Summit Hill Poultry

04/04/2026

Comparison time for everyone! 🐥😳

At the front— Heritage Silver Grey Dorking chick
At the back — a Ross Cobb meat bird chick

Chicken ages SGD 6 weeks - RC 3 weeks - VERY different outcomes 😅one is made by nature and has been around for hundreds of years and evolution has made them live to approx 8-10yrs and produce 4-5eggs a week, the other one was selectively bred by humans to live a very short life of approx 1yr if not processed for meat at 9-10wks old.

This is exactly why I love raising heritage breeds — slower growing, full of character, and built to live a more natural life.

Whereas these Ross Cobbs… well… they’re basically little feathered tanks already, and sadly are bred to only have one purpose, eat lots and grow fast for meat production 😕

Nature vs production — side by side! It’s not a nice side of life to think about, but at least I know they are having the best life here with me, until we process them, with things changing so dramatically in the world, I’m grateful I’m able to process some of my own meat and produce!

04/04/2026

6wk old Silver Grey Dorkings available. Female chicks guaranteed, off heat - post Apple festival special $40each! Can deliver on certain days if local (within 20km)

30/03/2026

So here’s the real side of chicken breeding…

My latest clutch of fluffy bums 🐣
30 eggs went into the incubator → 26 viable at day 10 (great result!)
Checked again at day 18 → all still viable

Lockdown time… and we ended up with 20 beautiful chicks hatching over Sunday & Monday 💛

Today I checked the remaining eggs — 6 had either pipped and stopped or didn’t make it. I don’t assist hatches, as I believe in letting nature take its course and only keeping the strongest lines.

Final count:
8 girls & 12 boys

And this is the part people don’t often see or talk about…
When breeding at home, not all eggs will be female and be wanted or can be kept. The boys have been humanely euthanised and will not go to waste — they’ve been frozen for snake food.

The girls will be raised and will head off to new homes soon 🐥💛

Breeding isn’t always the fluffy, Instagram version — it comes with responsibility, tough decisions, and ensuring animals are treated with respect from start to finish. And being realistic of outcomes and having a plan for the “unwanted boy chicks” 😔.

I’m pretty happy with my lines now, I have VERY clear s*x markings, and good toes which has taken nearly 7years to achieve, when I started out the markings were blurred from bad breeding practices! I’ve been working on chicken size, shape and leg length now and trying hard to get the dorking back to a big chunky breed! I’ve a few heavy girls and cockerels for this season!

I’m lucky with my Dorkings I can s*x them at hatch, most other breeds have the added expense of raising until 6-8wks old before being able to tell male from female!

27/03/2026

And here are the one month old Silver grey female chicks.. for compassion to last video.

27/03/2026

Why am I raising chickens destined for the freezer?

Because I know they will receive the very best care, food and accomodation in their short lives.

Every single day, they are nurtured with intention — good food, fresh air, clean bedding and respect.

And just look at the size of these little units! Only 2 weeks old and already nearly double the size of my one-month-old Dorking chickens 😳

Today’s treats?
🐛 Mealy worms
🌱 Fresh green grass (chopped up for easy picking)

Raising your own food changes how you see everything… and it matters, I just wish they lived longer than 9weeks! It hurts my heart if I think about what humans have done to the average chicken to grow this fast. 💛🐓 To put into context these Ross Cobb chicks are ready for processing at 8-10wks of age, my dorkings you don’t process until 22-24weeks.. 😳

I’m currently building an outdoor grass pen for them as soon they will be too big for their baby cage.. and they deserve to live as happy and free ranging as nature intended in their short life.

02/03/2026

I am just so obsessed with my La Flèche chickens 😍
They are honestly the most fascinating little creatures to look at — those devil-horn combs, sleek black feathers, and serious little faces… how can you not fall in love?!

They’re still getting used to a crazy human (me) sitting quietly in their enclosure 😅
Slowly but surely, trust is building. No forcing, no chasing — just time, patience, and calm energy.

Rare breeds like these aren’t the “cuddly lap chook” type, but watching them grow confident around me is so rewarding. This is why I love preservation breeding… forming respectful relationships with these special birds and protecting rare genetics for the future.

27/02/2026

Yay.. my first LaFleche egg.. a wee little fairy fart egg 😂😂

27/02/2026

Doing rare breeds justice takes time, effort, and money.

After a huge farm move, my breeding pens are finally up and running (compound fence coming soon!), and this first year with my new rare breeds is all about letting them grow, mature, and settle in — no incubating eggs yet. But IM EXCITED TO SEE THEM GROW!

Over the past 7yrs of breeding SGD, I’ve learnt most of the finer points of chicken genetics as I went along, following breed standards, keeping the good, and removing faults without narrowing my gene pool too much — because here in WA, replacement bloodlines are impossible to source and we all know, you can’t rely on Aust Post to be kind to expensive rare breed eggs!

Slow breeding. Ethical selection. Long-term preservation.

These rare darlings deserve nothing less.

24/02/2026

MEET THE SPECIES - POULTRY

"RED CAP"

ORIGIN: Derbyshire, England

AUSTRALIAN STATUS: Critical (

24/02/2026

I am a breeding for preservation, not profit person.
Rare and heritage breeds deserve respect, time, and thoughtful programs — not rushed breeding for quick sales.

This is a long road. It means:
• patience
• careful pairings
• honest culling
• keeping records
• sitting on birds for seasons before deciding who truly earns a place in the breeding pen

It’s slower.
It’s more work.
It’s not a money-maker.

But it’s how you protect the future of rare breeds like La Flèche — by doing it properly, ethically, and with heart.

I’m here for strong lines, healthy birds, good temperaments, and preserving something special for the next generation… not cutting corners for quick wins.

If you’re on this journey too, I see you.
Slow breeding. Strong foundations. Long game. 💛🐓

To find out more visit https://tinyurl.com/Rare-Softfeather