30 Nov 2021
Group of students from the University of Glasgow School of Veterinary Medicine gave up part of their weekend to help at British Hen Welfare Trust rehoming day.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
The student vets volunteered at a British Hen Welfare Trust rehoming day.
A group of veterinary students has enjoyed hands-on experience with chickens by volunteering with the British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT).
The students, from the University of Glasgow School of Veterinary Medicine, gave up part of a weekend to help the BHWT at a rehoming day.
Students at the vet school have set up the Association of Avian Medicine (AAM) and the volunteering trip was one of its first events.
Cameron Clark, a first-year vet student and co-founder of the AAM, said: “It was a great opportunity to not only help with the rehoming, but also get hands-on with the birds because at vet school we get little experience handling poultry. Plus, all the people there were so knowledgeable about chickens and husbandry that it was great to speak with them, and pull on some of the knowledge they had to offer.
“I would love to go on and specialise in poultry or avian veterinary. I’ve had hens since I was nine years old, and I was given a few to start off with; I’ve been fascinated ever since.”
The AAM at Glasgow has been formed as a chapter of the Association of Avian Veterinarians and has 80 members. Future events could include talks from a commercial poultry rearer and lecturer from The University of Edinburgh Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies.
Mr Clark is keen to increase specialist poultry knowledge, and is applying for one of six grants from the BHWT for veterinary students and VNs doing research.
He said: “Over the summer I hope to carry out a four to six-week long project using a small group of hens to examine environmental enrichment and behaviour using pecker blocks, treat blocks and cameras.
“I hope that with grants like these and the establishment of the AAM, there’s more opportunity than ever to expand specialist knowledge of birds, and make connections with lecturers and professors who have knowledge to share, but don’t have the opportunity within the curriculum to do so.”
The BHWT has six grants up to £3,000 available. To find out more, visit the website.
