Our Animals

A free-range diet of whole grains and grass is usually not enough to keep your poultry in good health.

The grass in this orchard is kept neat and trim by the cutest, littlest lawn mowers.

Keep an eye on the pasture and young livestock as the weather starts to warm up.

There are four factors that must be in place if a hen is to live her best life.

Hoverflies could be our new favourite buzzy buddies.

A heritage hen's productivity is most likely linked to the breeder.

Break-feeding is a good strategy for rationing pasture over winter.

While hybrids don't have a long lifespan, these egg-laying machines are the most economical of any poultry.

Lynda Hallinan's guide to what – and what not – to adopt when you live in the wops.

These useful DIY tools will help you fight the biggest, smallest pest in the poultry world.

Hunting for truffles is not for the impatient or the olfactorily impaired. Success calls for a sniffer-out of buried bounty – in other words, a dog.

Honey is a food product, and you need to meet food safety standards if you want to sell it.

A Whenuapai firm aims to revolutionize New Zealand agriculture by breeding an army of underground critters.

Avian Mountaineers – the New Zealand Alpine Rock Wren

The future of New Zealand’s only true alpine bird hangs in the balance, but it’s hoped a joint predator control project between Te Manahuna Aoraki and a group of Aoraki/Mount Cook volunteers will provide the lifeline it needs to survive.

Red Devon are one of the world’s oldest breeds of cattle and a good option if you’re new to cattle.

Ross Nolly is a former butcher and a hunter, but still finds it emotional to kill and process livestock he cares for.

Prepare the paddock and animals for wetter, coolor weather.

A Wanaka couple’s enthusiasm for natural-fibre products weaves essential purpose into their business, warmth into their home, and ties them to a very personal pioneering past.

How a hen produces an egg is quite eggs-straordinary.

If you have too many fresh eggs to eat yourself, selling them seems like a good idea. But making it profitable takes good management, and often a lot of paperwork.

If you’re a current subscriber to NZ Lifestyle Block, this digital edition is yours to keep and read forever.

Poultry and their eggs make a perfect dinner for New Zealand’s deadliest pest predators. Here's how to start fighting back.

You may think a limping bird means an injury to the foot or leg, but it can be a symptom of other, odder causes.

A few biosecurity measures could make or break the health of your flock.

It's easy to fall in love with a donkey. But the world of wonkey donkeys is not always cute and fuzzy.

An ancient forest atop a Waikato mountain is home to the world’s largest mainland pest-free sanctuary.

While it may be tempting to treat your chooks, long-time owners know that bland feed is best.

Tourists and trampers help a hardworking Banks Peninsula family in their four-decade struggle to rescue penguins, save the native forest and secure their livelihood.

A lot of long-time poultry owners have common regrets. The coop consistently tops the list.

Meet a couple who love bacon so much, they left Christchurch to go pig farming.

A Bay of Plenty family is turning pests into profitable products.

Catching a live possum can reap a handsome reward.

An egg that doesn't hatch may seem a mystery, unless you know how to read the clues.

They’re very cute, very smart, and very small, with big milking stats.