Backyard Poultry

The RSPCA regularly receives complaints from members of the public regarding the practice of dubbing of exhibition poultry.

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicine Authority (APVMA) has defined food-producing animal species as any animal used to produce food for human consumption, or which is used as food for human beings, and includes any buffalo, cattle, deer, fish (other than ornamental fish), goat, kangaroo, pig, poultry, rabbit, sheep, bee,…

Even though they have been domesticated for thousands of years, different breeds of chicken have been developed under the influence of geographical isolation and selection for desired characteristics (e. g. , egg laying, show quality, etc.

Types of housing for chickens Chicken enclosures generally consist of a coop (a solid structure that houses the chickens at night) and an external run.

Although chickens are very social animals, the structure of their flock is based on their ability to communicate, a dominance hierarchy known as their ‘pecking order’ (in fact, it’s where the term ‘pecking order’ comes from! ), and their ability to recognise other members of their flock.

You should watch for signs of disease or distress in chickens on a daily basis. This starts with a good look at the chicken before you handle them, and then a closer exam if warranted.

You are responsible for your chickens’ health and welfare, including ensuring that they have a humane death when the time comes. Ensuring a humane death requires that the method used results in rapid death, or loss of consciousness without pain, suffering, or distress followed by death.

Ideally, backyard chickens (because they usually live longer than commercial chickens) should be vaccinated against a range of diseases during their lifetime, including Marek’s Disease, Fowl Pox, and Infectious Laryngotracheitis.