Green Dean’s Blog

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Do you keep chickens? Not ones in the freezer – real chickens scratching around your garden. Did you have chickens growing up? We did on the farm. We kept a few varieties, but mainly Wyandotte (see photo). These days we still have 5 hens at home. We enjoy fresh eggs daily and their presence around the house is great. They cackle whenever someone arrives and they provide an invaluable service as lawnmowers, weed killers, insect removers and composters. They are never demanding and are easy to care for.

Having small beneficial creatures around your home is good for the Earth, good for you and especially fun and educational for children. But before you rush into chicken farming and set up your first hen Hotel Hilton, it’s best to check your local council regulations to see if you can keep chickens in your street or suburb and how many. In Brisbane, suburban blocks under 800 can have a maximum of 6 chickens, and over 800 can have a maximum of 20 chickens (go figure!) Legally, no other farm birds or animals are allowed, but it happens without any issues in most neighbourhoods. We also have two ducks – but don’t tell anyone.

If your chicken area is secure and dogs or cats are not an issue, you could also consider having guinea pigs (we have two), which provide added fertilizer and lawn mowing services. Rabbits are illegal in Qld without a license, and even them, strict caging is required. Chickens will require a suitable weather-proof house, shade, fresh water and food daily, and occasional extra care, like worming. For eggs, they require a day ‘laying mash’ or pellets – a 20kg bag from a livestock centre costs around $22 and would last around 2-3 months if you had 2-3 chooks. They love kitchen scraps, fresh air, sunlight, a dust bath and just scratching around your garden – you won’t find many other such each-going, low-maintenance pets (except hermit crabs, but they don’t lay eggs). Contact us today to arrange some time together to get you set up for some new feathered friends.

If you'd like more general knowledge on keeping chickens, ducks, worms, bees and attracting beneficial wildlife to your garden, join our Creature Comforts workshop soon.

Every change you make to be greener, however small, makes a difference to your planet and your health.

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As we all become more concerned about the rising cost of living, eating and shopping healthier and cheaper, it makes sense to give some thought to growing your own vegies, fruit and herbs at home. In every family, there is usually always at least one person who has a green thumb, and if not, it’s easy to learn. As growing your own produce is simple, why not consider doing a little better and incorporating some permaculture principles into your garden and environment?

What is permaculture?

Permaculture is a design system for creating sustainable human environments. The term comes from permanent agriculture, but also means permanent culture, as cultures cannot survive for long without a sustainable agricultural base and landuse ethic. On one level, permaculture deals with plants, animals, buildings and infrastructures (water, energy, communications). However, permaculture is not only about these elements alone, but rather about the relationships we can create between them by the way we place them in the landscape.

The aim is to create systems that are ecologically sound and environmentally viable, which provide for their own needs, do not exploit or pollute, and are therefore sustainable in the long term. Permaculture uses the inherent qualities of plants and animals combined with the natural characteristics of landscapes and structures to produce a life-supporting system for city and country, using the smallest practical area.

Permaculture is based on the observation of natural systems, the wisdom contained in traditional farming systems and modern  scientific and technological knowledge. Although based on ecological models, permaculture creates a cultivated ecology, which is designed to produce more human and animal food than is generally found in nature.

We offer Permaculture Design for homes wanting to set up a permaculture garden. An initial consultation takes 2+ hours and includes a design specific to your needs. It's a great way to get expert advice to getting it right the first time to get a thriving, productive vegie garden sooner than you thought was possible.