The project, which is a joint venture between Poultry CRC and NSW Department of Education, aims to produce a series of short, informative videos which will assist schools that are interesting in "getting into chickens".

Topics covered will include:

• Choosing your birds
• Housing requirements
• Feeding and watering
• Poultry behaviour
• Routine management
• Handling and Health, and
• Show preparation

Our presenters were aided in the preparation of their talks by a team of enthusiastic volunteers from Galston High School’s poultry club, who showed great patience on an incredibly hot day, waiting for their turn to demonstrate egg collection, pen clean out, holding and handling birds, and washing and show preparation. Everyone involved was very impressed with the care the students gave to their birds, and the manner in which they looked after them.

Poultry CRC PhD student, Brendan Sharpe, himself a poultry judge, commented "The poultry at Galston High School were of good health and in great condition. This is testament to the thoughtful shed and run design and motivated students and teaching staff".

The project is now in the post-production stage, with editing, effects, and over-lays to be added. All being well, the videos will be ready for the start of term in February 2015. With plans to upload them to our YouTube site, the Poultry CRC anticipates that the videos will be of use, not only to school communities, but to the wider public as well.

"It’s just another part of our public outreach programme" commented Education Manager, Liz Roan. "The more relevant and accurate information we can help get out there, the better" she said.

"Galston High School has a fantastic new facility and shows a beautiful example of how easy and enjoyable it can be to keep chickens when your infrastructure has been correctly designed from the outset."

Scope exists for further use of some of the footage and content with a proposed development of materials for the HSC Online Agriculture course. "We’ll be working with the Chief Examiner for the HSC Agriculture course to cover the topics of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Monogastric Nutrition, Poultry Welfare and Poultry genetics" said Liz.

"This sort of project is a great example of the way our students and interns repay the support the Poultry CRC has given them, in the generous donation of their time and efforts for projects like this."