Projects | The Lattimore Acre

How To Catch A Chicken….not!

Our four little hens needed to be put in the chook house early as we were heading to the coast for the evening. Mum and I sent Dad and Andrew to do the job. It took a little longer than expected. It was quite amusing. I am not sure how two tiny Silkies can cause so much running around, arm flapping and puffing. Andrew and Dad would corner the hens, go to pick them up and they would just fly in their faces. It was really hard not to laugh! Once the job was done Dad and Andrew looked a little worse for wear – red faced and covered in sweat. It was a great giggle! Thanks xo

Our New Visitor!!!

If you were driving through Pine Mountain this afternoon you could have been mistaken that you were watching a bad comedy show. It all began around 4.oopm, I noticed a gentleman on his afternoon walk stop to admire our chickens. At the time I thought this was lovely. But about half an hour later I went to the ladies…… and looked out the window to admire the peaceful view and I saw this huge bird attacking the chickens…. something the not so gentlemanly gentleman must have stopped to watch. So nice of him to knock on the door and let me know. I raced out of the bathroom (still pulling up pants) to save Honda, Buzz, Penny Penny and Woof. Bonnie came running with me and Ben stood on the verandah screaming that something was killing his chickens! I reached the chicken’s gate and realised I had nothing to shoo this horrible bird away. I raced back on the verandah and grabbed the plastic watering can (not sure what I was thinking). I am certain at this point I still had not done up my pants and realised that I could not open the gate, hold my pants up and hold the watering can at the same time. I dropped the watering can, did up the pants and was in the pen thinking…… Mmmm what the hell can I do. I starting banging on the watering can and making ridiculous noises at the bird which at this time I recognised to be a Scrub Turkey. My noise did nothing to deter the horrible bird from standing on Penny Penny (Ben’s screaming made no difference either!). Bonnie stepped up and started barking and darting at the fence and the Scrub Turkey let go of Penny Penny and ran for the other chickens. I managed to grab my phone out of my pocket and take a blurred picture of the HORRIBLE HORRIBLE BIRD! It then took a flying leap over the chickens and into the block next to us. At this time I thought it was gone and tended to the petrified hens, checked Ben was ok and congratulated Bonnie on her heroic actions. After about fifteen minutes the horrible bird was back….. but this time didn’t make it in the pen. Bonnie was off after it, she did the bolt and chased it ….. I don’t know where because I lost Bonnie! It was at this point I became hysterical that I couldn’t find Bonnie. I was running up and down the fence calling Bonnie while ringing Andrew in tears that I had lost the dog. Benjamin was still screaming on the verandah but now there were tears because he was so distraught Bonnie was missing. All I could think of was …….. I hate that BLOODY Scrub Turkey. Finally after about fifteen minutes or so of shouting and running all over, Bonnie appeared and got cuddled up and roused at (all in the space of about two seconds), the chickens got locked up, Ben got cuddles and kisses from myself and Bonnie and I was wondering why the hell did I ring Andrew hysterically in tears for help ….. he can’t help he’s at work fifty minutes away…….hilarious!!!!

Later when we had all recovered from our little adventure I did a little research about our lovely visitor. It’s not so great news….they are protected, you aren’t supposed to trap them or relocate them without a license and chances are it has a nest close by!! Stay tuned for more adventures with our new visitor……

Blurred Bonnie and blurred Scrub Turkey!!

Just Call Us Country Folk!

As you have probably gathered we are excited about our chickens!! But we quickly learnt just how little we really knew about keeping them. Lucky for us we live in an age of technology and what would we do with out Google. This week I Googled ‘How to pick up a chicken‘ and ‘How to clip chickens wings‘. I was worried I might be hurting the chickens if I didn’t pick it up properly and Honda had worked out how to escape from pen – time to clip those wings! Not only did our wonderful computer give me all the info I needed, I also got a Utube video showing me how! So after watching the thirty five second video of ‘How to clip chickens wings‘, I grabbed the scissors and headed down to the chickens. Andrew and I had it done in a couple of minutes. We looked at each other … a little shocked and laughed that we must me ‘County Folk’ now….. tending to the stock!! I kept the feathers as proof!!!

Introducing Buzz and Woofy

The weekend saw our family grow by two more chickens. We finally found some Silky hens. Ben named them Buzz (white like Buzz Light Year) and Woofy (brown like our dog Bonnie). I was a little nervous introducing Silky hens and Red hens because Red hens can be aggressive. And yes there was some aggression. I was just horrified at the whole pecking order process. I couldn’t cope with it so we removed the Silky hens and returned them at night – popping them gently on the roost. I had the worst night sleep…. I was so worried about them. I got up at sunrise to let the chickens out so they didn’t attack each other again in the morning. It is now two days later and there is definitely a pecking order but they seem to have worked it out. Honda is definitely the boss even pecking at Bonnie through the fence today…. hilarious! Buzz and Woofy are only sixteen weeks old, just babies. They don’t even have there fluffy feet yet. We are looking forward to sharing lots of cuddles with our new fluffy hens.

THE EGG!

There was all kinds of excitement in our house yesterday when our lovely hen Honda laid her first egg. Andrew was cleaning out the hen house when I noticed Honda doing some rather strange behaviors and I said to Andrew she is going to lay an egg. He laughed and more of less told me I was dreaming. But true to form I went back down to the hen house about half an hour later and there it was…… the first egg!!! There were squeals of delight (from me). Ben and Andrew hurried to get the camera and headed down to witness the extravaganza. Ben just wanted to hold it and I was sure he would crack it…… which he did so we had to hurry and scramble it. It was delicious…… well done Honda!

Mmmm……. YUM!!!

Honda and Penny Penny Update #1

Joseph and Baby Tom reporting – ‘STILL no eggs…… just poo!!’