New Arrivals: Day-Old Chicks, Including Two Rare Sommerlads

A fresh brood of day-old chicks arrived at Fairhill this morning, and among them are two birds we are especially pleased to have: chicks of the Sommerlad, one of the more unusual breeds in Australia.

Most of the new arrivals are Quambies, one of Australia's newest heritage-style breeds, developed in Tasmania and raised here at Fairhill and Bamboo Park. With them are some Cream Legbar roosters, who are staying with us as fosters.

The two Sommerlads

The Sommerlad is a premium, slow-growing Australian heritage breed developed specifically for pasture-raising. Where a standard commercial bird is grown indoors and fast, a Sommerlad lives outdoors for twelve to sixteen weeks, and that difference shows in the bird: strong bones, and a proper forager that spends its days working the pasture.

The genetics come from traditional strains, among them Plymouth Rock, Light Sussex and Aussie Game. It is a breed developed with real care for how a chicken ought to live, and the slow outdoor life is what gives the meat its depth of flavour and texture.

We have chickens for sale

If you keep hens at home, or you are thinking about starting, we raise and sell chickens here at Fairhill. The Quamby is a dual-purpose bird, a steady layer and a properly good mother when she does go broody. Our Hy-Line hens are the ones to ask about if your priority is maximum egg production. We also have Easter Eggers and Light Sussex.

Every breed, with prices and how to order, is here: chickens for sale on the Sunshine Coast. Come and ask at the nursery any day, and we will talk you through what suits your set-up.

Come and meet them

Day-old chicks do not stay day-old for long, which is rather the point of coming to see them soon. They will be out with the rangers during the morning sessions, and the egg collecting expedition at 9.30am and 10.30am is the easiest way for smaller visitors to meet the poultry side of the farmyard.

• 8.30amGood morning to the Bantam Pekins and the Silkies, and the Junior Chicken Keeper sticker for those who earn it.
• 9.30am and 10.30amThe Cheeky Chicks Show, the Guinea Pigs Tea Party and the egg collecting expedition.
• 11.30amThe Goat Walkabout, down to Turtle Lake to feed the ducks.
• 12.30pmThe Kids' Barn, and the last of the morning sessions.

Sessions run every half past the hour from 8.30am to 12.30pm, seven days a week, and each one is ranger-led and included with your day pass.

If you are planning a visit, this weekend is Wattle Day Weekend, Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August, 8am to 4pm, with the nursery benches full of natives ready for spring planting.

Fairhill Adventure Gardens, 114 Fairhill Gardens, Ninderry, on the Sunshine Coast. Happiness is in our Nature.