'The Girls'

Okay, finally the chookie girls on Blogger. 5 little Chinese Silky Bantams, given to me by Mum
across two clutches.

One left from first 2. Lots of roosters in first batch.They went to a rural pound, to be re-homed
onto country properties, where they were needed. Regulations say, we are not allowed roosters
or more than 5 in a suburban situation.

Looking a bit rustic now, it started out with proud curved roof. 

Then the Brush Turkeys used it as a highway and it got trampled in.

I had one more glorious looking girl called Princess, a blonde bombshell of a chicken, like a
Marilyn Monroe. She got sick and passed away. She was never very strong, but sure was a
pretty girl.

The kids named them all sorts of silly names. Most of the first lot were boys and went off. Like
Crunchie, and Bounty. We still have Oreo.

We also have Daffy, Minmi, Josie and Checkers. Checkers is still a mystery, the most crazy
looking plumage, all the colours together, and not possibly a girl?

They line up at the gate in the morning eager for their feed.

I'm keeping all this lot, because occasionally, you hear this strangly noise, which may or may
not, be a rooster crow, but not often and not early.

So who could seriously complain? By the time you've been inundated by all the day's dawn
chorus, particularly noisy cockatoos!

Probably the world's laziest chickens, they take turns at laying.  Most ever in one day is 3,
from 5 chooks. Yet they are the best golden eggs, and a steady supply.

Oreo my eldest now.

 The hard surface is actually a painted hopscotsh section of paving we recycled.

 Nature has moved in, we keep this native vine as it gives shade.

 Another visitor, a cicada's shell.

 Rustic gate that leads to the reserve.

 Was given a bulk water cylinder for Xmas last year.

 Looking outwards, towards pool pavilion.

 Inside showing nesting boxes.

 Checkers.

This morning's egg. Plus a collection of glass shards they keep digging up.

Our painted tyres for growing potatoes and other produce. 

Painted with leftover housepaint, and free tyres. Sustainability!

Kid's size rake and hoe for cleaning up.

They eat up all the kitchen scraps, process most of the leftover bread. We use the newspapers,
hand torn for their laying boxes, and we get chook manure.

The coop and hen yard was a challenge to build, the concept being to do it as cheaply, and
using as many recyclable materials as possible. The house is a giant cedar doghouse with tin
roof, which my daughter Sam painted, because she'd seen the Hannah Montanna movie.

It's pretty cosy, being all weatherbords, facing away from drafts. Ramps up to it, and off the
ground. Lots of yard, both soil to scratch in, and a hard path area. Sun and shade, are offered,
and it's fully contained.

Had to be fully locked up and secure, because next to the bush reserve, a vast valley system,
everything would want to eat them.

I only need feed and water each morning, and they look after themselves.