A Visit to Victoria Roberts BVSc MRCVS

Grant Brereton pays an old friend a visit and reflects on her seismic contribution to the poultry keeping hobby....

- Grant Brereton

Early in 2025, I took a trip up to see poultry vet and friend Victoria Roberts (who has been writing for Country Smallholding 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 transcend 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 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 like-minded 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 today's fanciers, including yours truly. It is still very much regarded as a 'must have!'