CHICKEN ADVICE
Where can I buy chickens in Adelaide south?
Due to many inquiries, I personally do not breed or sell chickens but there are various locations across Adelaide and the internet to source hens from.
Where to Buy Chickens - Adelaide Southern Suburbs
Call ahead to see if they currently have stock.
The hens in stock/fodder stores are usually ISA Browns, Australorps, New Hampshires and occasionally Silkies. (Hybrids and Heritage varieties)
Backyard Poultry (noticeboard).
One of the best national (Australian) websites for breeders, sellers and buyers of poultry to list on.
Make sure you choose your state before browsing the listings.
This is also the location to source fertilised eggs for your incubator.
Gumtree.com.au also have listings, often inconjunction with the listings on Backyard Poultry (as BYP do not support photo uploads).
There are various Poultry Auctions around the state, many of these are listed on Backyard Poultry's website.
Willunga (Lions) Poultry Auction is held on the last Saturday of the month at 9am.
Gawler Poultry Auction are held once a month on a Wednesday.
Kapunda Poultry Auction are held on the last Thursday of the month at 10:30am
2014 Club Auctions and Club AGMs of South Australia DATES
Facebook groups - search on location and breed. Contact me for a list (ever changing).
Due to many inquiries, I personally do not breed or sell chickens but there are various locations across Adelaide and the internet to source hens from.
Where to Buy Chickens - Adelaide Southern Suburbs
Call ahead to see if they currently have stock.
The hens in stock/fodder stores are usually ISA Browns, Australorps, New Hampshires and occasionally Silkies. (Hybrids and Heritage varieties)
Backyard Poultry (noticeboard).
One of the best national (Australian) websites for breeders, sellers and buyers of poultry to list on.
Make sure you choose your state before browsing the listings.
This is also the location to source fertilised eggs for your incubator.
Gumtree.com.au also have listings, often inconjunction with the listings on Backyard Poultry (as BYP do not support photo uploads).
There are various Poultry Auctions around the state, many of these are listed on Backyard Poultry's website.
Willunga (Lions) Poultry Auction is held on the last Saturday of the month at 9am.
Gawler Poultry Auction are held once a month on a Wednesday.
Kapunda Poultry Auction are held on the last Thursday of the month at 10:30am
2014 Club Auctions and Club AGMs of South Australia DATES
Facebook groups - search on location and breed. Contact me for a list (ever changing).
Where can I get rid of my unwanted chickens and roosters to?
ts heartbreaking when you have decided that the old girls or roosters cannot stay any more.
If they are still egg producing you may find a home for them, but if they have come to the end of their egg laying all together it becomes very hard to sell or even give them away.
ROOSTERS
May/June/July are the most common months for people to attempt to sell their roosters, which means that there is a glut in the market.
It is far easier to list your rooster as a Give Away rather than to sell due to their unpopularity.
Very few people would buy a rooster for breeding, so please understand that your boys may not be purchased for that purpose.
If you would like to have your roosters/hens dispatched for eating purposes, contact your local butchers to see if they are able to assist you with a service.
If they are still egg producing you may find a home for them, but if they have come to the end of their egg laying all together it becomes very hard to sell or even give them away.
- The best and most efficient way is to sell at Poultry/Livestock Auctions that occur once a month in most country towns.
Keep a look out for Lion's Auctions such as at Willunga. There are more through out the Barossa, Gilbert and Clare Valley regions.
Contact local councils for dates and locations. - Never under estimate networking with friends of friends, family and social clubs as your first step.
- Get involved with online Poultry Forums such as Backyard Poultry.
- They are a great way to network beyond friends and family and connect with interested poultry owners/buyers.
List them on the BackyardPoultry.com Noticeboard for sale.. - List on Gumtree.com.au
- RSPCA (as a very last resort)
- Facebook groups (e.g. Ozzie Rooster buy, sell, swap, giveaway OR Poultry For Sale SA)
ROOSTERS
May/June/July are the most common months for people to attempt to sell their roosters, which means that there is a glut in the market.
It is far easier to list your rooster as a Give Away rather than to sell due to their unpopularity.
Very few people would buy a rooster for breeding, so please understand that your boys may not be purchased for that purpose.
If you would like to have your roosters/hens dispatched for eating purposes, contact your local butchers to see if they are able to assist you with a service.
Buying and Selling Poultry on Facebook
Check out my blog for a great list of groups to join. CLICK HERE
Check out my blog for a great list of groups to join. CLICK HERE
Why have my chickens stopped laying?
