Having successfully sold hundreds of his novel Poacher Block field security devices, Northumberland farmer John Goodfellow has now turned his hand to chicken muck.

More specifically, a means of clearing the stuff from underneath indoor-housed laying hens, much to the delight of farm staff previously tasked with what must rank as the most unpleasant job in agriculture.

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Designing the Chicken Poo Pusher was far from straightforward, as the cages lie just 60cm off the ground and are propped up by umpteen stabilising legs.

To get around these issues, he opted for a 3m-long ram made specifically for the job, with a 70x35cm bulldozing blade on the end.

Thanks to lengthy 12m hoses, the tractor can be parked outside and the implement simply rolled along the hen house on its castor wheels.

The whole unit is galvanised, allowing it to be properly sterilised between jobs without the risk of metal degradation.

The Poo Pusher has subsequently been hired by several egg producers, all of which have given it rave reviews.