Wonderful to see rare breeds featured this year, as well as the popular varieties of poultry. Egg classes too. Junior handler classes - heartening lot of children showing their birds, they are the future of the breeds. Classes for backyard breeders too, so non-purebreds may be showed, often very useful birds. Lots of quality birds, classes for turkeys and waterfowl too. Judge is Michael Jones from Victoria. Venue is the beautifully airy - yet covered - showing area at Lakeview House, Fred's Pass. The Club, which is on Facebook and where cover photo is from, also holds information days there such as "Keeping Poultry In The Tropics." Lovely opportunity to show, view and meet others with a common love of poultry. Website for details and Schedule.

Webinar - live online, Victoria's Chief Veterinary Officer will give vital information about bird flu - H5N1 avian influenza. Which birds and animals may be impacted - yes mammals and marsupials as well as wild and domestic birds are vulnerable. Current situation, and biosecurity measures farmers can put in place. Victoria's current situation will be discussed. Our precious rare poultry breeds need us to keep them safe.  Register to attend by Zoom here,.. attend the meeting from the comfort of home. Thus far wild birds in Western Australia and one in South Australia have been found with this virus. Knowing the bioosecurity measures to help to keep yourself and your livestock safe is critical. Preparation and knowledge is everything in times of dangerous viruses.

The Rare Breeds Trust of Australia (RBTA) is holding its sixth Annual Online Charity Auction during International Heritage Breeds Week to raise funds for a Future Farms Fund Genebank, from May 15 – 21 2026  AuctionsPlus website - the fabulous list of goods and services is now available for browsing with bidding opening on May 15. The auction is being generously hosted by AuctionsPlus. This will be the sixth year we have raised funds through AuctionsPlus for our gene bank. Now, more than ever, a gene bank is vital to Australian agriculture.  Other than private semen collections there is no gene bank in Australia for domestic livestock.  In 2021 there was a government roundtable discussion where it was unanimously agreed that one was needed, however, since then nothing has happened so the RBTA has established one. Since starting our Genebank in 2020 thanks to the generosity of our auction sponsors, private donors and several Semen Storage facilities we have semen from horses, cattle and sheep stored at 6 facilities Australia-wide. The RBTA is run entirely by volunteers. We receive NO government funding. The majority of our income is from memberships. Included in our membership is our quarterly publication, Paddocks and Perches. Find out more about membership on our Join Us page. We thank all the generous sponsors of this year’s auction and acknowldege them on our Facebook page which has over 10,000 followers. If you would like more information on the Trust or the auction, please do not hesitate to contact Judy at the Trust at any time : rarebreedstrustau@gmail.com        

The 2024 Rare Breeds Trust of Australia's Poultry Census is open. Head to the 2024 Poultry Census menu on the Trust website at https://rarebreedstrust.com.au to find out how to submit your breeding age pure breed poultry numbers - chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and guinea fowl - to the 4th RBTA Poultry Census. The Census is voluntary. You can choose to provide your name and email, or not to provide them. PICs are not requested. Distributed results are completely anonymous. Any provided personal details are destroyed after all data has been collated The RBTA Poultry Census is an important snapshot of how poultry numbers in Australia are faring, especially since there appears to have been an increase in the numbers of people keeping poultry courtesy of the COVID years. The goal of the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia’s 2024 census is to increase awareness of rare breeds and through this increase the number of breeders taking them on. The ultimate goal is that breeds move to an “In Recovery” status. The Trust’s Rare Breeds Watchlist provides important listings for poultry clubs in profiling exhibition rare breeds at shows and education activities. Having breeders seek out a rare breed after seeing it at a show, supports not only an obvious increase in numbers but also the development of information networks for strengthening the breed. Including utility strains and heritage breeds fills out the picture of domestic poultry in Australia, providing a wider view of poultry keeping in Australia. This time around the Census is similar to a Poultry Show Schedule and entry form. There are census codes - aka class numbers on a show schedule; and a submission form - aka entry form. This will allow for submitting a number of breeds/forms/colours/ varieties all in one go. For those wanting to do online entry there is an online option (one submission at a time). If you want to be emailed the Census documents, or be sent a link to the online submission form, email rbtapoultrycensus2024@gmail.com. We have heard that some breeders have bird numbers that would take that breed out of the 2021 assigned rare status. Which is great! The goal really is to move breeds (and forms) out of being rare! For all enquiries email rbtapoultrycensus2024@gmail.com.

Head to the 2024 Poultry Census menu on the Trust website at https://rarebreedstrust.com.au to submit your breeding age pure breed poultry. This time around the Census is similar to a Poultry Show Schedule and entry form. There are census codes - aka class numbers on a show schedule; and a submission form - aka entry form. This will allow for submitting a number of breeds/forms/colours/ varieties all in one go. For those wanting to do online entry there is an online option (one submission at a time). If you want to be emailed the Census documents, or be sent a link to the online submission form, email rbtapoultrycensus2024@gmail.com.  The Census is voluntary. You can choose to provide your name and email, or not to provide them. Distributed results are completely anonymous. Any provided personal details are destroyed after all data has been collated. For all enquiries email rbtapoultrycensus2024@gmail.com. 

Help the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia and celebrate International Heritage Breeds Week. One of our events is an auction of assorted holidays, tickets to zoos and other goods hosted by AuctionsPlus. Money raised goes to our Future Farms Genebank. For more information contact rarebreedstrustau@gmail.com  

Rare Breeds Trust of Australia are attending the Jumpers and Jazz Festival with a Display of Rare Breeds including 8 Breeds of Sheep, Pigs, Goats and Wool. Located in the main street of Warwick, Qld in front of the Sir Thomas Byrnes Statue. Pop in and say hello, we would love to see you there!

Rare Breed Sheep include English Leicester, Shropshire, Dorset Down and Dorset Horn. Other Breeds on Display are Border Leicester and Southdown. 30 Historic Type Southdown sheep for pre-sale viewing (Sale on Auctions Plus March 10) Free BBQ English Leicester Wether Lambs for sale with $20 from each lamb donated to the Rare Breeds Trust of Austrlia Rare Breeds Trust Information and Membership Available Free camping available by arrangement Contact 0422 938 865 for details  

The Rare Breeds Trust of Australia (RBTA) runs an annual photo competition in our Facebook group for International Heritage Breeds Week (IHBW). At the time of competition, it is pinned to the top of the facebook page. Please read the rules carefully - rules on this website, on our homepage under IHBW. 16th to 30th April 2018 Entry is free. Good prizemoney. Good luck!   

Annual General Meeting of the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia at the Hotel, Patchewollock, Victoria. Starts 8.30. Finish time predicted 10.30 (finishes when meeting declared closed). All members welcome.

Entries accepted17th to 30th April   This photo is last years winner. Would you like your photo to be here next year?

Our Annual General Meeting will be held on Sunday 13 November. All members are invited to attend by phone link or at  Collingwood Childrens Farm, Melbourne.