Talking Hens

17/06/2025

New 5.0-star Review: "Amazing. Booking a chick/hen pick up, you have a dedicated assistant who talks you through everything you may need and let's you pick your chickens!!!!"

16/06/2025

Are you thinking about keeping chickens but feeling a little overwhelmed by the choice of breeds? We can help!

Join us for our first workshop of the winter: A Hands-On Introduction to Popular Backyard Chicken Breeds.

This session is designed to give you real, practical experience so you can choose your future flock with confidence. We'll move beyond theory and get you up close with the hens themselves.

During this friendly workshop, you will:

🐔 Meet and gently handle some of our most popular breeds, including the fluffy Silkie, the petite Pekin, and the reliable Hy-Line Brown.
❤️ Learn about their different personalities, social behaviour, and care needs.
🤔 Discuss the pros and cons of each to find the perfect fit for your back garden and lifestyle.

It's a fantastic, educational outing for all ages, and children under 16 are invited to attend for free!

Don't miss out, find all the details and book your tickets here: https://talkinghens.com.au/pages/events

Which breed are you most excited to meet? Let us know in the comments! 👇

13/06/2025

Our first Winter Hen-Keeping workshop is just around the corner, and we couldn't be more excited to welcome you! 🐓

This is your chance to take the first step on an amazing journey. Our Hands-On Introduction to Popular Backyard Chicken Breeds is Part 1 of a three-part series designed to turn you into a confident, successful hen keeper.

You'll get to meet our feathered residents, learn what makes each breed special, and ask our experts all your questions. It's the perfect foundation for building your dream flock.
Remember, this is a family-friendly event, and kids under 16 come free!

Spaces are limited to ensure a quality, hands-on experience for everyone. Avoid disappointment and secure your spot today! Click the link for full details and to book: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/how-to-choose-the-right-breed-for-your-backyard-part-1-tickets-1371918678699?aff=oddtdtcreator

Tag a friend who would love to start keeping chickens!

11/06/2025

Are you thinking about keeping chickens but feeling a little overwhelmed by the choice of breeds? We can help!

Join us for our first workshop of the winter: A Hands-On Introduction to Popular Backyard Chicken Breeds.

This session is designed to give you real, practical experience so you can choose your future flock with confidence. We'll move beyond theory and get you up close with the hens themselves.

During this friendly workshop, you will:

🐔 Meet and gently handle some of our most popular breeds, including the Silkie, the petite Pekin, and the friendly and reliable Hy-Line Brown.

❤️ Learn about their different personalities, social behaviour, and care needs.

🤔 Discuss the pros and cons of each to find the perfect fit for your back garden and lifestyle.

It's a fantastic, educational outing for all ages, and children under 16 are invited to attend for free!

Spaces are booking up quickly, so don't miss out. Find all the details and book your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/how-to-choose-the-right-breed-for-your-backyard-part-1-tickets-1371918678699?aff=oddtdtcreator

Which breed are you most excited to meet? Let us know in the comments! 👇

09/06/2025

New 5.0-star Review: "I ordered some fake chicken eggs to put in the nesting boxes when the time comes. It will be of help to my pullets I think."

07/06/2025

🏠 Creating the perfect chick nursery: Your brooder setup checklist

Think of your brooder as designing a little nursery - complete with everything your chicks need to thrive during those crucial first weeks.

Essential features every brooder needs:

✅ Adequate ventilation (but draught-free!)
✅ Easy access for daily care
✅ Cleanable surfaces for hygiene
✅ Secure but not sealed
✅ Proper sizing (bigger is better!)

Top locations that work:

Spare room or laundry
Quiet corner of an insulated garage
Utility room away from traffic

Remember: Even indoors, think predator-proof. Curious cats and dogs can pose serious threats to vulnerable chicks.

This is Part 1 of our 3-part chick care series. Coming up: mastering brooder warmth and feeding guidance!

