For 60 years Bundaberg's Mal McDougall has bred poultry, a pastime that has awarded him not only show championships but a rich history of fowl breeding.
Mal was first introduced to breeding chickens by his grandparents, Charlie and Bertha Hansen, when he was just eight years old.
Six decades later, he remains as passionate as ever for the feathered creatures.
He proudly watched over his flock as keen eyes of judges inspected each facet of the 220 birds at this year’s Bundaberg Poultry Fanciers’ Club Autumn Show.
More than 30 different species of chickens and ducks, including the small modern game right through to the large Australorp chickens were primed ready for judging.
Mal said although this year’s numbers were lower than previous shows, the standard remained high.
“We definitely have a standard to work with,” he said.
“I’ve been doing this since I was eight years old, and I am as old as my tongue and a little older than my teeth – 68!
“I wouldn’t give it up, it keeps me occupied and it’s definitely a great hobby for kids.”
During the last 60 years Mal has won grand poultry championships and an untold amount of ribbons for his game.
Poultry fancier Col McCall, also known as Gnome, said he didn’t quite meet the timeframe or experience of Mal, but he always enjoyed travelling from Tiaro to attend the Bundaberg Poultry Fanciers’ Club Autumn Show.
“I’ve been called Gnome for 40 years, and breeding poultry for the same – they go hand in hand,” he said.
“I really enjoy coming up for these shows and with so much competition around, I think you just really need to have a bit of luck on the day to take home a win.”
Mal said anyone interested in joining Bundaberg Poultry Fanciers’ Club could check out their Facebook page for information.