I always ask four questions:
1. What breed of chicken do you have?
2. How old are they?
3. What time of the year is it?
4. Does one or more appear to be unwell?
If you have Isa Brown chickens (as in the above picture, centre) that are around 2 years old or more they will be coming to the end of their laying. Daily egg producing hens like the Isa Brown have a limited amount of laying which usually go for only 2 years. They make the greatest of pets out of all the chicken breeds, so if you have a small suburban garden, require daily eggs and can only have two or three chickens then Isa Browns are right for you. But be prepared to have them as pets after two years. Trying to off load hens who on longer lay can be a heartbreaking time, and you may not be able to sell or even give them away.
Other breeds that lay daily and have a limited egg producing and lifespan include Leghorns, Australops and Rhode Island Reds.
For more information about Isa Brown hens visit my blog to read Chicken Questions: Isa Brown Hens
Breeds that are a combined meat/egg hen will have a much longer laying period but will lay less often throughout the week, so having more of them is the perfect balance if your yard is big enough. They may lay up to 5 years with a lifespan around 5-7 years. They are a healthier bird due to less egg laying, so if they have ceased laying before 5 years of age please consult your veterinarian, as there may be other health issues such as being egg-bound.
During autumn and winter hens naturally slow down or might even stop their egg laying as the days become shorter and the weather cooler. Hens lay according to the amount of hours of sunlight, so don't fear their egg laying will resume to normal when Spring comes.
To encourage a little more extra egg laying you can try increasing their calcium and protein intake.
Once or twice a week you can offer a little live culture yoghurt and meal worms in a small bowl. If the meal worms come in bran, the chickens will love to eat that too. Its not guaranteed to get your girls back into full egg laying, but you may manage to get a few extra eggs. The quality of egg from the older hens will not be as good as from the younger ones but they still might be quite usable.
Your chickens' health is another thing to always keep an eye on. If age and season are not the problem, then please consult your veterinarian for advice.
1. What breed of chicken do you have?
2. How old are they?
3. What time of the year is it?
4. Does one or more appear to be unwell?
If you have Isa Brown chickens (as in the above picture, centre) that are around 2 years old or more they will be coming to the end of their laying. Daily egg producing hens like the Isa Brown have a limited amount of laying which usually go for only 2 years. They make the greatest of pets out of all the chicken breeds, so if you have a small suburban garden, require daily eggs and can only have two or three chickens then Isa Browns are right for you. But be prepared to have them as pets after two years. Trying to off load hens who on longer lay can be a heartbreaking time, and you may not be able to sell or even give them away.
Other breeds that lay daily and have a limited egg producing and lifespan include Leghorns, Australops and Rhode Island Reds.
For more information about Isa Brown hens visit my blog to read Chicken Questions: Isa Brown Hens
Breeds that are a combined meat/egg hen will have a much longer laying period but will lay less often throughout the week, so having more of them is the perfect balance if your yard is big enough. They may lay up to 5 years with a lifespan around 5-7 years. They are a healthier bird due to less egg laying, so if they have ceased laying before 5 years of age please consult your veterinarian, as there may be other health issues such as being egg-bound.
During autumn and winter hens naturally slow down or might even stop their egg laying as the days become shorter and the weather cooler. Hens lay according to the amount of hours of sunlight, so don't fear their egg laying will resume to normal when Spring comes.
To encourage a little more extra egg laying you can try increasing their calcium and protein intake.
Once or twice a week you can offer a little live culture yoghurt and meal worms in a small bowl. If the meal worms come in bran, the chickens will love to eat that too. Its not guaranteed to get your girls back into full egg laying, but you may manage to get a few extra eggs. The quality of egg from the older hens will not be as good as from the younger ones but they still might be quite usable.
Your chickens' health is another thing to always keep an eye on. If age and season are not the problem, then please consult your veterinarian for advice.
How do I worm my chickens?
Worming medication is best given in the evening if your chickens are free range throughout the day.
Remove all other points of water so that they can only drink from the medicated water that evening and next morning.
If you feel it has not been successful:
The best advice I can give you is to handle your hens often. When they are use to you regularly picking them up they are much easier to handle during times of medication.
For more advice and tutorials in pictures, visit Fresh Eggs Daily for 5 Simple Tips When Medicating
Remove all other points of water so that they can only drink from the medicated water that evening and next morning.
If you feel it has not been successful:
- Grab a 5 or 10ml syringe (no needle) and administer the medication individually to each hen.
- Flip your hen over onto her back on your lap while you kneel on the ground.
- To open her beak, using one hand, press with your fingers lightly on both sides of her beak near the hinge until she opens slightly.
- Insert the syringe from the side to administer the medication in a steady manner.
- Give the correct dose for their weight. Read the instructions carefully before starting.
The best advice I can give you is to handle your hens often. When they are use to you regularly picking them up they are much easier to handle during times of medication.
For more advice and tutorials in pictures, visit Fresh Eggs Daily for 5 Simple Tips When Medicating
Why won't my chickens eat the scraps I give them?
Hens are a fussy bunch.
