PAULMEATYARD THE COMPLETE FANCIER

摘要

To my mind Paul is a really good example of an accomplished poultryman. Though he may be known through the Poultry Fancy as a man who wins many top awards with his waterfowl there are many other sides to this man. The more I have got to know him the more I learn. Totally committed to giving back as much or more than he takes, he is my kind of Poultry Fancier. Although Paul had kept waterfowl in the form of commercial Aylesburys for a number of years it wasn't until a chance encounter in 1979 that hego into pure bred exhibition stock. In those days he worked in a bakery and wondered why a couple needed the stale bread. The couple were Charles and Maggie Piper who still live at Castle Gary and at that time were at the top of the tree with Cayuga ducks. One thing led to another and Paul soon had White Runners from Vernon Jackson. His first show was Bath & West and it was then staged in a tent, which blew down in bad weather with the birds inside. Not such a problem now as it is in the Showering Pavilion, staged on the balcony above the beef cattle. Paul and his lovely wife Debbie live at Bruton in Somerset. It is a beautiful place with lots of history and character. Paul has been very involved with one of the country's top cheese-making companies based in the area for many years but recently took early retirement. He is not able to keep his birds at home but a short walk away brings you down a lane to fields bordering a clean flowing stream which never dries up. This in itself is a bonus in keeping his birds in top condition. His breeding and rearing pens run down from their houses to finish in the stream.