Birds landing in Robyn’s Nest are fortunate indeed, even if the circumstances of their arrival are not. Robyn Sampson operates her Pokeno sanctuary as part of SPCA Birdwing, taking in the halt and the lame, the sick and the homeless.

Robyn Sampson with feathered friends at her Pokeno bird sanctuary operated as part of the SPCA Birdwing.

As well as wild birds, both native and introduced, needy domestic chooks find their way to Robyn’s door. Some are referred from Auckland SPCA, while others arrive “because people know I’m here.”

Most are in poor condition, whether from neglect, injury or disease. Robyn is skilled in treating them, and once healthy they are rehomed.......or at least most are.

Like the other creatures Robyn takes in, some become permanent residents if disability makes them unsuitable for rehoming or simply because they are favourites.

“I have a soft spot for chickens,” she says, but it’s obvious from a glance around Robyn’s menagerie that she has a soft spot for all animals.

Many of the chickens that arrive at Robyn’s Nest come from lifestyle block owners with more enthusiasm than common sense.

Robyn says the idea of a few chooks pottering around the yard, and producing eggs as a bonus, is attractive to lifestylers, made more so by the availability of cheap birds from commercial poultry farms once their best production is past.

But these ‘special needs’ chickens require careful introduction to free range life. “People often have no idea how to care for them,” Robyn says. “The chickens have to learn basic behaviour such as dust bathing, scratching and just dealing with open space.

“They don’t know what grass is, and coming from a climate-

controlled environment means they can’t handle temperature fluctuations. Battery hens usually have bald patches where feathers have been rubbed out, and they can get sunburnt.”

Robyn often has owners phoning her for advice, and is happy to share her knowledge. To help educate people in chicken care, she hopes soon to be running classes for locals keen to get their poultry off to a flying start.