A short course delivered by Duchy College Rural Business School (part of The Cornwall College Group), has been nominated for two national awards at this year’s Pig & Poultry Marketing Awards.

The awards up for grabs are for the best Training Initiative and Veterinary Excellence and will be announced on Thursday 30th April at the London Marriott County Hall.

The annual Pig & Poultry Marketing Awards celebrate innovation in the industry and reward production excellence and knowledge transfer throughout the whole of the pig and poultry food chain.

Christopher Godolphin, Business Development Officer for the Rural Business School, explained: “Keeping Pet Chickens is a course for anyone who keeps chickens on a domestic scale or who would like to and wants to learn how to do it well: from sourcing hens to preparing for their arrival, initial set-up costs, housing, feeding and maintenance, and of course how to handle them.

“Our first course, run by Jo Barlow, took place at our Duchy College Rosewarne campus and people from across the county attended and the feedback was excellent. One of the judges from the Pig & Poultry Marketing Awards saw our course advertised and felt it worthy of recognition so invited us to enter it into their awards and so we did.”

Jo has a real passion for chickens and is involved with rehoming battery hens and wrote A Beginner’s Guide to Caring for Ex-Batts.

The criteria for the Training Initiative category is that the training is something that the wider industry could benefit from, that it recognises current issues and tackles specific problems within the industry.

The Veterinary Excellence award criteria are that the training benefits the health and welfare of animals and that it builds better farm practices through the knowledge delivered and transferred to those who attend the training.

The course is very hands-on; Jo brought two chickens from home, Flora-Jayne and Dorothy-Kate, to be the show hens and looked at common behavioural issues that arise and the physical requirements to keep hens happy, health and producing free range eggs, what to do if your chicken falls ill, how to treat minor ailments and the specialist veterinary care that is available for chickens.

“I am thrilled to say the day was a success,” said Jo. “The attendees loved the course, all feedback was totally positive and Chris who organised the course for me said it was excellent. Obviously my witterings were merely a support act for the day’s stars who arrived during the lunch break amidst a fanfare of oohs and ahhhs and behaved like the professionals they are.”

The next course is due to run on Wednesday 27th May and by then the Rural Business School will know if they are 2015 winners of the Pig & Poultry Marketing Awards.

Duchy College Rural Business School offers a range of short courses in subjects such as floristry, pet first aid, horticulture and gardening, to cheesemaking, butchery and baking. To find out more call 0845 458 7485 or visit www.ruralbusinessschool.org.uk.