Hi from Australia. I've been wanting to get back to chooks for years now. I grew up with them but as the various branches of the family have moved off the land I became separated from those roots.
Over the years I have seen coops hidden away up the back of yards providing an existence, but little more than that, for their feathered inhabitants. I don't like seeing chooks like that and wasn't convinced I could do any better in a small area - until I started reading the different forums detailing ideas for utilising chooks in mini scale permaculture and keeping them in both chook and environmentally friendly ways. Thanks to Mr Google for enabling me to find them and thanks to all those people for sharing. You helped me decide to give the backyard chook a go.
Although I have 2 cross bred girls I have fallen for the heritage breeds and decided to do my little bit to keep them going.
I got my first girl 6 months ago for my 2yr olds birthday. She was called Harry and came free with a $30 coop. I renamed her Harriet. I don't know her heritage but she is a super chook. Even with my 2yr old terrorising her she gives me an egg 30 days out of 31. Except for now while she is sitting on 11 Barnevelder eggs (5 days to go) yahoo.
She was closely followed by Henrietta, an Australorp cross POL, who is coming close to Harriets production level.
Then came 2 pure blue Australorps (for some reason no name has stuck to them yet) 2 wheaten Marans (Moulin and Rouge because a friend thinks that's the breed name) and a Silky (Silky). I know my names are very original. All the later birds are duds if they are the age the seller said they were when I bought them because their egg laying is over due.
I live in the suburbs so I can't keep a rooster.
I put my girls to work in the garden and we chase grasshoppers together. We make a good team but I do object to them trying to roost in my kitchen.
I love dogs but don't have one at the moment. Unless you count the cat that thinks she's a dog. I have a cockatiel I rescued from the crows. Ironically I nearly had a rescued crow last week but I released it as it seemed to be able to fend for itself. Sorry all you crow haters but I can't stand to see any animal suffer.
I'm close but not properly set up yet which is ok because I don't mind the girls running in the yard and I'm enjoying the journey.
I hope to be able to move to a larger block where I the council allows more birds or even a small rural block where I'd be able keep roosters.
Over the years I have seen coops hidden away up the back of yards providing an existence, but little more than that, for their feathered inhabitants. I don't like seeing chooks like that and wasn't convinced I could do any better in a small area - until I started reading the different forums detailing ideas for utilising chooks in mini scale permaculture and keeping them in both chook and environmentally friendly ways. Thanks to Mr Google for enabling me to find them and thanks to all those people for sharing. You helped me decide to give the backyard chook a go.
Although I have 2 cross bred girls I have fallen for the heritage breeds and decided to do my little bit to keep them going.
I got my first girl 6 months ago for my 2yr olds birthday. She was called Harry and came free with a $30 coop. I renamed her Harriet. I don't know her heritage but she is a super chook. Even with my 2yr old terrorising her she gives me an egg 30 days out of 31. Except for now while she is sitting on 11 Barnevelder eggs (5 days to go) yahoo.
She was closely followed by Henrietta, an Australorp cross POL, who is coming close to Harriets production level.
Then came 2 pure blue Australorps (for some reason no name has stuck to them yet) 2 wheaten Marans (Moulin and Rouge because a friend thinks that's the breed name) and a Silky (Silky). I know my names are very original. All the later birds are duds if they are the age the seller said they were when I bought them because their egg laying is over due.
I live in the suburbs so I can't keep a rooster.
I put my girls to work in the garden and we chase grasshoppers together. We make a good team but I do object to them trying to roost in my kitchen.
I love dogs but don't have one at the moment. Unless you count the cat that thinks she's a dog. I have a cockatiel I rescued from the crows. Ironically I nearly had a rescued crow last week but I released it as it seemed to be able to fend for itself. Sorry all you crow haters but I can't stand to see any animal suffer.
I'm close but not properly set up yet which is ok because I don't mind the girls running in the yard and I'm enjoying the journey.
I hope to be able to move to a larger block where I the council allows more birds or even a small rural block where I'd be able keep roosters.
