00:00It's been a marathon road trip for these chooks.
00:05They're here to help crack the Territory's egg shortage, which has sent prices sky-high
00:10and at times left shelves empty.
00:13So yeah, we've carted 1,900 hens this year up to the Territory, stopping along the way,
00:20but mostly it's all for Darwin.
00:22Travelling more than 3,000 kilometres from the bottom of the country to the top end,
00:26where there's no local hatchery, they'll fill the soaring demand for backyard chooks
00:31and they're ready to roost in their new homes.
00:34Eggs is too expensive now, so we love eggs.
00:38When we had to buy eggs, it was weird. It was very hard to get eggs.
00:42So it's good to have them.
00:45One chicken can lay around 300 eggs a year, so even a small backyard flock
00:51can keep a family fed and help take the pressure off supermarket shelves.
00:56Darren Letton has brought a truckload of chooks here annually for five years.
01:01But when thousands were killed off during last year's bird flu outbreak,
01:05he noticed more and more people wanting to get hold of some friendly birds.
01:09Today, dozens of families stopping by to pick up their new pets,
01:13looking forward to a constant supply of eggs.
01:16Just not having to fight other people at the shop to get more.
01:19These are bred to lay a lot of eggs, you know, and this is what the egg farms use.
01:24The people are just so appreciative up here, you know.
01:27I think it's a thing. People love having chickens.
01:30Laying the way for a clucky population boost.
01:33All right.
01:34All right.
01:35Let's get started.
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