Chook Wrangling

Managing the chooks is something I didn't envisage as being very difficult. I thought I would let them out in the morning, they would forage and then go to bed at night in the shed away from the foxes.

Well, that is sort of true. However, they are quite destructive in their foraging and I am thinking about only letting out into the front yard occasionally. So now I will have to extend the height of the side fences.

The vegetable garden is fenced, but as you can see from the first photo, this is no barrier to a fowl with foul intentions towards the vegetables. The netting blew off the cauliflower and cabbages yesterday and it seems they particularly love cauliflower leaves. So this fence has to be fortified too.

They also wait around the various doors of the house in case something tasty is brought out. This is rather nice as they cluck hello when the door is opened. Unfortunately. their poo on the door step is less pleasant and has to be cleaned up regularly.I had a phone call from our lovely neighbour yesterday saying that one of the hens was in her yard. It was one of the Isa Browns who had climbed onto the wood heap and through a hole in the fence. She had just gone for a wander and took a lot of convincing that she should go home. I had to block the hole in the woodshed once she decided she had seen enough of the big world.

Then to top it all off one of the refugees has discovered that the dining room door, kept open for the dogs and cats, affords her the opportunity to check out what goes on inside the house. She is fast developing a taste for left over dog and cat food. This is a problem to be solved at some stage...a doggy door? This would probably be no deterrent to a tough chookie from the chicken farm.
Lucy, the Cochin is laying small brown eggs fairly regularly now. The Cochin hail from Bantam stock and you may remember that I was hoping she would be the 'little mother' of the flock. She is already showing signs of becoming broody and sits on the nest for lengthy periods. A positive sign. However she doesn't seem to understand that nests are also for laying in. I have found her eggs in odd places like the middle of the drive, on the path in the vegetable garden, and this morning in the poo under the roost. The egg was damaged and I can only think that it 'fell' out of her when she was asleep. None of this bodes well in regard to her capacity to be a mother.

But apart from a steady supply of beautiful golden yolked eggs and endless enjoyment watching their goings on, they are just plain gorgeous. Look at Brewster's pantaloons and the regal expression on his face. He has such a sense of confidence and entitlement.

I LOVE CHOOX!