The New Zealand Thread

[Nzsilverspangledoreo]

I'm in nz too!
I'm in te aroha and own, show and breed (when they are actually laying) lol silver spangled dutch hamburgs
Have added pics, we only got them 2 years ago and did our first show last year to get an idea of what level quality wise our small amount of them were.
We list our 3yr hen sadly around Xmas time but still have 2 hens and 2 roosters here at my home and 1 hen at a friends in the next town which I also bred and borrow when she starts laying to help increase my numbers and my friends for ensuring continuity of the breed.
Having them half an hour distance between properties ensures if one property happens to ever contract anything that wipes out everything on that property, we will still have the breed and be able to continue on with breeding them with what kept at my friends farm
As I live in town with my 2 roosters and 2 hens there's always a greater risk of a bird virus or deathly bug reaching mine so I find it reassuring to have some kept rurally wherei can borrow them and swap around etc. Only negative is my friends husband and her mum who Brought the property next door won't have roosters at all so both boys have lived together with 2 hens for 2 years now and only just separated them side by side (son decided to finally win a battle with dad due to dad slipping losing his balance in a muddy patch as he went to launch back at his son.)
Oreo didn't fair to well from it and usually they don't have more than a 1 min scuffle occasionally but this one they both got too carried away and resulted in oreo covered in mud, mud all through his inner feathers to the skin, a deep big puncture wound on his back/lower back of neck, and not looking to good.
Rushed him in for a warm bath, shampoo, hospital pre operation washing soap thoroughly washing wounds and all skin areas at base of feathers and used to scrub bloody comb and then wrapped him in towels by the heater to recover before giving him his favourite hairdryer blow wave to ensure warmth and he was dry then made him comfy near the heater on low fan setting in a warehouse clear plastic storage 60litre container lid off lol where he happily enjoyed the constant room service for 2 days till he was back to his old self ready to go back out.
To give him his dignity back, his son was separated from the 2 girls and dad is with them with him in the other half of my now newly halfed coop/chook run lol
Will be getting son 1 or 2 girls from the farm to keep him happy don't worry lol

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

I'm in nz too!
I'm in te aroha and own, show and breed (when they are actually laying) lol silver spangled dutch hamburgs
Have added pics, we only got them 2 years ago and did our first show last year to get an idea of what level quality wise our small amount of them were.
We list our 3yr hen sadly around Xmas time but still have 2 hens and 2 roosters here at my home and 1 hen at a friends in the next town which I also bred and borrow when she starts laying to help increase my numbers and my friends for ensuring continuity of the breed.
Having them half an hour distance between properties ensures if one property happens to ever contract anything that wipes out everything on that property, we will still have the breed and be able to continue on with breeding them with what kept at my friends farm
As I live in town with my 2 roosters and 2 hens there's always a greater risk of a bird virus or deathly bug reaching mine so I find it reassuring to have some kept rurally wherei can borrow them and swap around etc. Only negative is my friends husband and her mum who Brought the property next door won't have roosters at all so both boys have lived together with 2 hens for 2 years now and only just separated them side by side (son decided to finally win a battle with dad due to dad slipping losing his balance in a muddy patch as he went to launch back at his son.)
Oreo didn't fair to well from it and usually they don't have more than a 1 min scuffle occasionally but this one they both got too carried away and resulted in oreo covered in mud, mud all through his inner feathers to the skin, a deep big puncture wound on his back/lower back of neck, and not looking to good.
Rushed him in for a warm bath, shampoo, hospital pre operation washing soap thoroughly washing wounds and all skin areas at base of feathers and used to scrub bloody comb and then wrapped him in towels by the heater to recover before giving him his favourite hairdryer blow wave to ensure warmth and he was dry then made him comfy near the heater on low fan setting in a warehouse clear plastic storage 60litre container lid off lol where he happily enjoyed the constant room service for 2 days till he was back to his old self ready to go back out.
To give him his dignity back, his son was separated from the 2 girls and dad is with them with him in the other half of my now newly halfed coop/chook run lol
Will be getting son 1 or 2 girls from the farm to keep him happy don't worry lol

Welcome!
Your birds look glorious. It must be tough breeding them here, I know they're really rare.

 

[ABIDIT]

We got our eggs from Willowbank. I am not sure of all the breeds that they have but we got eggs for dorkings, cochins, and hamburgs. Only 4 of our eggs hatched but we ended up with 2 golden pencilled hens, 1 silver spangled hen, and 1 silver spangled cockerel.

Hi do you have any Golden Pencil female chicks for sale?

 

[peastix]

Hi all
Hope this thread is still active as I've just found it!!!
I'm in Auckland with small flock .

 

[2 chiks n a roo]

Asking here as it's specific to breeds and strains available in NZ.

