Ben Reinke’s lifelong passion for raising prize-winning chickens

A childhood interest in chickens hatched a passion for rearing prize-winning poultry for one Top End man.

Cabinet-maker Ben Reinke’s true passion lies with his 140-strong flock of modern game bantam chickens. Picture: Lorna Roberts

The unique bond between childhood pets and kids is like no other, and one boy’s feathered friend hatched a lifelong passion for rearing prize-winning birds.

A 140-strong flock of chickens in Humpty Doo is one of the reason’s Ben Reinke gets up in the morning, when he spends more than an hour caring for his prized birds.

The cabinet-maker first had a crack at raising chickens when he brought his first chook home – a silkie bantam – at just five years old.

“I used to peek over the fence all the time and look at these people’s chickens and I was just fascinated with the chickens,” Mr Reinke said.

“One day they gave me a little chicken and I named it Cheep.

“There was a few reasons why, it just cheep cheeped and I got it for two bucks.”

Ben Reinke loves exploring the science of raising prize-winning chickens and has picked up many tips and tricks from Darwin's poultry community. Picture: Lorna Roberts

Mr Reinke fondly remembers Cheep following him down the street to the shops but he’s since turned his eye to modern game bantams.

“Once you’ve dropped your voice box, you gotta get a real bird,” he joked.

“I think I’d be looked upon differently in the community if I was walking around with those little fluff balls.”

A silkie bantam (left) and a modern game bantam (right).

Mr Reinke said he displays his chickens at the Royal Darwin Show, Fred’s Pass Show, and Darwin and Rural Poultry Club competitions and has won nine grand champions.

“That’s out of 300 birds,” he said.

“You don’t win the show two weeks before the show, you win it the day the egg’s born – so the right food, the right diet, even planning down to the right time you’re going to hatch the bird.”

The beak-to-talon process of prepping a show bird includes a pedicure, haircut - including an eyebrow trim - and slicking down their feathers with vaseline.

Ben Reinke's duckwing modern hardfeather bantam won a champion prize at the 2023 Fred's Pass Show. Picture: Facebook/ Roslyn McMillan

Although he loves his chooks, Mr Reinke said he wasn’t a “crazy chicken man”.

“I definitely like to have a beer and go hunting and hang out with my family and kids,” he said.

“It’s just something that keeps me grounded, it keeps me home, it keeps me in routine – I always like to be busy.”

Mr Reinke said many people asked “why the hell” he would have so many chickens and choose to manually feed and water them.

“I like the passion of the thing – otherwise, why have them if I’m not going to spend time with them?”

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