Cluckingham Palace proves research on rewards of owning chickens

At the bottom of a home garden in regional South Australia, 10 well-loved birds are living a life of spoilt luxury in a "royal" roost. "Seven of them are ladies of the court, two are dowager duchesses and their lord and master is Henry, Duke of Lucerne," said owner Sally Goode. University of Adelaide research fellow Emily Buddle said there had been no previous research aimed at understanding the motivations of people who kept backyard chickens. Shelling out for beloved pets Cluckingham Palace is a purpose-built home for Ms Goode's chickens, made by a local carpenter about five years ago. "They've got all sorts of hidey holes they can go into, or areas they can go where they're undercover or out in the sun — whatever they want to do," Ms Goode said.