Saturday, October 6, 2012

Chooks make me happy






It's been an exciting week around here as our new chook palace has been completed!



Our friend Tom has done a fantastic job, I couldn't be happier. Although I loved the charm of our old chook pen, it's gaps and worn bits were a calling card to Mr Fox. The new and improved pen is so much safer and has a great yard for the chooks to hang out in when they aren't free ranging.


We tried to re use as much as possible including old bolts. Keep Out Foxy Loxy!


I love that the clothes line is next to the chook pen, now I can chat to the girls (and boy) and watch them going about their chookie business. 


 As you know I'm a big fan of the Hills Hoist, many a pleasant morning is spent underneath it, hanging out the washing, dreaming, listening to the birds and hiding from my family. Ha!


I'm loving the way this project has me seeing the garden in a different way. Now that the massive cyprus tree has gone a whole new world is opening up. The quince tree, above left, that has been in the shade for the last twenty or more years is looking so much happier. The garden is full of so much more light and sky.


In the next couple of weeks we are hoping to move the little cubby/house that is currently attached to our house. It will be craned into position to the right of the shed above. It's front door will face the house and we will make a little path that will lead around it. I also want to plant some creepers or roses against the posts of the chook pen. Lots of fun projects ahead.






Final inspection. Yep, it's ok...!



Today was the best day ever as we finally bought home some beautiful new chickens. Yay!


 This is Smoky, Sunday's chook. She is so pretty, well they both are :) Smoky & Bill's chook, Gelati, have already laid an egg each! Wow, the first day and they are already laying. We have also moved our lone rooster from the front yard into the new chook pen. From a lonely bachelor life to moving in with five ladies...he's looking pretty happy too.




This is Maria, Rosie's little bantam. She is a feisty little number, and seems to be the boss of the chook house already. I love her spots, she's such a gorgeous girl!


I love chooks, can you tell? Our whole family are crazy about them. They just seem to make life complete. There's something kind of comforting about a happy chicken, scratching in the hay, clucking around the yard. Do you have chooks? Have you thought about getting some? You really should, I bet they'll make you smile too.
See you soon lovely ones xo

16 comments:

Ailsa said...

I loved this post. I love your chookies and I love your chook house! Ours is an on-going affair, but it's coming together nicely. Looking forward to following along!

teddybearswednesday said...

I don't have chooks, but i desperately want them. And even just thinking about me having them makes me happy , so you and are on the same page! Your new brood is gorgeous and their house looks wonderful xo

Zara said...

That's one impressive chook house. And such pretty chooks to call it home.
You could plant a couple of passionfruit vines to climb up the chook house- shade for the chookies in summer and yummy fruit for you.
x

mel @ loved handmade said...

Their new place looks great and I love the idea of the creeper on the posts it'll be beautiful! We would like so chookens, in the meantime we take on chook duty at school, and my parents have some too, they have such personality..x

Cath @ chunkychooky said...

We are chook lovers here too. We always had them growing up even though we lived in the inner city of Sydney, I don't feel right without them. We have had to build Fort Knox for ours too cementing wire into the ground and putting a roof of wire on etc foxes, goannas and snakes are a bit to close for comfort here, your pen is lovely. I feel the same about a hills hoist, we actually found an old one someone was throwing out and put it in when we moved here, again, it didn't feel like home without one. Chooks and a hills hoist: the secret to a happy life.

leah of sang the bird said...

your chooks are gorgeous! we love our girls dearly too. xx

gardenglut said...

Nice new pen. I dont have chooks yet, but I will have soon and I am glad to see what your chook palace looks like. Love your bantam.

Naturally Carol said...

Maria, the spotty bantam, looks quite the task master! Lucky chooks, their new home is very roomy and well built. Your mug looks quite precariously perched on that door though..hehe!

Sue said...

So bright and happy with your new chook shed. My dad had chooks when we were young but living in suburbia the neighbours didnt love it too much. We used to pop little chicks in an empty tissue box so we could show our friends over the road how cute they were. My son always used to pick up the chickens at the animal farm and just sit there patting them. I think they are so pretty and I am glad that Mr. Fox wont be able to get in to the coop. You should get lots of darker shells with the dark feathered hens.

BOB & MABEL said...

That is one very impressive chook palace. We cannot wait to get some of our own, I think I'll be using your chookie home as inspiration!

Jane said...

Hi Beck
what a lovely blog you have. I love this post about your chooks. Your chook house is wonderful. I love the front door! We have chooks, two Australorp girls who we adore. They have their own little personalities don't they. The newest member in our house is Dusty, our kelpie pup. The chooks boss her around and bite her on the behind if she ventures too close! Hilarious to watch. have a happy week ahead. Jane

Kirsty @ Bowerbird Blue said...

We've h=just had the pleasure of chook sitting and they have definitely left me wanting my own little flock.

Sonya said...

Oo - where did your bantam come from?

We are in Napoleons and looking forward to having crooks soon.

Cheers,

~Sonya, in the Sago bookbindery~
www.sagoontuesdays.com.au~

Sonya said...

Hahaha - that's chooks, not crooks!! ~Sonya~

Bodkin said...

just found your blog ,so glad I did its fab .hx

Robyn of Oz said...

Love your chooks! Love your old hoist. They are the best, and you can get so much on them! Not like today's plastic offering.
I used to have chooks, but no longer. I do hope that they are happy in their new home.
In the past we had at least one bantam hen and she would do all the work of hatching the chicks in summer. It is so funny to watch such a little hen trying to herd her brood when most of them are almost as big as her. The best she ever did was 15, of which five were her own. Gotta love the chooks! :)