May 2022

Back your Backyard Poultry

Join the growing community of backyard poultry keepers, veterinarians, and scientists working together to improve the health and welfare of New Zealand’s backyard poultry populations.

brown and red rooster on gray concrete floor

Welcome

A large number of households in New Zealand keep small numbers of backyard poultry for companionship, breeding, showing, and/or organic eggs.  We know that it can be difficult for you to find trusted, independent advice on how to keep your birds healthy as well as what you should do and where you should go when they get sick. 

The Poultry Intel project aims to engage with backyard poultry keepers to learn more about the challenges you face and how we can work together to develop resources that will help you provide the best possible care for your birds.

Getting involved

Are you a New Zealand resident over 18 years of age who owns at least one backyard bird (including chickens, ducks, turkey, geese, or quail)?

Phase 1 of the Poultry Intel project runs from 10 May to 15 June 2022. We need your help to show that you and other backyard poultry keepers are keen to help develop a national poultry information-sharing platform. We also need to know what features you would like on it. If there is enough interest, we have the funding for Phase 2, where we put your ideas into action! Check out the different ways to get involved below. With each completed activity, you can enter a raffle prize draw for one of five $100 Prezzy cards.

1. register to join the poultry intel community

Help us reach our target of 1,000 registrations! Show your support so that we can develop more resources to help you care more easily for your backyard poultry. Take just 5 minutes to tell us who you are, where you are from in NZ, how many birds you keep, and why they are important to you.
5 minutes

Number of Registered Backyard Poultry Keepers

816 Registered 81%
Last updated 6th  June 2022 8:00am

2. Have Your Say On Creating This Website

We want this website to be designed by you and other backyard poultry keepers so that it meets your needs. What resources would benefit you and your birds the most? Vote here for your top picks, and suggest any creative ideas about resources we can include.
10 minutes

3. Share how you approach Preventive care

Did you know that most of the problems we treat in backyard poultry can be prevented by making sure they have the right housing, nutrition, and routine health care? We want to develop interactive resources to help you build a customised plan to keep your backyard birds healthy. Help us by spending 15 minutes to tell us more about how you currently care for your flock and what questions you want answered.
15 minutes

4. Tell Us About Your Concerns When Treating Sick Birds

We understand that it can be stressful when your birds get sick. You will probably want answers to questions like...What could be causing the problem? How can I help them at home? When do I need to see a veterinarian? We would like to develop an interactive online tool that can help you triage your bird's condition, direct you to reliable resources on at-home care, and ensure that you have important information on hand if you need to visit your veterinarian. Take 15 minutes to help us start developing this tool by sharing your experiences about the last time one of your birds was unwell.
15 minutes

5. Chat with us about your New chooks

New to keeping backyard poultry? We would love to hear more about how you got into backyard poultry, what information resources you found most useful for setting up your flock, and what challenges you currently face. From 15 May to 15 June 2022, we are looking to recruit 10 to 20 backyard poultry keepers who have just started their first flock in the past 6 months to participate in one-on-one Zoom interviews or small focus groups at a convenient time for you. You will be offered a $50 Prezzy gift card as a thank you for your time. Follow the link below for more information and to register your interest in participating.
30 minutes

Recent Articles

Keep up-to-date with what we are learning about backyard poultry populations in New Zealand through the Poultry Intel project.