We are, very happily, once again hen owners. Hurruh! I’d really missed having my ladies, and not just for the egg supply (the horror that is buying eggs – ugh!) I am unashamedly a self-confessed crazy chook lady – I love my ladies, their funny little buck-buck-buck’s back to me when I go to feed them and collect their generous offerings. Our hens have again come from our friends Nic and Amy at Ruby Hills Organics, they really are the happiest of all happy hens, they’ve spent their days roaming the South Gippsland hills being loved by Nic and Amy’s littles, fed on soy free organic feed and protected by their gorgeous maremmas. (I still want to take gentle giant Holly home with me some day).
The chook pen here is quite the work of art – just ask it’s creator Matt. Despite ‘ridiculous’ notions of a beautiful hen house like this, Matt built this fine structure mostly out of found materials around the farm or what he had on hand in the shed. It was meticulously planned, with such practical design features as a raised and enclosed little house for the chookies, with a little ladder for access, a big door can be open for human-size access and mesh flooring above their roosting perch so we can easily collect nitrogen-rich chookie fertiliser. There is a self-watering dripper system and cosy little nesting boxes with a collection hatch, which is totally at ‘Matt-height’. Sigh. He has promised me to fashion some sort of steps for Blueberry to collect the eggs. Bless.
Our ladies are just coming out of their Autumn moult, hence the white fluffy bums! Amy said they might not be laying too well yet, but the day after she delivered the precious cargo I got two eggs! (We have four hens, which should be just the right amount for us if they all decide to be good layers. We’ve previously had six, but not the best layers). I’m getting about 1-2 eggs a day at the moment, and I’m sure with a lot of love and care, some yummy combination of layer pallets and kitchen scraps, production will be upped shortly. I’m convinced that having a chat to the chooks makes them happy little layers.
Our one problem…one excitable kelpie by the name of Bella. She has always shown quite the interest in chooks. I don’t think she actually wants to kill or eat them, she mainly wants to herd and stalk them. After all if she was herding and stalking sheep and lambs I wouldn’t expect her to want to kill a lamb – well I should hope not! Those natural working dog genes are made of strong stuff it seems (especially now she’s not a working dog, she has to herd something!) Bella ’rounds up’ the chooks incessantly. And I mean incessantly. She goes round and round and round and round the chook pen, back and forth, over and back, so much so I don’t think she realises she’s actually doing it – it’s become a bit more of a neurosis obsessive behaviour. But the chooks? Well the chooks couldn’t care less! I’m pleased to report that the ladies don’t pay her any attention at all, they must feel very secure in their pen, and as Matt pointed out, are probably quite used to dogs like at Nic and Amy’s. But Bella, oh Bella. How to stop Bella? The track being pounded around the chook pen is getting ridiculous! On the upside, if Bella is not to be found snoozing on the back porch or chewing on a bone under the horse chestnut, she will be going around the chook pen. Around and around and around and around.
I’m so pleased to have henny penny’s once again, I think these four and I are going to be firm friends. Crazy kelpie stalking and all. Now what shall I name them?
Fashionista says
Bella needs to get a real job! Many years ago we had two cattle dogs that beat a path around the new chook pen. Then one day dug under the fence into the pen. That was not a good day. Chooks Marque 2 then tried an unsupervised free range experiment. That was not a good day either. Chooks Marque 3 lived to very ripe old (and eggless!) age, by then the dogs had learnt what was off limits (although I would still never trust them!). Sadly suburbia and a Jack Russell aren’t conducive to chooks.
