Chook happenings

I've been busy with the chooks the last few days. 

The first big chicken event came about because one of the school's roosters had started to attack people (there were too many roosters in the pen) and needed to be "dealt with".  My friend who cares for the school's chooks had accidently let him out of the pen when she was trying to catch him, and he spent a happy couple of days living behind our back fence, perving on our hens and waking Stu and I up early with his crowing.  When he moved himself into our front garden, I rang my friend to ask if I could "deal with him" for her.  You see, I have plans to start raising and preparing our own chicken for eating and have been reading a lot about the process, but not having ever done it,  I saw him as a good opportunity to see if I had the stomach for it.  My friend was more than happy for me to take on the task and so I did.  I'm not going in to details, but I will just say that it is a physically hard thing to do!  I had steeled my mind to the process, so in that sense I was OK (this was a better option that him dying for nothing), but it was just plain hard work, and the rain didn't help much.  But I got the job done, and while I don't expect he will make a great roast, I will be making chicken soup this week.

It seems I have to stomach for preparing my own chicken for the table.  My reasons are clear in my head (we have decided we are omnivores and need some meat in our diets, but would like to know our meat has had a happy, healthy life and minimise food miles), now I just have to work out the logistics of the process.

In lighter, happier, more vegetarian friendly chicken news, we bought ourselves some new egg laying girls yesterday! 

We went on a road trip with my Mum and teenage brother and sister to visit my Grandma.  We had a lovely day, lunching, op-shopping and visiting the Maritime museum and then stopped off at a local free-range egg farm on the way home.

L&J with my Grandma in the whale skeleton at the Maritime Museum

There were some dramas at the farm (we won't be going back there!) but we managed to leave with 4 new Isa Brown hens for us and 4 for my Mum.  By new, I mean 18month old girls who have been busily laying for the shops for a while and are just starting to reduce their productivity.  They are perfect for us though as we should get just the right amount of eggs from them.

We introduced them to our other girls (who have not been laying at all) when we got home and they had a few spats and then settled down to eat together.  I went out after dark and collected them from their various stupid roosting places (none inside!) and put them into the house.

They are very quiet and happy to be handled and stay near me chatting away peacefully.  But they are not particularly attractive (and camera shy too!), but nothing a few months of the good life won't fix.  They seem to be settling in so nicely this morning.....

These two came to chat to me at the back fence

And this one likes this shrub to hide in

One clever hen found the nesting boxes in my (recycled pallet) chook house and made herself comfy.......

And produced this!

Hooray!  Fresh eggs on the Wright household again!