A henhouse with a number of chooks scratching in a sandbox. One chook, a barnevelder, is sitting on the edge of the sandbox.
Build your garden

How to maximise your hens’ egg production with a balanced diet

If you are dreaming of an achievable and rewarding way to supply some of your own food, you can’t go past keeping laying hens, such as the barnevelder.

Long-term wet weather poses a threat to fowls’ health.
Bees, poultry & livestock

Wet-weather proof your poultry

While ducks may enjoy downpours, backyard poultry are not so happy. Our chook expert, Jessamy Miller, has some tips to take care of your feathered friends.

Chicken can help keep garden beds tidy.
Bees, poultry & livestock

Health-boosting plants for your chooks

Jessamy Miller suggests some crops to grow that your chooks will love, but are also good for their health.

Bantams lay eggs that tend to have a larger proportion of yolk to white.
Bees, poultry & livestock

Bantams: the small space chook

If you’d love to keep a few low-cost chooks for eggs but have limited space, bantams are the answer, writes Jessamy Miller.

Poultry are social animals so a flock of three or more is ideal.
Bees, poultry & livestock

Getting started with chooks

If you are looking at adding poultry to your backyard, Jessamy Miller has a few important tips when it comes to buying your new chooks.

Different breeds of chooks have varying lay rates and different functions.
Bees, poultry & livestock

Natural ways to ensure your chooks lay eggs aplenty

There are many natural ways to help your chooks reach their laying potential. Two important ones to consider are diet and natural light.

Beehive need to be registered.
Bees, poultry & livestock

Beekeeping registers

Thinking about getting bees? There's one thing you must do, writes Kelly Lees, register your beehives.

Contented chooks.
Bees, poultry & livestock

Expert tips for contented chooks

Who's the boss in your henhouse? Jessamy Miller explains how to stop your hens from being bullied. 

From left to right: My Hamburgh, Spangles, Lulu the Langshan and Spare Spangles, another Hamburgh. Buffy the Silkie is hiding at the back.
Bees, poultry & livestock

Fun names for chooks

Calling your chook Meryl Cheep, or Yolko Ono might be going too far for some, but there is plenty of fun and nostalgia to be had when naming your chooks, writes Jessamy Miller.

How to hold a hen
Bees, poultry & livestock

How to hold a chook

There are all sorts of reasons you may need to hold your hens, such as checking for parasites; Jessamy Miller explains how do it safely for your chooks and you.

Growing plants that are indigenous to your area will help attract native bees.
Bees, poultry & livestock

Encouraging native bees

If you follow these basic principles in your garden, native bees and other beneficial insects will know they’re welcome, writes Karen Sutherland.

Teddy bear bee (Amegilla bombiformis)
Bees, poultry & livestock

Bring in the bees

There's heaps to do in the summer garden, including encouraging bees to visit and stay. Our horticultural experts have some tips to help you take care of these precious pollinators.