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Background: Backyard poultry ownership is of keen interest in the United Kingdom. However, despite this, little is known about veterinary care engagement and outcomes of visits in this group of species. Methods: This study described and characterised veterinary practice‐visiting backyard poultry, utilising electronic health record data supplied by veterinary practices voluntarily participating in the Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network between 1st April 2014 and 31st March 2019. Results: In total, 4424 recorded poultry consultations originating from 197 veterinary practices (352 sites) were summarised. Chicken consultation (n = 3740) peak incidence was in early summer (April‐June), relative to all recorded species. More chickens resided in rural (incident rate ratio = 2.5, confidence interval [CI] 2.3–2.6, p

Coccidiosis is a complex parasitic disease ubiquitous in all types of poultry production. It can have both a direct effect on bird health and welfare with significant negative impacts on the production parameters and indirect effect as it predisposes to other pathogens. Ionophore coccidiostats have been used safely for over 45 years by poultry producers. Concerns have been raised that their use in livestock production could promote the development of antibiotic resistance, but their unique mode of action makes it unlikely. Conversely their removal can result in increased use of therapeutic antibiotics to treat disease posing a greater risk of antibiotic resistance development. Economic and environmental models examining the impact of the removal of ionophore coccidiostats from UK production suggest the annual cost to the broiler sector would be between £68.02-£109.95 million and result in an additional 84,000 tonnes CO2 e being produced per annum. Any cost increase would make this wholesome and affordable animal protein less affordable to poorer sectors of society. Increased greenhouse gas production, demand for water and land as a result of less efficient production will impact on climate change targets.

A vet with a special interest in ducks who used his diagnostic abilities, problem-solving skills and a common-sense approach to improve bird health and welfare.

As the keeping of backyard poultry becomes ever more popular, it is important that practitioners develop an understanding of disease management and control in these birds, particularly given the free-ranging nature of many of these flocks and the fact that some products will be destined for human consumption. This article describes the conditions affecting backyard poultry, highlighting the options for the treatment and prevention of those problems most likely to be seen in practice. An article published in the March issue of In Practice (volume 34, pages 136–145) described the husbandry and general management of small flocks.

‘Backyard poultry’ can cover anything from pampered exhibition birds to small egg-laying flocks, as well as pet chickens, and is an expanding area of veterinary medicine. Clients will range from experienced keepers to complete novices, many of whom will not be served by commercial poultry veterinary surgeons and, hence, will turn to their local practitioner for help and advice about caring for their birds. This article, the first of two discussing the veterinary approach to backyard poultry, describes the key elements of husbandry and general management of small flocks. Part 2, to be published in the April issue of In Practice , will focus on the specifics of veterinary care and disease control of poultry, with particular emphasis on the management of those conditions most likely to be seen in practice.

“We are crossing the river by feeling the stones.” — attributed to Deng Xiaoping on economic reforms in China Abstract In December 1999, Vietnam's leaders granted Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) powers to pilot a remarkable budget management reform. This small-scale but radical experiment, launched in January 2000, has involved allowing the provincial finance department to approve and control budgets for 10 pilot spending units as “block grants” or “lump sums.” This review of the first two years of the HCMC block grants experiment suggests that such mechanisms may be useful in the developing country context. It also explores why Vietnam's decision to continue with pilots on a larger scale, rather than move immediately to full-scale rollout, may be an optimal reform implementation approach. The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the positions or perspectives of the Mokoro Group or of the World Bank.

During the 1990s Vietnam's economic reforms led to rapid growth and dramatic poverty reduction, attracting more donors and higher levels of aid. As this happened, bottlenecks and the transaction costs of aid became more apparent and led to efforts at harmonisation. However, the task has been complicated by donors' distrust of government's low standards of transparency and accountability but respect for its poverty reduction performance and macroeconomic management record. As a result donors have concentrated first on harmonisation with each other while supporting institutional reforms. They have done this through the unusually extensive donor-government consultative machinery, with its biannual Consultative Group (CG) meetings and a large number of sectoral and topical partnership groups. The article assesses the role this machinery plays, concluding that its vitality results from mutual commitment and its unusual extent from the number of sectors addressed. The collaboration between government and donors may face greater challenges in the future if economic growth slows, the reform agenda stalls or inequality increases. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

