The Feather Shed

23/05/2026

This boy is really starting to mature nicely now.
Loving the depth through the lacing and how he’s developing overall. Keen to see how he continues to fill out over the coming months.

22/05/2026

There’s just something satisfying about watching a young rooster mature into himself.
This boy is really starting to develop now, still growing and still changing, but I’m honestly loving how he’s turning out so far.

19/05/2026

16/05/2026

No eggs?

One thing people notice pretty quickly with heritage breeds… they don’t lay like commercial hybrids do.

A lot of heritage breeds won’t give you eggs consistently all year round, especially through winter or during moult. They still follow natural seasonal cycles a lot more closely than hybrids do.

When daylight hours drop, weather cools off, or they start moulting, their bodies shift energy away from laying and into things like feather regrowth, maintaining body condition, and preparing for breeding season again later on.

Commercial hybrids have been selectively bred for generations to keep laying heavily through conditions that would normally tell a chicken to slow down. They’re basically bred as production birds first and foremost.

Heritage breeds were traditionally bred more for:

longevity

fertility

broodiness

hardiness

dual purpose traits

Not just maximum egg numbers.

So while hybrids will usually outlay them short term, heritage birds tend to balance themselves better naturally and often remain productive for a lot more years.

I would much rather have pretty birds to look at than egg factory hybrids because the eggs that come later are worth the wait 😍

14/05/2026

🚨 NEW BREED ALERT 🚨

The Feather Shed is excited to announce we are now working with the beautiful and highly sought-after Cream Legbar. 🥚💙

Known for their stunning cream and silver colouring, amazing temperament, and those famous blue eggs. Cream Legbars are one of the most unique utility breeds around.

But what really makes them stand out?
They’re an autosexing breed — meaning male and female chicks can often be identified at hatch based on their colouring and head markings. That trait comes from carefully selected genetics developed over generations.

We’ll be focusing on:
• Strong laying ability
• Blue egg colour
• Type and crest quality
• Healthy, hardy birds suited to Australian conditions

We have 2 working roosters, both tested Homozygous for the blue egg gene (O/O).
All our birds are true to type with crests.

This project will run alongside our heritage Wyandotte breeding program, and we’re excited to see where it develops over the coming seasons.

Keep an eye on this space, we will be offering fertile eggs this breeding season.🐣💙

09/05/2026

Animal welfare matters, even when it comes to the roosters nobody wants.

One of the reasons many breeders avoid sending birds to poultry auctions is simple… once those birds leave your hands, you lose control over what happens next.

At auctions, birds can be:

Transported long distances in poor conditions

Left in overcrowded cages for hours

Bought by people with no understanding of proper poultry care

Passed from place to place with no traceability

Exposed to stress, injury and disease from mixing with large numbers of birds

And unfortunately, not every rooster bought at auction is going to a good home. Most end up in backyard pots.

There’s a reason many auction houses now display animal welfare posters showing the correct way to transport, handle and cage birds. Things like proper ventilation, cage size, not overcrowding, and safe handling all matter more than people realise.

For many breeders, especially those working hard to improve lines, health and temperament, it becomes an animal welfare decision. Sometimes humane culling or carefully screening homes is considered the kinder option over sending birds into an unknown system.

Not every auction is bad, and not every buyer is irresponsible. But welfare standards can vary a lot, and that’s something more poultry keepers should think about.

Good breeding isn’t just about producing birds.
It’s also about taking responsibility for the ones you can’t keep, having a plan not just dumping them in the local auction system because you need more room for your $$$ making birds.

Here, we grow birds out, cull the ones not suitable and they never are subjected to cruelty or stress.

04/05/2026

Every chicken has a gut microbiome — a mix of bacteria living in the digestive system.

Some are beneficial (like Lactobacillus), helping with:
* Breaking down feed
* Producing nutrients
* Supporting the immune system
Others are opportunistic and can cause issues if they take over.

The key is balance.

This microbiome starts developing from the moment a chick hatches, and it changes rapidly in the first few weeks of life. What happens during that early period has a lasting impact on how that bird grows, handles stress, and resists disease.

Things that disrupt that balance:
* Moving birds to a new environment
* Sudden feed changes
* Stress (transport, weather, mixing groups)
* Worming or medications
* Poor hygiene or wet conditions

When the gut is out of balance, you’ll often see:
* Loose or inconsistent droppings
* Reduced feed efficiency
* Uneven growth
* Birds that just don’t look right
This is why not every case of runny droppings is worms or disease. Quite often it’s simply the gut microbiome trying to stabilise again.

Supporting gut health doesn’t mean throwing everything at them.
It comes back to basics:
* Consistent, quality feed
* Clean, dry environment
* Minimising unnecessary stress
* Targeted support when needed (like probiotics or fermented feed done properly)

A well-balanced gut improves:
* Nutrient absorption
* Growth consistency
* Feather quality
* Overall resilience
In simple terms — you’re not just feeding the chicken, you’re feeding the microbes that keep the chicken healthy.

01/05/2026

What is a Pullet?

If you’re new to chickens, you’ll hear this word a lot.
A pullet is just a young female chicken that hasn’t been laying long yet (under 12 months old).
Here’s what to expect:
• Most pullets start laying around 5–7 months old
• Their first eggs are often small , completely normal
• They don’t lay every day at the start, it takes time to get into a rhythm
• They can be a bit noisy and confused when they lay their first eggs
• Daylight matters, shorter days = slower or delayed laying
One big thing people don’t realise…
Even though they look grown, pullets are still maturing behind the scenes. Feathering, body condition, and even egg production all improve over time.
If you’re buying birds, a good pullet should look:
• Bright and alert
• Well feathered
• Nice body weight (not skinny)
• Clean vent and healthy colour

They’re basically the “teenagers” of the chicken world — not quite finished, but full of potential.

25/04/2026

If you’re in areas like Wellington Shire or East Gippsland Shire, don’t assume you can just keep as many chickens as you like.
Even in rural zones, there are still rules that can catch you out.
Common issues people run into:
Limits on poultry numbers (especially in residential or rural living zones)
Roosters not allowed due to noise complaints
Setback requirements from neighbours
Waste, smell, and “nuisance” complaints
Extra requirements if you’re running a business or selling birds
I’ve seen people build up a great flock, start breeding, then get hit with a complaint — and suddenly they’re being told to reduce numbers or rehome birds.
That’s a hard way to learn.
Before you expand:
Check your zoning.
Check your council guidelines.
Know where you stand.
No one wants to give up their flock.

25/04/2026

24/04/2026

Its not all about chickens here, we do a lot of food gardening as well, its where all the poo ends up.
What comes out of the coop goes straight back into the soil. All that manure, bedding and scraps get turned into rich compost that feeds the garden. It’s a full cycle—chooks feed us, and in return they help grow the food we eat.
This little saffron beauty popping up is a reminder that good soil makes all the difference. Healthy ground, healthy plants, healthy birds—it all ties together.
That’s the real backyard system. Nothing wasted, everything working.