the research grants, visit: https://www.bhwt.org.uk/improving-pet-hen-health/small-grants/