Got questions about brooder setup? Ask away!

https://talkinghens.com.au/blogs/learning-centre/stop-worrying-about-your-chicks-the-complete-brooder-setup-guide

05/06/2025

🐣 Getting your first chicks soon? Don't make these common brooder mistakes!

I'll be honest - even after years of keeping chickens, I still felt that familiar flutter of anxiety when setting up for the arrival of our day-old chicks recently. Those first 6-8 weeks are absolutely critical for their survival.

Here's what catches most new chicken keepers off guard:

❌ Size matters more than you think - those tiny fluff balls grow FAST! You need at least 0.05 square metres per chick initially (A5 sheet of paper size), increasing to 0.09 by 4-6 weeks (A4 sheet of paper).
❌ Location can make or break success - draughts are deadly to young chicks, but you still need proper ventilation.
❌ DIY vs store-bought - both work brilliantly when done right!

The good news? With proper setup, you can confidently navigate this exciting journey. Your chicks will thrive, and you'll actually enjoy those precious early weeks instead of worrying constantly.

What's your biggest concern about raising day-old chicks? Share below - I'd love to help! 👇
https://talkinghens.com.au/blogs/learning-centre/stop-worrying-about-your-chicks-the-complete-brooder-setup-guide

02/06/2025

New 5.0-star Review: "Great friendly precessional service. An ideal outing for families with young children"

31/05/2025

Ever feel like managing a household is a bit like… well, managing a flock of chickens? 😉 There are so many parallels!

Our latest blog post explores 'The Well-Managed Coop Framework' – seven commonsense principles drawn from hen keeping that can help bring a bit more order and calm to any busy home. From the importance of 'quality inputs' (more than just food!) to the comfort of 'predictable rhythms,' there’s some surprisingly simple wisdom to be found right in our own backyards.

It’s all about fostering a thriving environment, whether that’s for your hens or your family.
Check out "Lessons from the Coop" and let us know which principle makes the most sense for your 'flock'!

https://talkinghens.com.au/blogs/learning-centre/lessons-from-the-coop-a-commonsense-framework-for-a-thriving-family

29/05/2025

It's funny the things you ponder when you're leaning on the fence, watching the chooks go about their day! 🐔 We started thinking about how the principles of good coop management – you know, ensuring they’ve got good food, feel secure, have their routines – actually offer some surprisingly practical insights for creating a more harmonious household too.

It’s less about complicated rules and more about creating an environment where everyone (feathered or not!) can thrive.

We’ve put some of our thoughts into a new blog post called "Lessons from the Coop: A Commonsense Framework for a Thriving Household." Grab a cuppa and have a read – we’d love to know if any of it resonates with your own experiences!

https://talkinghens.com.au/blogs/learning-centre/lessons-from-the-coop-a-commonsense-framework-for-a-thriving-family

23/05/2025

🐦☀️ Did you know that Australia's beautiful wild birds and our changing climate could be playing a bigger role in your backyard mite problems than you realise? Pesky mites are expert hitchhikers, and warmer weather can mean more mite generations each year!

Our new blog explores these fascinating, often overlooked, connections and what they mean for your chooks' health.

🔗 Read more here: https://talkinghens.com.au/blogs/learning-centre/beyond-the-scratch-unseen-truths-about-poultry-mites-in-aussie-backyards

22/05/2025

🐔 Are your best efforts against chicken mites actually making them STRONGER? 🤯 It's a confronting thought, but some common backyard biosecurity habits in Australia might inadvertently be breeding "super mites" that are harder to treat!

We dive into this surprising truth and other non-obvious factors affecting your flock in our latest blog post. Discover how to truly outsmart these pests and protect your chooks.

🔗 https://talkinghens.com.au/blogs/learning-centre/beyond-the-scratch-unseen-truths-about-poultry-mites-in-aussie-backyards

Most of us know the tell-tale signs of mites feeding on our chickens: Restless chooks, feather loss, and those dreaded, tiny “dots” in the coop. But what if some of our best intentions, or even the Australian environment itself, are playing a bigger, more complex role in our battles against thes...