It is with regret that we announce the sad death of Christopher Wathes,OBE on 6th May 2016, a long term member of WPSA UK. Christopher was emeritus professor of the Royal Veterinary College,London, former Chairman of the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) and a friend and colleague of many working in the field of animal welfare both in UK and globally. Throughout his career, Christopher was an advocate for pragmatism in the approach to understanding and improving animal welfare. Christopher was a believer in evidence based decisions as well as plain common sense. I was privileged to work under Christopher’s Chairmanship of FAWC and during that time he oversaw its revised strategy at a time of economic constraints, always resisting attempts to compromise or diminish the independence and influence of FAWC. His development of the concept of a ‘good life’ and a ‘life worth living’ for all farmed animals kept for food production gave all involved a template on which to assess provisions and requirements for assessing welfare, and more importantly improving standards. Christopher was justifiably proud of any measures that could enable animal keepers and legislators to monitor and improve welfare. The concept of a ‘life worth living’ is a fitting and lasting legacy for his hard work and dedication. During his earlier career he headed up the bioengineering division of the Silsoe Research Institute in the 1990s where he undertook work concentrating on animal’s preferences in their environment and its importance in chieving the best facilities to keep livestock. His move to the Royal Veterinary College in 2005 allowed further development of his interests in animal welfare and ethics from the animal’s perspective, which was the bedrock of his time chairing FAWC. At all times during his career Christopher showed a passion for animal welfare but also cared a lot about people. He encouraged good thinking and wanted those around him, students, peers and friends to grow and succeed. He faced his latter health issues with stoicism and courage, but was clearly frustrated that it impacted on his lifelong skills of communication. He was proud and deserving of the prestigious award this year from the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) with their Medal for Outstanding Achievements in Animal Welfare Science, presented posthumously, to his wife Claire, recently. Christopher will be sadly missed by all who knew him and worked with him. He certainly demonstrated how to have a ‘life worth living’ and his legacy is that animal welfare has benefited from his considerable efforts and that he enriched the lives of people who knew him. Dr George W. Barbour On June 5, 2016, the Lebanon Branch of WPSA lost one of its very dear and most loyal members. Dr Barbour received both his BSc. and MSc. degrees from the American University of Beirut in 1982 and 1984, respectively. He then moved to the USA where he received his PhD from the Ohio State University in 1989. After this, he spent two years as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Alberta and a further two years as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. Dr Barbour returned to Lebanon in 1994 where he worked in the poultry industry for two years and then in 1996 he joined the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI) as a research scientist in poultry nutrition. He was also teaching on a part time basis at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik from 1996 to 2001. He then moved to teach also part time at the Lebanese International University while continuing his research activities at LARI. Dr Barbour has published many scientific and extension papers on the nutritional evaluation of local grains and oil seeds which is of value to poultry producers and feed manufacturers. He was a member of the Honour Society of Agriculture (Gamma Sigma Delta), American Poultry Science Association and the World Poultry Science Association. He attended most World’s Poultry Science Association congresses as well as American Poultry Science Association annual meetings. He has published many scientific and extension papers and provided numerous services to poultry producers and feed manufacturers in Lebanon and the region. Dr Barbour was one of my graduate students when he was working on his MSc. degree. I remember him as very hard working and meticulous in his work and always questioning things. He had the true spirit of a scientist. Dr Barbour is survived by his wife Marwa Michel Boushi and is going to be dearly missed by all his friends, relatives and colleagues here and abroad. Nuhad J. Daghir, President WPSA-Lebanon

YOUR recent Comment ( VR , April 9, 2016, vol 178, p 354) and the BVA President's recent media activities may in the BVA Executive's opinion have had the desired effect of getting Defra to U-turn on its proposal to revoke the existing code of recommendations for the welfare of livestock: meat chickens and breeding chickens, and replace it with more updated guidance ( VR , April 16, 2016, vol 178, p 383). However, in achieving this action it has not promoted the cause of good animal welfare and guidance but in fact has probably set it back several years. Unfortunately Veterinary Record and the Executive have poorly understood the issue and have not consulted the BVA's specialist division, in this case the British Veterinary Poultry Association (BVPA), before going to press or engaging with the wider media. The draft revised guidance on the regulatory requirements for the welfare of meat chickens and …

Stephen Lister looks at the debate around ‘leg health’ in broiler chickens and efforts to measure welfare in terms of outcomes ONE of the major criticisms levelled against the modern broiler meat chicken is that the drive towards increased growth rates and performance can be to the detriment of

SIR, – The Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) has recently given an update on DEFRA’s approach to the outbreak of low pathogenic H7N3 avian influenza that occurred in Norfolk during April ( VR , May 20, 2006, vol 158, p 706). There are clearly a large number of lessons to be learned that will need

Advertising has been debated by economists almost exclusively in the context of developed countries (DCs). We argue here the case for studying advertising in the specifically less-developed country (LDC) context. Our view is that both sides in the DC debate have tended to presume that there is no ‘problem’ of advertising in LDCs. On the one hand, for those who hold that advertising is not a problem in DCs it is natural to assume by extension no such problem in LDCs either.1 On the other hand, J.K. Galbraith, who is the leading proponent of the view that advertising is crucial to an explanation of the dynamics of advanced capitalist societies, has also implied that the problem is exclusively one for DCs. We show in part II of the paper that this aspect of the Galbraithian view is not supported by the facts. We go on in part III to consider the ways in which the practical effects and welfare implications of advertising may differ in degree or kind in the LDCs. It should be stressed that our aim is not to assess whether advertising is on balance desirable or not for LDCs — in any case an absurdly broad question — but to show with what data are available, that there is a strong case for further research on its specific effects.

An experiment is described that examines the suitability of three Royal Armoured Corps Instructional pamphlets. The results suggest a literacy gap between reader and material.