Australians - Where are you all????

[whiteflare]

Hi, swirler.

How are things going with the ash cloud hovering over there?

 

[swirler]

Didn't the ash blow away already? I haven't been paying attention! It just looks like regular cloudy/scattered showers weather over here.

Just put the baby Australorps (nearly six weeks) in the with big chickies today! They seem to be doing ok. We're complete softies and have rigged the redlamp in the chookshed for the babies. They loved being out scritching and foraging and eating weeds once we let them loose.

(Big chickies census: one dignified blue Pekin, one little brown frizzle hen who has loads of personality, and two nine week leghorn crosses.)

 

[wooklet]

Hi Swirler -

- Sounds like a nice collection of chicks you have there. Not spoiling them at all just caring for them! Some of mine have heated towel rails in the pens during winter!!

 

[Clearbrite]

Also new to this site,but we are from Cambridge Gardens,near Penrith in western suburbs of Sydney.

Just about to enter the chicken world for the first time too! On Monday(20/6/11)we are going to be proud parents of 2-3 one day old chicks and 10 more hatchlings in an incubator,raising them for a month thru the Henny Penny Hatching program. Mostly done in preschools/schools/nursing homes etc but we were lucky to get a 'spare' set up at home for over the July school holidays.

Cant wait!!! Totally cute and a new experience

Going to be a bit sad when we have to give everything back,including the chicks(if they dont find homes) i know theres going to be tears! And thats just me!*L* There is also my husband and 2 kids,girl 8 and son nearly 4.

They get a great start in life,love and care from us as a family then back to a commerical organic free range farm.

The chicks will be or can be: Australorpes,Light Sussex,Black Leghorn,White Leghorn,Brown Leghorn Cockerels,Rhode Island Reds

The count down is on!

 

[duckyfromoz]

Hi Clearbrite

You and the kids will adore those chicks- What a great thing to organise for the holidays. Im sure in Penrith you could keep a few chickens in the back yard for eggs couldnt you?? A pair if chooks will certainly cut down on your need to buy eggs. Maybe if you can post some photos on here peopl ccan help you out in sexing the chickens so you can keep a few females. I know where my mother lives ion Ryde there are a few chook owners - so some councils will allow them.

 

[Clearbrite]

Quote:
Our backyard isnt suitable yet to be able to keep chickens..but that could change in time if we become 'chicken people' after this experience of raising chicks
Yes,im sure we are allowed to keep a few hens as pets/for eggs etc,i dont think council has a specific ban as such..just as long as neighbours are happy(living in a battle-axe block,and know that roosters are illegal to keep in a non rural area)

Just going to enjoy the chicks for now,then see where that leads us. Going to be fantastic!

Thanks for the welcome. Im sure im going to be on here alot asking questions being all so new to this! But will also try to figure out how to post pictures on here to share,and also if anyone is interested in any of the chicks to take home for themselves before they have to go back to the farm at the end of the month we have themThey are free to have. Would be great to know 'my babies' would be going to loving homes

 

[duckyfromoz]

There are a few members from Sydney on here- and between now and when the time comes I can point you in the direction of a few places to advertise them if you would prefer to keep them close by.

 

[whiteflare]

Quote:
We didn't get the ash cloud up here, but I still followed the story diligently

How does one identify the presence of ash several kilometers above one's city, anyhow?

Yes, apparently it has gone now. One the news, they said it's "finally on its way home to Chile"

Hi, Clearbrite!

 

[whiteflare]

Quote:

for the chicks! Sounds like it's going to be really exciting

I loved getting my chicks, I'd get up early every morning for weeks just to check they were still alive, and watch them eat breakfast

We have quite a big garden, although still very much in the city. The coop was here when we first bought the house, but I've heard it's not THAT much work to build your own coop.... right?

Our neighbours got a chick who grew into a rooster

Beautiful boy, but they had to get rid of him. We've got four hens, they have... seven or eight, I think.

 

[SoFluffy]

I'm in Australia, Melbourne