All our breeds are specialist Free Range Chicken

Available from day old to Point of Lay Black Australorp chicken

Black Orpington chickens were imported into Australia during the in the late 1800's into 1900. In England during this same period, Black Orpingtons were being refined for their meat qualities. In Australia however, the black Orpington immediately gained value for it's observed egg-laying ability.

Australian poultry breeders then set out to breed the black orpington with egg production as a singular goal. They made outcrosses to Minorca, White Leghorn, and Langshan chickens. The end result was an excellent egg production chicken, that retained some of the meat bird qualities of the Orpington.

Key Attributes

  • The Australorp is an excellent eg laying Hen, holding a world record 364 eggs in 365 days!
  • Australorp chickens are a medium weight breed with fairly close-fitting feathers. They lay an abundance of large tinted eggs, often averaging 750g per dozen.
  • They are found in only one variety, black. Males weigh 3.4kg and females weigh just under 3kg
  • The Australorp breed is resistant to various poultry diseases and this gives them an opportunity to live for a long period of time. They mature slower than most breeds, and only start laying eggs on the 5th month.
  • The Australorp is a very friendly chicken with very little aggression. This makes them lovely companions as well as good pets. However, they struggle to co-exist with more aggressive breeds as they tend to get bullied and injured quickly.
  • The Australorp chicken requires very little attention, making them the perfect breed for first time home steaders and aspiring free range poultry keepers.
  • The meat from the Australorp breeds is quite tasty and fleshy with white skin. This makes it quite suitable for dual purpose breeding, complimented also by it's large size.
  • A small caution is that the Australorps breed is prone to getting fat. It is important to take care not to overfeed the hens, as this makes them fat and may affect their egg laying ability.

Available from day old to Point of Lay Potchefstroom Koekoek

The Potchefstroom Koekoek, bred specifically for South African conditions, is a dual purpose chicken. It was bred locally from crosses between the black Australorp, the White Leghorn and Barred Plymouth Rock.
The breed was developed in the 1950s at the Potchefstroom Agricultural College in the city of Potchefstroom by Chris Marais. Koekoeks have excellent laying capabilities and can maintain good egg production even during poor or insufficient feeding.They also have a large body structure for meat production, suited to subsistence farmers. Pure Koekoeks are very attractive due to their black-and-white barred appearance. Chicks are sexable soon after hatching due to distinct sex markings. They reach sexual maturity between 4 to 5 months of age. Koekoeks lay brown shelled eggs with rich, orange yolks. These are hardy and easy to keep.

Key Attributes

  • Full grown weight of the male can exceed 4 kg while the females average 3.6 kg per bird.
  • Eggs are large or extra large and brown in color.
  • When slaughtered at the end of its productive life, this hen had a very attractive deep yellow meat.
  • Sexes can be identified as early as day old, as the females are completely black whilst the males have a white spot on the head
  • Egg production averages at 198 eggs a year, which means that you get an average of about 4 eggs a week under normal conditions

Available from day old to Point of Lay Rhode Island Red

The origin of this breed dates back to a fowl bred in that section of New England which is located between Narragansett Bay and Buzzard’s Bay. The name Rhode Island Red was given to the breed in honour of the State where it originated from crossing the Red Malay Game, Leghorn and Asiatic native stock.

This breed has come to be known as the go to backyard chicken due to its hardiness and happy go lucky nature. Come rain or shine, the rhode island reds seem to thrive even in the hardiest of conditions. This breed is a true dual purpose breed that goes beyond meat and egg production, often becoming the stars various shows and exhibitions.

Key Attributes

  • Full grown weight of the male can exceed 3 kg - 4 kg while the females average 2.5 kg - 3 kg per bird.
  • Eggs are large or extra large and light brown to dark brown in color.
  • These breed is an avid sitter and an excellent mother
  • The egg laying continues to be economically viable well into the 3rd year of production.
  • When slaughtered at the end of its productive life, this hen had a very attractive and tasty yellow meat.
  • They are very active birds, which makes them excellent foragers as they are always looking for a grub to peck at. Having said that, they are known to be vey docile and an excellent addition to the family as a pet.
  • Egg production averages at 260 eggs a year, which means that you get an average of about 5 eggs a week under normal conditions