Our Animals

If you’re one of the thousands of New Zealanders who own backyard chickens or keep birds as pets, now is a good time to get ready for bird flu in case it arrives here.

Dr Lee Danks’ passion for pet nutrition and welfare is palpable. Thanks to Farmlands, we got to talk to him – as a veterinarian working in pet food research and development – about the importance of what we put in their bowls and how to hunt out the best foods.

Raising chickens is no longer limited to those in the country. Relatively low maintenance, they don’t require a lot of space and can supply a steady stream of delicious eggs, while making great pets. Dr Rob Derrick from Farmlands shares an insight into what you need to know when it comes to starting your own backyard flock.

In 2023, the pūteketeke went global. This Central Otago project has been its biggest cheerleader far longer

Don’t kid around with goat welfare: How to best protect the goats on your block

Goats are intelligent, inquisitive, and social animals

Aotearoa’s beloved roly-poly piggies are making a big noise overseas – with good reason.

Six things you’ll need to consider to pick the right chooks for your coop.

Keeping the egg shortage from your block

The egg shortage has shown just how important homegrown eggs are. So how do you keep them coming?

The curious structure of the honeybee world

Just as in human societies, a honeybee colony has its own structures, systems and ways of living.

The art of maintaining and containing rescue goats

There’s an art to keeping goats, and it usually involves a stupendous amount of fencing.

Adding sheep to your lifestyle block

From tail length to preventing flystrike, make the welfare of your livestock a top priority.

Underneath their fluffy fleeces, alpacas are prone to a range of skin conditions. But there are ways to treat them.

What to consider when it’s time to retire old hens.

The line between pet and farm animal can often get blurry – especially when you adopt from the SPCA.

Andrea Graves checks out a moveable coop in action.

The best ways to keep chickens in their run and out of the garden.

All you need to know about what can, and does, go wrong with pigs.

Common mistakes with cattle

There’s more than meets the eye with these big, docile animals.

Getting your animals through an El Niño summer

Have you put things in place on your block to help your animals get through this period?

How you can provide clean, private and safe nesting boxes with plenty of material when your birds get the urge to lay.

Feather pecking can be a problematic and mysterious behaviour, but there are ways to avoid it.

Have you heard of the Enderby Island cattle?

With global supply chain woes now affecting feed prices, poultry owners may need to get creative to keep costs down.

Make sure any animal husbandry procedures are carried out by people with the right skills and care, to ensure animal wellbeing.

Sheep are some of the most popular lifestyle block animals, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t prone to problems.

Pink, brown, green and blue – what is the science behind different eggshell colours?

Here are the relevant requirements to help you provide the best care for these animals.

Should you put a ring on your pig?

Most of us have only ever seen pigs with nose rings, but is it the best option?

How to help your cattle and sheep get through the cold months.

They might seem like easy-going fluff-faces, but alpacas require more care and attention than many owners realise.

With lifestyle block sales booming over the last two years, there’ll undoubtedly be some green sheep owners nervously facing their first-ever lambing.

Sometimes the chicken coop can hold bad news.

What you need to know if you've ever considered owning pigs.

Rats are clever, and controlling them takes a multi-pronged approach.