- Animal welfare compliant
- Vaccinated and health-checked
- Purpose-designed transport boxes
- South Island 12 depot drops
Superchooksnz is the home of healthy, happy chooks laying premium eggs, housed, reared, and managed in compliance with welfare requirements. We put in all the care, research, and attention that you’d expect from a devoted family business.
Our area of expertise is with breeds for free-range home use and boutique businesses. We’ve recently been won over by a specialist South Island breed – Brown Grazers. Great for cooler regions, they’re robust, high-health, and great foragers. Put simply, they are a lower cost, easy to keep chicken which provides a better return.
Brown Grazers are ideal for lifestyle blocks, and for another welcomed income stream, considering the current prices for quality eggs. There’s also a significant saving for home consumption.
Our Superchooksnz rearing system is finetuned to produce sustainable chickens who are living their best lives, and enriching the lives of others.
- 10kg bags of high-performance feed available for purchase
- Convenient pick-up points
- Available every 10-12 weeks. (Pre-orders essential.)
FAQs:
• When will the chickens start to lay?
Our chickens are supplied from 10 weeks of age onwards. Brown Grazers usually start to lay at 20-24 weeks.
• What do I feed them?
High performance chicken feed is best, along with fresh greens. (They love dandelions, silverbeet and young grass.) Premium feed, in convenient 10kg bags, can also be purchased when you order your Super Chooks. Additionally, providing calcium grit or crushed oyster shells supports strong eggs. (Your local rural provider or pet store will be able to help.) As chickens are omnivores, it’s also OK to feed them table scraps.
• What do I need to house my chickens?
Your chickens will need a weatherproof house to live in and enough perches to accommodate them all comfortably, along with secluded nesting boxes.
There are a range of ready-assembled options to suit most options – just search chicken coops NZ online for some options. (A coop of 2x2m is generally considered a minimum for 4-5 hens.) There’s also the option of kitset chicken houses or, if you have the tools and skills, building your own or even converting an unused playhouse!
• What should I put on the floor of the coop?
Untreated wood shavings/sawdust, or straw are ideal for floor of the coop. These should be removed regularly and make a great addition to your garden or compost heap.
• Do they need any health products?
Hens are relatively low maintenance compared with most other farm animals and pets. Mites can become a problem, it’s best to ask your local vet for their advice on mite prevention products. (Health packs are also available online.)
• Do I need a carry-cage for them when I pick them up?
No, they come in a strong, purposed designed card box.
• Where are they available from?
Super Chooks are available from depots around the South Island at pre-arranged pick-up times. Details are provided when you place your order, of the location nearest you.
Chicken Care
Always check your local council’s regulations regarding owning chickens. And be considerate of your neighbours if you live in a town or city. (Maybe the promise of a few freshly laid eggs delivered will help smooth any initial ruffled feathers. And the assurance that they aren’t roosters and won’t crow at dawn!)
Chickens are sociable creatures and prefer living in groups of 3-6. That number also means you should have a regular supply of eggs.
Your chickens will need a weatherproof house to live in and enough perches to accommodate them all comfortably, along with secluded nesting boxes.
There are a range of ready-assembled options to suit most options – just search online chicken coops NZ. (A coop of 2x2m is generally considered a minimum for 4-5 hens.) There’s also the option of kitset chicken houses or, if you have the tools and skills, building your own or even converting an unused playhouse!
Great family pets, chickens are ideal for helping children learn from the responsibility of feeding them and collecting the eggs. Chickens do, however startle easily and dislike loud noises. They should be handled gently and be protected from dogs and other predators.
Chickens like to scratch – so a suitable litter is important. This should be cleaned out regularly. As a bonus, chicken manure is fantastic for your garden especially leafy greens. As chicken manure is rich in Nitrogen. A little bit goes a long way, so make sure you dig it in well to prevent root burn or add it to your compost heap – to break down further.
Foraging is what chickens do best – next to laying. So, if they’re free range expect a bit of damage to plants, especially veges. On the upside, they’re great at cleaning up slugs and other insect pests. They also love a good dust bath, so allow for that in their enclosure or run.
Chickens need a lot of fresh, clean water. To get the best from your flock, feed them quality feed that’s formulated for their age and stage. (Normally these come as pellets.) These can be sourced from farm supply and pet stores. Chicken starter is for chickens up to 10 weeks, chicken grower 10 to 16 weeks, and chicken layer 16 weeks plus. They’ll also appreciate any additional leafy greens that come their way. Calcium grit or crushed oyster shells help ensure strong eggs.
Feeding and egg collection are best done twice a day. That avoids damage to eggs and means you keep an eye on chook health. You will be amazed how, with good care how rich and golden the yolks will be, chickens will even lay double yolkers from time to time!
General hygiene is very important as chickens, eggs, and left-over feed have the potential to attract rodents. Not something you or your hens want.
For expert advice, support, and feed and health products talk to your pet supplies or farm supplies company, or your local vet.
- Purpose-designed transport box
