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When people say they love chicken, they usually mean dinner, but to Jessica Hoskins, they are a wonderful bird.
Jessica Hoskins and her husband, Bradley, look after a wide range of animals, including sheep, cows, quail, cats, and heritage chickens on their Waiuku farm, West Winds.
They began breeding chickens after discovering a large chicken coop and covered run when they bought West Winds in 2023.
The couple started with five rescue hens and later decided to buy some one-day-old chicks. Eventually, they found themselves with over 50 chickens.
After joining some poultry pages on Facebook and following the Auckland Poultry and Pigeon Association, they learned about the different chicken breeds in New Zealand. They got in touch with a breeder in Ramarama, who helped them get started with the breed Standard Lace Barnevelder.
Later, the couple was gifted a 10-month-old purebred Rhode Island Red rooster called Roger and were later told by other breeders that he would make the perfect breeding and show rooster.
Bradley developed a fondness for the Rhode Island Red, a heavy breed with “stunning dark red feathering.” This year, the couple have hatched 40 of them, with more in their incubator. The couple also has other breeds, such as the Chinese Silkie and the Barred Plymouth Rock.
Many people buy pullets (point-of-lay hens), which are ideal for beginners and are used as pets or for their eggs; others may buy them to introduce new bloodlines to their own breeding programs.
Not all roosters get to breed, and those not of a high enough quality end up as Jessica says on the “dinner plate”.
“The good news is that most of our roosters, 90 per cent of the time, find wonderful new homes, and we have taken in a few rescue roosters, which free range around the farm. We even have retired hens and roosters that will live out the rest of their lives here on the farm with us.”