Anne@GritandGiggles says
Love your chook pen and you are making me wish we could have some here. I love chooks too. As for Bella, she is probably bored and the new arrivals are the best thing she can find to entertain herself.
ali says
love your shed – and look at that track Bella’s made. Impressive. 😉
Kate says
I have recently trained our cavoodle to not attack our two chooks. It took about 3 weeks. Every day I would walk him around the back yard for around 10 minutes on a lead, with the chooks roaming around. In my pocket I had liver treats and in my hand a spray bottle with water in it. If he so much as turned his head towards the chooks he was sprayed once in the face. Which he hated. If we walked past the chooks and he ignored them he was given a little piece of liver treat. I did this twice a day. It was SO boring. However, I now have 8 kids, 2 chooks and a dog running around the backyard happily together. Our chooks names are Coco and Lulu, and they are totally divine.
Emma says
Oh wow – thanks for this! I’ve been thinking I need to spend more time with Bella one on one like that doing some training. And 8 kids + animals = superwoman! Hats off!
Katie says
Oh, I know that look in the last photo! My dog Ruby, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, did the same thing when we had a rabbit in the yard. There was a dirt path the whole way around it and she just couldn’t stop. The rabbit eventually moved inside. Ruby doesn’t bother with our chickens while they are in the coop, but if one gets out, it is done for! Since it is now Spring here, we are coming into baby bird season, which means I will soon be chasing Ruby around the yard as she carries her prize with her (a dead baby bird). This almost always happen when my husband is away, so I have to chase her with a shovel, then try to pick it up without looking at it and fling it over the back fence. Oh, life with dogs.
Ock Du Spock says
That hen house is a work or art! I’m impressed!
Amy says
You could name them “Bella’s Bitches”? Sorry – it had to be said! Loving Sharon’s suggestions. Please name one Beryl. Glad they’re settling and egging for you. Good feed will have them laying well. Don’t skimp on it. xx
Elvira says
They look very happy in their palace! And while you’re at it, you should totally name the chook house too. Maybe some exotic village name, it would be perfect. And I would name them after old goddesses, like Isis, Selene, …
Emma says
The chook house is called ‘Chateau le Chookie’ – naturally. I really need to make a sign!
Leah says
Emma we are just about to get chooks too- I am thinking 4! Do you have any hot tips on what I should be doing for them? I think we will be buying a ready made chookie pen – any must do or websites to visits? I am looking forward to feeding them all my scraps too
Emma says
Four chooks will be a great start, are you getting Isa Browns? They are the best layers. I’d love to get some ‘pretty’ chooks but the lack of laying capability doesn’t appeal to me – gimmee those eggs! Last year I wrote a little post on keeping chickens: https://www.shesowsseeds.com/2013/06/05/on-keeping-chickens/
Nice fresh clean water, some layer pellets, kitchen scraps (meat bones too! They’re not vegetarian!) and your hens will be happy as Larry. Good luck!
Kathy says
We currently don’t have chickens at the moment as I need to fix up our coop however we love having them at our place, pets for the kids and yummy eggs. I love Heather Bullards Chicken Coop and I could only dream about one like that when she first posted it. Stunning. You will love baking with those fresh eggs. Regards Kathy A, Brisbane,
sharon says
oh as for Bella….at least she is self running? exercise around the chook run?! I’d through in some random obstacles occasionally just to make it interesting….does she round them up when you let them out for a run, or do you have to tie her up?
Emma says
I haven’t let them out for a run due to Bella attack risk…although I’m not sure she would try and attack them…regardless I think I would chain her to start with. Matt killed our last chooks in SA (they served us well but had reached their expiration date unfortunately) and Bella dug them up and proudly deposited them on my back door step all mangled (this was on moving day too mind you) so I’m afraid she has ‘got the taste’ for it. Oh dear.
sharon says
well look at that flash screen door on the chook run!
Henny’s? H names you say? you know I am an expert in the field of H names currently!
Henrietta OF COURSE, and Hermione …but lets through in some other names for interest…Bettina and Beryl! Or Berys, or Beatrix…..
Emma says
Very flash screen door! We had a homemade one, just timber frame and wire, but Matt’s sister pinched it for her chook pen when we left here a few years ago! Found this one in the shed, Matt’s made it open and close properly and everything, very fancy.