Chicken

All of our chickens have been adopted, and our large brown hens are ex-battery hens that have come to us from an organisation called Free as a Bird Rescue. They have saved and rehabilitated thousands of hens at kill time. Get in contact with them if you can provide a home for some of these girls in need of a proper chance at life.

Chicken breeds you can meet at Paradise Valley Springs:

Brown Shavers and Hyline Brown hens are used in the commercial egg laying industry. Specifically bred for their ability to lay prolifically and mature quickly they can begin to lay at 18 weeks of age, compared to heritage breeds that only begin laying from around 24 weeks. Due to them growing and maturing so fast, it is only commercially viable to keep them to 18 months old when they become ‘surplus to requirements’ and are usually culled.

Pekin Bantams

The Pekin is a very old breed and bears the (original) name of the capital city of China. It is a true bantam and comes in a rainbow of colours. Pekins make excellent pets and are probably the most popular breed kept by young poultry enthusiasts. Pekins in a number of colours (Black and White to name two) are bred to a very high standard and Black Pekins in particular have won ‘Best in Show’.

Pekins are supposed to be balls of fluff. Their profuse foot feathering makes them unsuitable for being kept in dirt runs and due to their fluffiness they are not very resistant to wet weather. They are best kept in a dry run with a roof over them and only let out to free range on fine days.

Pekins make excellent mothers and are often used to hatch all types of poultry breeds. Their laying is not noteworthy but their small cream coloured eggs are highly sought after additions to children’s lunch boxes.

The Silkie is most likely an ancient breed from China. Their fur-like feathers don’t have the tiny barbs that hold them together, giving them their unique look. Due to this they are unable to fly and are not waterproof. The most common colours in New Zealand are black, blue, buff and white. They are mainly kept as pets or for ornamental purposes and due to their strong maternal instincts they make great brooders.