Why Raise Chooks?
"Chooks" as chickens are known in Australia, will provide many positive health benefits for both you and your garden.
They are an integral part of permaculture as they become part of the entire lifecycle of your garden.
Not only will chooks eat much of the kitchen scraps you'd normally compost (and break it down much faster than composting), they'll turn it into magnificent fertiliser, which will help you to grow sensational food.
We've only just begun raising chooks at Redgum so I'll be adding to this page as we learn more.
Redgum's chooks are ISA browns which are a cross between a Rhode Island red and a Rhode island white, and they're meant to be extremely good "layers".
In the Garden
Chooks will help you with the weeding and dig up the "scourge of rural Australia", the dreaded kikuyu grass which is a favourite of many farmers in some areas. And they'll fertilise the ground for you at the same time!
You can confine them a few different ways. Our preferred method is using electric chook fencing where we can restrict them to digging out weeds, scratching the dirt and preparing spent vegetable beds in preparation for the following season.
Another method is to use a mobile chook pen, and move it from area to area.
Home Grown Eggs
What could be better than eggs you've "grown" yourself?
Eggs from your own chooks will taste better than any you've ever eaten. Whether this is based on fact, is irrelevant.
You'll feel a little less guilt when you eat eggs from chooks you've raised yourself in a nurtured, caring environment.
Some breeds are more prolific egg producers than others, so it's wise to check which breeds are available in your area to suit your needs.
