Calling all backyard poultry owners!
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Do you have questions about your chooks, such as 'why have my hens stopped laying?' and 'what breed of chook should I buy?'
Members of the Taree Wingham Poultry Club can answer those questions and anything else you need to know about keeping poultry at the Taree Wingham Poultry Club Annual Show, being held at Taree Showground on Sunday, June 9.
Club member Peter Tisdell sees the show as an opportunity to help out backyard chook owners with any issues they have with their flock, and impart the wealth of knowledge he, his family, and other club members have gained.
"There are a lot people who have a few hens in their backyard in town," Peter said.
"What we have found is they don't really understand the nutrition of what they should be feeding poultry, or what vaccines or worming they should have, or how they should be housed, and we're finding a lot of birds in a bit of distress. And it's not always because of neglect, it's more lack of knowledge, and they've got nowhere to turn.
"We're experts in this. Katie has won the last seven Sydney Royal's she's shown in. She's the Australian champion, she's the Queensland and NSW champion. We know something. We want to help people," Peter said.
Any questions they want to ask, we'll answer them for them.
- Peter Tisdell
During the day while judging of poultry and eggs is happening, Peter and his daughter, Katie, will be giving full explanations of everything chook related from the moment an egg is laid, through from chicken to plate.
"Any questions they want to ask, we'll answer them for them," Peter said. "It's a free day - there's no entry free. It's a family day!"
With more than 900 birds at last year's show, people travel for hundreds of miles to enter their birds.
"It's a really big exhibition poultry show for a country show," Peter said.
This year's show has expanded to include egg categories for the first time. The club has also invited other local non-profit clubs to attend. Manning Valley Woodworkers, Handmade on the Manning, Taree Craft Cottage and Country Pickin's will all have exhibitions and stalls selling egg-themed products.
In addition, Drury's Stockfeeds and Dillon Rural will be in attendance, as well as poultry nutritionists to answer your chook feed questions. (Talking about chook feed - if you become a member of the Taree Wingham Poultry Club, you can take advantage of benefits such as cheaper poultry feed.)
The Manning River Lions Club have come to the party with a little tractor to give kids free joyrides during the day.
And if you're looking for chooks to take home, there will be poultry for sale on the day.
The show starts from 8.30am on Sunday, June 9.
Julia Driscoll
Julia Driscoll has worked as a journalist for the Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Times for seven years. She values the deep connection with community that being a rural and regional journalist brings. Career highlights have involved environmental stories - bringing the plight of the little known endangered Manning River helmeted turtle to the attention of the public, resulting in wide-spread knowledge in the community and conservation action; and breaking the news of the Manning River ceasing to run for the first time in recorded history.
Julia Driscoll has worked as a journalist for the Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Times for seven years. She values the deep connection with community that being a rural and regional journalist brings. Career highlights have involved environmental stories - bringing the plight of the little known endangered Manning River helmeted turtle to the attention of the public, resulting in wide-spread knowledge in the community and conservation action; and breaking the news of the Manning River ceasing to run for the first time in recorded history.