I'm happy with the mix I have right now but am wondering about getting some more leghorns for the future. Mainly for bug control when I eventually move to a larger property and plant my orchard. Any other suggestions for available breeds that are nimble and good insect (and mice) snatchers? I am very happy with my barred rocks for foraging and have added partridge rocks which so far seem even better, but they are big birds as adults and not nimble or much for flying into trees. My araucanas are also excellent foragers and are more nimble, but their egg laying is mediocre and they go broody A LOT.

I do NOT want bantams, guinea fowls or ducks, but i would consider quail. Prefer to just stick with standard chickens.

Hiya, Blenheim here.

Try some star bright, they lay up to 6yrs and are great grubbers They winter well too

 

[Jen-the-Hen]

Hi, I thought it might be time us kiwis had our own thread to discuss our unique frustrations and joys , everyone welcome even if you're not from here!

I thought it would be handy to share our knowledge on where to get chicken related things like feed, equipment, great breeders we have had good experiences with etc. Or to bemoan how expensive everything is!

I am in Motueka, top of the South Island.

Hi, just came across

Hi, I thought it might be time us kiwis had our own thread to discuss our unique frustrations and joys , everyone welcome even if you're not from here!

I thought it would be handy to share our knowledge on where to get chicken related things like feed, equipment, great breeders we have had good experiences with etc. Or to bemoan how expensive everything is!

I am in Motueka, top of the South Island.

Hi I'm in Napier NZ, only just came across this NZ thread after looking at this website for at least 18 months!! Had just assumed it was mostly American chicken people, but naturally their weather and predators etc are different to our Southern hemisphere ones! I have x3 Silver Laced Wyandotte hens (raised from a few days old with x3 Gold Laced chicks, who turned out to be boys, so had to go to a friend once attempts at crowing started about 6 months' of age!)

 

[Jen-the-Hen]

So hard to find a specific breed when you want it. I've never gone to any of the poultry shows, but think I'll track one down just to see what I can find.

Yes our Hawke's Bay A & P Shows were what started my interest in the Wyandotte breed, and I discovered the Hastings Poultry & Pigeon Society there. I became a member about 18 months ago, and have learned a lot from belonging to HPPS - so recommend you join your local poultry club!

 

[Jen-the-Hen]

Quite the infestation!

The paleness will be anemia. It could be exclusively from the mites\lice, but may be internal too.

I recently had one similar 'passed' to me for rehabilitation about a month ago. I started with a dog flea dip bath, which didnt do much. Blow dried her thoroughly, then used food grade diatomaceous earth and powdered her heavily everywhere, heaping it on by the handfuls and rubbing into the base of the feathers while keeping her in isolation. 2 days later and she was parasite clear.

Notes when using DE - your bird needs to be bone dry. DE doesn't really work wet. It is a fine powder and there are comments about skin and respiratory concerns, but honestly, I believe the benefits outweigh the negatives here and it works quickly, so no need for prolonged exposure. I tend to use it when mite issues crop up. Generally ends up being my super-broody not taking care of herself properly. In that instance, I dust the nest heavily and its fine to use on hatching eggs too.

For the anemia, I'd give her a bit of a vitamin boost with some acv in the water or, preferably, polyaid. How is her attitude and general health? The girl I was passed was anemic, but eating and behaving normally otherwise and she reddened back up within a week or two after treatment and a bit of meat bird crumble. - she had the white mites. I havent had any dark ones crop up. Is anyone else infested?

Hi someone at work in Hastings had a bad experience with Red Mites, and strongly recommend DE in all cracks of coop and dusted into untreated pine-shavings bedding in coop (even before I got my chicks 18 months ago) - so far so good with no mites!

 

[Jen-the-Hen]

Hi all
Hope this thread is still active as I've just found it!!!
I'm in Auckland with small flock .

Hi Peastix
How many chooks do you have? I'm in Napier with three Silver Laced Wyandotte girls.

 

[Jen-the-Hen]

Quail won't stick around. They have to be caged. My first thought would have been guinea for pest control from what I've heard about them .

My SLW has eaten a mouse right in front of me and eats worms. That latter may be a double-edged sword considering how many parasites those carry, but she likes what she likes. My other girls snub anything with a slime factor. My most voracious foragers were my brown shavers when I had them. They were a veritable raptor pack always on the hunt for food, but came with all the associated problems of being a production breed.

I've not tried my turkey or my golden campine free-range, but the latter are meant to be excellent foragers. Not sure if they'd take a mouse themselves though. My turkey hens absolutely will as I've seen them playing keep away with one they caught trying to sneak spilt pellets. (Actually, everyone joined in for that).

None of mine will take a rat.. even a young one. They completely ignore rats. (Though maybe the turkey would - haven't seen that match up just yet though.)

My SLW eat worms and small bugs too, but not snails??? Pity about that!