Keeping backyard chickens
Chickens have amazing credentials. A chicken is a composter, weed controller, pest controller, creator of natural fertiliser, and food producer all in one!
Did you know?
- Chickens have personalities and make great pets
- A typical hybrid hen can lay around 280 eggs per year
- Chickens can remember over 100 different faces of people and animals.
'We love having chickens, they are really nice animals - humans must have been overjoyed when they were domesticated. Our chickens eat not just our scraps but also weeds which we can collect from our garden or collect from the bush when we volunteer for bush care. They do need care, and it's an everyday task. We lock them in at night to keep them safe from foxes and let them out in the morning and of course we collect the eggs.' Matthew Keighery of Castlecrag.
Before getting chickens, things to consider include NSW Government and Council regulations, animal welfare, health & safety (good hygiene practices should be followed), choosing the right breed for you and your family, point of lay, housing, feeding, egg handling, and sustainability.
New research shows chickens and their eggs in some Sydney backyards contain significant lead levels, which may pose a health concern for consumers. For a small donation, you can have your soil tested by VegeSafe.
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