Tuesday 17 April 2012

Feathered Lawn Mowers

Lol, I expect the title threw most readers. At present my husband is building a Chicken Shed Or Chook Shed as we call them over here.  It is almost complete, he is working on the enclosure at present.
He is quite a handy chappy, I am so proud of him. Being an IT worker, you would not expect him to be into building things, but he is full of surprises. From building pergolas and an arbor which is stunning. To building a cat run and a Guinea Pig Hutch. There is no end to his talent. What a brilliant cook he is too. I am so lucky to have my husband.

Well now, a few months ago he decided that it would be nice to have some chooks, just 2 or 3 little hens.
In Canberra one can not have roosters in a residential area. So after reading up on this chook business, he has set about making a lovely little home for the girls. Under a nice shady big tree.  Looks like it will be ready some time next weekend, depending on the weather and other issues. In the mean time I am reading up on what plants are toxic to them and my Giunea Pig girls too, lol. Shock, horror, I have discovered many of my plants are toxic to the chooks. Well at least they have a pen to scratch around in, and when under mummy's watchful eye they can get out and run around. I might even get a mobile pen made up for them and move them around the garden keeping both them and my plants safe.

At this stage it will be about two weeks before we get our chickens, We need to make sure that everything is ready in advance. They will be well loved and socialized when we get them. Being a vegetarian, I won't be eating the eggs, I have never really liked eggs, however they are much needed in home cooking and baking. That is where I have a problem, lol. I know that there is no soul in the egg  but, it still bothers me. I do not eat any thing that has a soul. I have just given up fish for that reason. It bothered me for 12 months and I just had to do it.

Anyway, this is all about the joy of little chooks growing up safe and loved in our garden. Happy cheerful little chooks, safe from foxes and other predators. I have ha d to dig up much loved Hellebore's and pass them to friends, other young seedling Hellebore's have been moved out to my front yard. Most bulbs are in pots, except for a couple of Lilly of the Valley and Convulvus and Ivy  to name just a  few. There is a massive list of toxic plants on the net that one needs to check prior to letting the chooks run free. They are also little lawn mowers with feathers, so if you are a serious garden lover like me take care.