Eggs from your backyard instead of the supermarket

WITH recent shortages of eggs making them unavailable or more expensive, people might be thinking about getting their own chooks to lay eggs. Jess Harris from Sprocket's Free Range Eggs and Pullet Grower Farm sells chooks from their Thoona property (by appointment) and at various farmers markets in the region including Wangaratta's Farmers Market. Ms Harris said there had been a slight increase in people buying eggs at the farmers markets, but she is not so sure whether it was due to the shortage of eggs nationmwide or because spring is just around the corner or people are replacing their birds. Nevertheless, she has a plenty of advice for those who are thinking about getting some layers. "If you want a dozen eggs a week, two chooks should cover that," she said. Wangaratta council bylaws state that a property under a 1000 square metres (which the majority of urban properties are) can have only three chickens and no roosters. The chooks Sprockets sell are fully vaccinated, with bronchitis a problem for unvaccinated chickens, which can cause a major reduction in egg quantity and quality. "Some birds are serial escape artists, so you might need to clip their wings, but for the rest, don't bother," Ms Harris said. "The chooks should also be housed in a place where you can lock them away at night. "A six or seven foot (2 metre) high fence, one with wire across the top is ideal." This is not so much to keep the chooks in, more to keep predators such as foxes and cats out. "Even in towns, foxes are a problem," she said. "You wouldn't know they had been around unless a dog was barking at them." The chooks should also have a covered place to nest in. "They like to nest in a dark small place," Ms Harris said. "Open top wooden boxes are okay, but they won't necessary lay eggs where you want them too." Chooks are good for eating kitchen scraps but Ms Harris recommended they are also fed supplementary food such as Golden Yolk Barastoc feed for a complete diet that includes enough nutrients and protein. She also said they need to always have access to water, and to ensure the water is cool in summer. Ms Harris warned that chooks are not suitable to roam around veggie gardens as they will eat seedlings before they grow and they will also damage ornamental gardens. "A garden with just a few shrubs is okay," she said.

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