They love to forage, but its what they are foraging for that gives us the best clue.
Most people think that poultry are vegetarians, when in actual fact they are meat and protein eaters.
When you buy a bag of chicken pellets it usually contains a level of protein appropriate for their diet, but that protein is an assistance level rather than a total daily intake. That protein is usually in the form of meat-meal within the pellets.
So when you feed your flock, think in terms of bugs, grubs, worms and meat.
Many times if kitchen scraps are left out its the local pigeons that actually eat it up rather than the hens.
If you add the scraps to deep litter within their coop it can compost down for the garden later. They will still have a scratch and peck through even if they won't really eat it. Your hens will act like an aerator to the pile.
During the colder months you can treat your flock to a little extra protein with a little meat on a bone (no chops and steaks, just the bone with a little meat left on it) or a small bowl of meal worms once or twice a week. You will be amazed how clean they can pick a bone!
Never feed chicken meat to chickens as it can cause cannibalism. Yes, chickens can peck another chicken to death from the rear.
Never feed your chickens:
They love to forage, but its what they are foraging for that gives us the best clue.
Most people think that poultry are vegetarians, when in actual fact they are meat and protein eaters.
When you buy a bag of chicken pellets it usually contains a level of protein appropriate for their diet, but that protein is an assistance level rather than a total daily intake. That protein is usually in the form of meat-meal within the pellets.
So when you feed your flock, think in terms of bugs, grubs, worms and meat.
Many times if kitchen scraps are left out its the local pigeons that actually eat it up rather than the hens.
If you add the scraps to deep litter within their coop it can compost down for the garden later. They will still have a scratch and peck through even if they won't really eat it. Your hens will act like an aerator to the pile.
During the colder months you can treat your flock to a little extra protein with a little meat on a bone (no chops and steaks, just the bone with a little meat left on it) or a small bowl of meal worms once or twice a week. You will be amazed how clean they can pick a bone!
Never feed chicken meat to chickens as it can cause cannibalism. Yes, chickens can peck another chicken to death from the rear.
Never feed your chickens:
- Anything moldy or fermented
- Avocado flesh, pits and skin
- Citrus
- Onion (Garlic is the exception which is fantastic for their health!)
- Potatoes
- Tomato leaves
- Rhubarb
- Eggplant leaves
- Apple seeds
- Raw dried beans
- Chocolate
- Caffeine: Coffee grounds and tea bags
- Asparagus
- Alcohol
- Loaf of bread (a piece every now and then is fine as a special treat)
- Anything sprayed with a chemical
- Anything too sweet, salty or deep fried
- Iceberg Lettuce
- Dairy Products ( Live Culture Yoghurt is the exception but is small amounts only once or twice a week when calcium intake is inadequate)
How can I stop my dog from eating chicken manure or barking at the hens?
This is such a common question, so I want to reassure you that it is not unusual for dogs to chase chickens for a bit of sport and neither is eating really disgusting smelly things like manure. Its a real doggy thing.
On the farm at shearing time our farm dogs would not only eat sheep manure but also roll in it under the gratings of the shearing shed that was full of sheep. Taking the dogs off to any other farm activity was nearly impossible to bear due to the stink of their coat and breath.
Its not a male or female dog thing, its just the thrill of the scent for a dog. And we found it particularly prevalent in our non-desexed working dogs to be the most active in eating and rolling in manure.
When your dog engages in their bad behaviour be at the ready to send a strong discouraging message by growling your command, number one.
Secondly, you can use a physical deterrent such as a spray of water.
If needed, set up a barrier between the dog and poultry area. This is not always possible in every backyard, though.
But lastly, and the most importantly, is to give a food reward for when they have obeyed your command to cease their activity.
Food rewards for good behaviour changes behaviour.
Please be persistent with daily training over the next week or two. All your hard effort will pay off with consistency.
Make sure everyone in your household helps with the retraining to maintain authority evenly.
On the farm at shearing time our farm dogs would not only eat sheep manure but also roll in it under the gratings of the shearing shed that was full of sheep. Taking the dogs off to any other farm activity was nearly impossible to bear due to the stink of their coat and breath.
Its not a male or female dog thing, its just the thrill of the scent for a dog. And we found it particularly prevalent in our non-desexed working dogs to be the most active in eating and rolling in manure.
When your dog engages in their bad behaviour be at the ready to send a strong discouraging message by growling your command, number one.
Secondly, you can use a physical deterrent such as a spray of water.
If needed, set up a barrier between the dog and poultry area. This is not always possible in every backyard, though.
But lastly, and the most importantly, is to give a food reward for when they have obeyed your command to cease their activity.
Food rewards for good behaviour changes behaviour.
Please be persistent with daily training over the next week or two. All your hard effort will pay off with consistency.
Make sure everyone in your household helps with the retraining to maintain authority evenly.