Chicken bald back

[Leicester_H]

There was a magazine offer so I subscribed to ‘Country Small Holding’ and ‘Your Chickens’ for a ‘trial’ 5 issue period.

 

‘Country Small Holding’ arrived last week and I read it. Included 44 page poultry magazine

Today, ‘Your Chickens’ arrived. 52 pages (full price £3.70) I expected some similarities but not this much.

 

Contents p 3

10 -12 Article “When Chickens Die”, word for word and same photos as in ‘Country Small Holding’

14 – 15 Article written by and about same person as in ‘Country Small Holding’ (same photos, different words)

18 – 19 Unique article

21-22 Article “Schools Out ”, word for word and same photos as in ‘Country Small Holding’

24 – 25 Article “Your Breeds ”, word for word and same photos as in ‘Country Small Holding’

27,28,31 Unique

32 “Monthly Advice” word for word and same photos as in ‘Country Small Holding’

35,36 Pages for Kids

38 Unique article

40 Photos – always nice but worth paying for ???

42 Article “French Hens ”, word for word and same photos as in ‘Country Small Holding’

44 Unique article

46-47 Article “Guide to Drinkers ”, word for word and same photos as in ‘Country Small Holding’

48 Unique article

Adverts, pages 2,5,7,8,9,13,16,17,20,23,26,29,30,32,34,37,39,41,43,45,49,50,51,52

 

So of 52 pages, 24 were adverts, 13 were exact duplicates, 9 contained novel info.

 

For the price I paid (£5 for 5 issues x 2) its OK, but I’d be really annoyed if I’d paid full cover prices.

 

Your thoughts ? H

[soapdragon]

I'd complain, if I were you. See what they say!!!

[Lewis]

I've had bits in CS or YC in the past and seen it replicated in the other.

 

I guess they're targeted at different markets so people would buy one or the other but if they're going to run an offer on both of them, it's not really on...

[Plum]

Love your blog Lewis

[newcountrygirl]

I had a subscription to Your Chickens last year. I cancelled it as there was hardly anything in it and some of it was from America.

[Leicester_H]

I'd complain, if I were you. See what they say!!!

 

I've emailed them to ask if this level of content is typical - I'll let you know what they say.

 

H

[Cat tails]

This is something that happens a lot between different newspapers in the Netherlands. One journalist of paper A has written an article and the publishers of paper A sell it to paper B. Or paper A and B are both owned by the same publisher.

 

You wouldn't have known this about Your Chickens, if you hadn't also read Smallholders. And if you would have read Your Chickens first, then you would have thought Smallholder was a rip off.

But I agree on the point of all the adverts. Although with small magazines, that's were most of the money comes from. They have limited funds and often it's cheaper to buy someone else's article than make one yourself.

[Valkyrie]

I think I bought Your Chickens when it was relatively new - hated it. Stuck to Country Smallholding because it seems much better quality plus I'm more interested in other smallholding things - and OH rather likes the tools section.

[Luvachicken]

I had a subscription present of Practical Poultry magazine last year - which was very nice - but 2 months running had how to put up an electric fence and then a couple of months later another spread on how to put up an electric fence.

It's fine if you only buy the magazine every now and then but 3 times in one year, really ?

[Chortle Chook]

I'm stunned by that Leicester_H I must be a real mug but it had never entered my head that you'd get the same contents in totally different magazines Makes me feel a fool for standing in the news agent dithering about should I have x or y magazine this month (Does this happen with say 'Country Living' and 'Country Homes & Interiors' or 'Red' and 'Cosmo' ?? Perhaps it does)

[The Dogmother]

A lot of them do use items 'across platform', especially if they are published by the same group and the subject matter is similar.

[soapdragon]

I had a subscription present of Practical Poultry magazine last year - which was very nice - but 2 months running had how to put up an electric fence and then a couple of months later another spread on how to put up an electric fence.

It's fine if you only buy the magazine every now and then but 3 times in one year, really ?

 

Perhaps the fence kept falling down

[Leicester_H]

They have replied to my email. Apparently, they have had staffing issues and new staff took time to get up to speed which resulted in a lot of sharing of articles. They have offered me a £5 refund and two small pocket-sized guides, Getting Started in Smallholding and Getting Started with Chickens - don't really need these but its a nice gesture.

 

These things happen - its how companies deal with them that shows how good they are.

 

Lets see what April's issues bring !

 

H

[Valkyrie]

Anyone want to go into publishing? Now that's a reeeeesult! Well done.

[PixieDust]

I have stopped buying either My Chickens or Country Smallholding. I only buy whichever one I see first as I got fed up of buying, effectively a duplicate.

 

Some of their articles are interesting but to be fair there is more in - depth info on the net.