Rare Chicken Rescue

2008, 26 Minutes

After a long battle with depression, Queensland rare chicken breeder Mark Tully is now on a mission to protect the endangered chickens to which he owes his life.

He begins an epic “chicken chase” fuelled by a determination to find “lost” breeds of poultry before they are gone forever. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 1350 domestic mammal and bird breeds face extinction. In Australia, chicken species such as the Sumatran, the Phoenix, the Transylvanian Naked Neck, the Spanish, the Azeel and even the humble Leghorn are just some of the breeds under threat.

One of Australia’s many “poultry fanciers”, Tully embarks on a journey that covers 10,000 kilometres and spans five Australian states as he tracks down rare heritage breeds and meets others who share his passion. His mission takes Tully south from his rare poultry stud in Queensland through New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and across Bass Strait to Tasmania, to the annual show of the Devonport Poultry Club.

While Tully spends his days rescuing poultry, he reveals that the unconditional love of his large collection of turkeys, chooks and other birds—and the serenity he finds in their company—has helped save his own life after a long battle with mental illness.

A Film Australia National Interest Program in association with Freshwater Productions. © 2011 National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.