Chickens were domesticated over a thousand years ago. During this time, particularly in the last hundred years, the practise of breeding chickens into a variety of different forms has been very popular. It was extremely popular amongst people in the British empire around the Victorian period – the Queen was a real trendsetter, and enjoyed keeping chickens. Since the time of the First Fleet, chickens have been present in Australia. There have been dozens more breeds imported since that time. If you’d like to learn about all the different breeds of chicken, then our Chicken Breeds Guide guide may be of some use to you.
There are dozens of beautiful chicken breeds to choose from
Australia has a growing community of chicken keepers, but some parts of Australia might be a little limited in what breeds are available, both in terms of what’s nearby, and the breed’s suitability for the climate. There are plenty of chicken breeding websites, and if you’d like some specific advice on breeds that cope well with the conditions here in different parts on Straya, then have a look at our Chicken Breeds In Australia page.
Paul, 6 March 2019
I want to start keeping Orpingtons. I note that the first chicken to venture into your igloo was one of these but how many Orpingtons could live happily in a Cube. I do want to have 1 cockerel Many thanks. Paul Saban