Barastoc Poultry Young Ambassadors tips on chook health
During Barastoc National Chook Health Week, our Barastoc Poultry Young Ambassadors share their tips on how they keep their flocks healthy in spring. Barastoc National Chook Health Week runs from Monday 10 September to Sunday 16 September. More Barastoc National Chook Health Week resources are available on our Learning Centre, and for more information on chook health, see the Barastoc Chook Book.
Queensland – Letisha Johnson
Eighteen-year-old Letisha Johnson is excited to help spread the word about chook health during National Chook Health Week.
Despite being busy studying a dual degree in Agribusiness and Sustainable Agriculture at The University of Queensland, Letisha always makes time to pick up and give her chickens a good check over. While she breeds and shows birds, the Boonah local says the fundamentals of chook health are the same whether people have one or two hens, or dozens.
“Chooks are pretty easy to care for and they are such worthwhile pets. They’re great companions, each chook has a unique personality, and you get fresh eggs from them too.”
Read more about Letisha here.
NSW – Nathan Quayle
Year 9 student Nathan Quayle started breeding poultry at the family’s Tamworth property four years ago. In spring, the 15-year-old says it’s important that owners move the birds onto top-quality feed. Doing so will ensure they produce good eggs and if the eggs are fertilised, the newborn chicks are nice and healthy.
He also recommends thoroughly cleaning the pens at the beginning of spring. Nathan recently poured his savings from working part-time at McDonald’s into a second-hand greyhound dog run so that his birds could stretch their wings in a roomy enclosure, and so he – at 6 ft 3” – could take better care of their living quarters.
Read more about Nathan here.
Victoria – Mitchell Carrigan-Walsh
Mitchell Carrigan-Walsh, 24, highlights the importance of regularly worming and delousing chickens.
Mitchell lives near Camperdown and persuaded his mother, Debbie, to buy him his first show bird at the local agriculture show when he was just seven or eight years old. His advice for any newcomers to raising poultry is to take the time to ensure your set-up is the best it can be for your chooks. Thriving chooks need properly built, dry shelters.
The other tip he gives to poultry owners, is to join their local poultry club.
“Most poultry clubs have bird night once or twice a month, you bring a chook along and ask questions,” he says.
Read more about Mitchell here.