How do I keep my chickens safe in my yard? There are many hazards in most backyards. Some are so commonplace that we often fail to recognise them as dangers....
How do I feed my chickens a healthy diet? Whether your chickens are pets or kept for food (e.g., for eggs), they all require a healthy diet to maintain...
How can I use environmental enrichment to provide opportunities for my chickens to experience good welfare? Environmental enrichment describes the provision of physical and social opportunities to promote chicken behaviour that is important, valuable, and specific...
How should I handle my chickens? Chickens who need to be examined should be caught quickly and cleanly, with minimal stress. You may sometimes be able...
How do I treat my chickens for parasites? Backyard chickens are commonly infected with both internal parasites (worms, tapeworms, coccidia, and other protozoa) and external parasites (fleas, lice,...
How should I care for my backyard chickens? The keeping of backyard poultry, once an almost universal practice in Australia, declined in the 1970s and 80s, but is...
Can my bird make me sick? Feathered pets are fascinating additions to the family, not to mention an incredible hobby. A 2022 report estimates that the...
What diseases can my chickens get? As with the husbandry and management of any animal, there are disease problems associated with backyard chickens. Understanding disease We...
What vaccinations do my chickens need? Ideally, backyard chickens (because they usually live longer than commercial chickens) should be vaccinated against a range of diseases during...
How should backyard chickens be euthanased when this is necessary? You are responsible for your chickens’ health and welfare, including ensuring that they have a humane death when the time...
What does a healthy chicken look like? You should watch for signs of disease or distress in chickens on a daily basis. This starts with a good...
Where can I get my backyard chickens? Often, people who keep backyard chickens need to make a decision about acquiring a new bird. Usually all works out...
What does my dog’s body language mean? A dog’s body language can be subtle, so it’s not always easy to accurately read how they’re feeling. It is...
Can my mice get parasites? It is not uncommon for mice to be affected by infestations of external parasites such as fur mites. Clinical signs...
How should I interact with and handle my mice? Mice may find handling very stressful if they not used to positive, predictable human interactions and gentle handling. They have...
How should I interact with and handle my rats? Their curious nature and friendly disposition generally make rats relatively easy to handle and their intelligence makes them easy to...
How should I groom my rats? Rats are very clean and usually do a great job of grooming themselves. Washing your rat Because of their cleanliness,...
What do I need to know about reproduction in mice? Mice mature and can breed at a young age (even as young as four weeks of age), breed prolifically, and...
How can I keep my rats safe from household hazards? Rats are generally best protected in their enclosure, as this limits their access to potential dangers and keeps them safe....
How can I use environmental enrichment to provide opportunities for my rats to experience good welfare? What is environmental enrichment? Environmental enrichment describes the provision of physical and social opportunities to promote rat behaviour that is...