I have been contributing to poultry publications for 25 years. I have had hundreds of articles published, both here and abroad and have pretty much written for every publication that covers poultry. Above are some of my front covers in magazines in which I was a regular contributor.
Latest Articles are below
Country Smallholder Spring ’25 – Visiting Vet Victoria Roberts
A Visit to Victoria Roberts BVSc MRCVS (excerpt)
Grant Brereton pays an old friend a visit and reflects on her seismic con- tribution to the poultry keeping hobby….
Early in 2025, I took a trip up to see poultry vet and friend Victoria Roberts (who has been writing for Country Smallholder since the 1990s). On the journey north, I found myself questioning how you’d describe Victoria’s monumental influence on the poultry keeping hobby. Very few can tran- scend and relay that magic like she does. Her name became familiar to me as far back as 1984 – when at just 8 years of age, my parents bought for me a book that Victoria had co-authored. It was called ‘Bantams in Colour’ and had a lovely balance of text and photographs showcasing the many pure breed bantams available; to me, it was sheer magic and opened up a whole new world!
Victoria co-founded The Domestic Fowl Trust in the 1980s – a rare breeds centre, which served as a poultry haven for all likeminded individuals. Pure breed preservation was at its heart, with the added bonuses of a shop and cafe. They even produced their own range of purposely designed coops that are still popular today. You could be all set up for breeding poultry after just one visit. Victoria organised and provided the voice-over for a ‘Poultry at Home’ video (still available on DVD) in 1993 using pure breeds as examples. This DVD was the gateway into the hobby for many of to- day’s fanciers, including yours truly. It is still very much regarded as a ‘must have!’
In the late 1990s, I was visiting a friend who’d just acquired some Barnevelders for their dark eggs. She and her husband were at that lovely stage of the hobby – new coops, a new incubator and some newly acquired quality breeding birds. On an early visit, we were sat at their kitchen table, when my friend showed me her latest purchase – Victoria’s new book titled ‘Poultry for Anyone.’ It was a hardback with a glossy cover, with Orpington bantams stood on the front door steps of a country house, and surrounded by plant pots. The title was full of colourful photographs of all the pure breeds, and I just knew I had to have it!
Shortly afterwards I would visit The Domestic Fowl Trust, near Evesham, Worcestershire, but by then it had new owners. However, all was not lost. This is where I discovered Fancy Fowl maga- zine – a publication dedicated to fancy pure breed chickens, turkeys and waterfowl. I was in heav- en! One article titled ‘At home with Jack and Victoria’ brought me up to speed about Victoria and her new partner, Jack Killeen, who lived together on a smallholding in Yorkshire.
The article had a significant effect on me. As well as Victoria’s Dorkings that she kept in most colours, Jack also kept a great variety of poultry breeds, but amongst his favourites were his large Brahmas and Cochins, the latter of which he was secretary of the breed club for several years. I knew I had to get to their place. But how? What would be my ‘in’? Although I was acquiring a range of different breeds at the time (because each one was exciting), I think I wanted to meet Jack and Victoria more than I wanted the two trios of large Brahmas I’d ordered from them. But I was still excited to be getting them, and they proved to be lovely calm and enjoyable birds for a few years.
Fancy Fowl January ’25 – One Breeder’s Mindset
One Breeder’s Mindset (excerpt)
You know the drill: you’ve returned home from the shows, where you scooped a few prize cards and rosettes and it’s a really nice feeling. Your birds are quarantining in your clean penning room as you continue to be really attentive to their daily needs. They reward you handsomely by displaying themslves with confidence around you and ‘busying’ themselves with all the little noises you love to hear; the positive signs of health and contentment. They have no problem being picked up and photogprahed and are completely at ease.
The shows this year were really enjoyable for me, and the birds I entered did rather well, which is always a great boost for your enthusiasm. The more you win, the more inclination you have to enter the next show (or certainly is the case with me). It becomes very addictive! On a personal level, I am pleased with some of the stock I’ve shown this year, which displayed traits and attributes that I’ve been aiming towards in my breeding endeavours over the last few years.
It was clear on visiting the shows that there’s still some really talented and enthusiastic poultry breeders and exhibitors about. I really enjoyed going through the birds amongst the pens, and around the canteen tables. No egos, no trying to prove that you know more than your fellow exhibitors – just likemined individuals sharing their experiences and knowledge, with a profound understanding of its signifance over any amount of winning. That love for a pure-breed specimen of any variety that’s been bred and selected for correctly; well you just can’t beat it!
Although jokingly referred to as a ‘swagshot’ it’s difficult to resist taking a photo of your trophies, rosettes and prize cards, all laid out neatly, for social media. You get caught up in the warm glow of success in the days that proceed a show, and I feel personally, that it’s important to proudly display your winnings. It’s not showing off… it’s reinforcing your brand and it’s healthy promotion of your breed that will serve to inspire future keepers. What’s also nice is how the Fancy seems to be galvanised in congratulating winners these days. The ‘likes’ and comments beneath winners’ posts is heartening and is significant of the general feeling out there; these wins on an individual basis are wonderful to see, but they are also regared as ‘wins for the hobby!’
Country Smallholder February ’25 – Buff Orpingtons
Right Royal Gem!… The Beautiful Buff Orpington (excerpt)
After its recent resurgence on the show bench, Grant Brereton enthuses about this beautiful pure breed which is proudly our very own…
“I have no use for it now… It housed a big Buff Orpington cockerel” were the words that put Orpington chickens firmly back in my consciousness. The year was 1999 and I had got back into poultry in a big way. I had answered a local newspaper advertisement – offering a free dog kennel to anyone who would collect it from a property in Rhyl, North Wales, but it wasn’t very good so I politely declined.
At that time, I had access to land and outbuildings, I was young and my income was very disposable. The number of acquired breeds kept increasing, and I couldn’t seem to get Buff Orpingtons out of my head. It would be another ad in the free ads paper that led me to my first Buff Orpingtons. The guy and his family were building a new house on a huge farm and so had access to a number of farm buildings. They were living in a caravan on site, and the chickens were a welcome distraction.
I remember well that the beautiful Buff males were only £5 each, which was cheap even 25 years ago – and I could have two if I liked, but I only needed one. These brothers were the only three he’d hatched, and understandably was keeping one as a replacement for their father, who had sadly passed away. I managed to persuade him to part with their mother as well, who was an old hen. He was talking about needing ‘fresh blood’ for future breeding endeavours, so I didn’t feel too bad about bringing the hen home with me.
GBPoultry.com 