Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[Somewhere_In_The_Clouds]

I prefer pretty bitsas but no one seems to sell them down here. My first two back in 2017 (or maybe it was 2018) were Australorp and Barnevelder. Two years later, my second pair were bitsas from a fodder store which worked out really well. Then a couple of weeks back I got a trio of pullets from a fodder store who only stocks pullets from one breeder. A Barnevelder, a Dorking, and a Speckled Sussex and I was on a wait list for about 6 weeks before they were available. And I said I didn't care what the breeds were, but it was still a 6 week wait.

Want these two ? They're my accidents


Am just joking though as you are in a different state and these two might be roos.
I have three cross/unknown hens, they're lovely things.
I myself really like rare/Heritage breeds and varieties which triples how hard it's to find any chickens.

 

[MaryJanet]

Want these two ? They're my accidents
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Am just joking though as you are in a different state and these two might be roos.
I have three cross/unknown hens, they're lovely things.
I myself really like rare/Heritage breeds and varieties which triples how hard it's to find any chickens.

If I lived closer, heck yeh I do! That's exactly the kind of pullet I'd be keen on (but not if they're roos because I live in the suburbs and we have council rules about noise).

Right! So I'm not the only one who struggles to get hold of chooks! That's reassuring.

 

[ChookieG]

I've got a few questions about breeding. Do any of you breed towards the standard? If so, what do you do with the pullets who aren't too good? Keep them or sell them to backyarders like me? And how do you reduce the cockerels? I can see the ecological and economic merit in butchering them but as a city woman, I would struggle to do that myself. I recently read about MG and it said don't mix age groups, do people in Australia take care on that point? Sorry to ask all these naive questions, I haven't been keeping chickens long.

I don't breed to standard. I just have hybrids that I mainly aim to select for temperament (quiet) and docile, size, laying capacity, and egg colour. Excess pullets I try to sell, excess Roos I try to re-home and if no one takes them they'll be for food - Yup I have no problem killing them to eat. It's not something I enjoy doing but I think it's practical and teaches & reminds me not to over-indulge in meat as lives need to be taken for you to be full. I have tried going vegan & vegetarian but my health doesn't allow for it. I also cook up unproductive layers.

There's no issue having a mixed flock so long as you do it right..intros & all. I have nine 7 week old chicks mixed in with 2 cockerels and 4 hens in a large enclosed run and they co-exist well.

 

[Japsgalore]

Not sure if I've introduced myself here and apologies if I already have but hello!
My name is Lexi and I'm a young chicken keeper in QLD that currently owns about 12 chooks 5 of which are chicks. I hope to post on here a lot

 

[MaryJanet]

I don't breed to standard. I just have hybrids that I mainly aim to select for temperament (quiet) and docile, size, and egg colour. Excess pullets I try to sell, excess Roos I try to re-home and if no one takes them they'll be for food - Yup I have no problem killing them to eat. It's not something I enjoy doing but I think it's practical and teaches & reminds not to over-indulge in meat as lives need to be taken for you to be full. I have tried going vegan & vegetarian but my health doesn't allow for it. I also cook up unproductive layers.

There's no issue having a mixed flock so long as you do it right..intros & all. I have nine 7 week old chick mixed in with 2 cockerels and 4 hens in a large enclosed run and they co-exist well.

I get it. If I weren't a city woman, I'd probably take up butchering cockerels too although it would be a steep learning curve.

I've also tried to give up meat but it hasn't been successful. In my case, it's mostly psychological. I've cut down loads though, and maybe one day red meat will be gone from my diet completely. I can't see myself never eating white meat.

 

[MaryJanet]

Not sure if I've introduced myself here and apologies if I already have but hello!
My name is Lexi and I'm a young chicken keeper in QLD that currently owns about 12 chooks 5 of which are chicks. I hope to post on here a lot

Hi Lexi! On this platform, people call me MJ

 

[ChookieG]

Not sure if I've introduced myself here and apologies if I already have but hello!
My name is Lexi and I'm a young chicken keeper in QLD that currently owns about 12 chooks 5 of which are chicks. I hope to post on here a lot

Welcome to the crazy Aussie chook lovers thread!!!!!

 

[Somewhere_In_The_Clouds]

Not sure if I've introduced myself here and apologies if I already have but hello!
My name is Lexi and I'm a young chicken keeper in QLD that currently owns about 12 chooks 5 of which are chicks. I hope to post on here a lot

Hello and Welcome! Now I think I am not the newest to the thread

 

[Somewhere_In_The_Clouds]

I get it. If I weren't a city woman, I'd probably take up butchering cockerels too although it would be a steep learning curve.

I've also tried to give up meat but it hasn't been successful. In my case, it's mostly psychological. I've cut down loads though, and maybe one day red meat will be gone from my diet completely. I can't see myself never eating white meat.

It's something I actually have to work toward doing. I personally have not done it, I can semi pluck and cut up but other then that was never very involved.
After being taught I think I could process them, but the actually killing someone might have to do for me...

 

[ChookieG]

I get it. If I weren't a city woman, I'd probably take up butchering cockerels too although it would be a steep learning curve.

I know what you mean....I actually didn't grow up in the country. I'm from suburbia and only moved to the country recently.

Killing animals is not what I've ever done b4 but we want to be more self-sustainable so we made the decision to do so. Also the way broiler chickens are raised (even RSPCA approved ones) and killed is disturbing and cruel. Commercial broilers themselves are usually so inbred to grow so fast they often suffer severe sicknesses and lameness due to their rapid weight growth.

I've also tried to give up meat but it hasn't been successful. In my case, it's mostly psychological. I've cut down loads though, and maybe one day red meat will be gone from my diet completely. I can't see myself never eating white meat.

I stopped eating red meat 10 years ago and only consume chicken, some seafood and loads of eggs. It's worked well so far.