Australia

I stood in my coop, staring at Midnight, my favorite Black Australorp hen. She was flattened out like a pancake in the nesting box, growling at me like a velociraptor. I reached under her to check for eggs. Peck! She nailed my hand. Midnight had gone broody. Again. If you raise Australorps, you know they … Read more

When I started tracking Australorp foraging efficiency vs feed costs, I expected modest savings. Maybe enough to buy a coffee. But after 90 days of weighing feed, counting eggs, and monitoring my six free-range Australorps against a confined control group, the numbers surprised me. This experiment breaks down exactly how much money free-ranging saved me—specifically … Read more

When my weather app showed 45°C (113°F) for three consecutive days last summer, I knew my black Australorps were in serious danger. Australorp heat stress management became my obsession after I sadly lost a hen to heat stroke during my very first year of chicken keeping. It was a hard lesson to learn, but it … Read more

If you’re keeping backyard chickens in Australia, you’ve probably watched your flock enthusiastically peck at weeds, wondering: ‘Is this safe?’ Understanding safe Australian native plants and weeds your chickens can eat is crucial for flock health and biosecurity. While chickens have natural foraging instincts, they can’t always distinguish between nutritious greens and deadly toxic plants … Read more

G’day! If you’ve got a few chooks scratching around the backyard, you know the joy of collecting fresh eggs every morning. It feels like a throwback to a simpler time, and honestly, it’s one of my favourite parts of keeping chickens. But let’s be honest. With egg prices in the shops climbing steadily through 2025 … Read more

G’day, fellow chicken keepers! Let’s be honest, we love our chooks. But we don’t love the sore back and cranky knees from bending over in a tiny coop, trying to scoop out wet, smelly bedding. Or that awful sinking feeling in your stomach when you find a pile of feathers, a sign that a fox … Read more

Fair dinkum, the Australian summer can be a shocker. When the mercury climbs past 35°C, it’s not just us feeling the heat. Our backyard chooks are seriously struggling, and keeping chickens cool in summer becomes the biggest challenge for Australian poultry keepers. For chickens, this kind of heat isn’t just uncomfortable. It’s genuinely dangerous. That’s … Read more

The Australian summer can be a real scorcher. I’ll never forget the 45°C heatwave we had a couple of years back. I ran outside to find my chooks flat on the ground, panting like crazy. It was a mad dash with ice bricks and a hose to cool them down. When the temperature soars, we … Read more

The best places to buy chickens in Australia are from specialized, vaccinated suppliers. Your main options are commercial hatcheries (like Specialised Breeders Australia), heritage breeders (like Libby’s Heritage Chickens or Evans Chickens), and educational farms (like Talking Hens). Always ask for vaccination records, especially for Marek’s Disease. So, you’re ready to join the thousands of … Read more

Keeping a flock of backyard chickens in Australia is a truly rewarding experience. You get fresh eggs, fantastic garden helpers, and plenty of feathered personalities. But when you walk into the feed store, the choice can be overwhelming. You’re faced with different brands, colourful bags, and terms like “pellet,” “crumble,” and “mash.” You just want … Read more