I wrote recently about our suspicion that one of our chickens was a rooster. Unfortunately he started sprouting tail feathers, making rooster noises and ‘mounting’ the hens, so our fears were confirmed. Off we went today to return the poor fella to the farm.
P cut some window holes in a box so the rooster could see out and we bundled him into the back of the car.
Not sure exactly how it happened, but somehow we found ourselves hurtling down the M4 with our rooster in the back playing the chicken dance song to the kids – I can’t help but laugh looking back on it 🙂
The kids with the new chickens
We arrived at the farm and as we were getting out I mused to P – 5 chickens is such an odd number, don’t you think? He groaned at me, rolled his eyes, and out we got. He knew what was coming.
The lady at the farm took one look at him and declared immediately that it was beyond doubt. Not sure if she was trying to make us feel better, but she said she was sure that someone else would take him for breeding – he really was a lovely looking specimen and he was pure-bred after all.
She produced two potential ‘replacements’ the same age, and I declared it a sign – we were meant to have 6 chickens!
The lady mentioned that some of the other birds the same age are already laying, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed for lovely eggs soon.
The kids had just as much fun as they did last time, patting the chicks and running around. Little D stubbornly refused to leave, so we had tears bundling him back into his car seat – “more pat!, more pat!”.
For anyone in Sydney looking for chickens I highly recommend Barter and Sons Hatchery in Luddenham. Their chickens are healthy, and I now know (from experience) that they honour their sexing guarantee cheerfully.
Bringing the girls home, I was actually glad we bought two because they seemed a bit ostracised from the flock. They didn’t seem to know what to do or even where to sleep this evening, but I’m sure they’ll get the hang of things shortly.
On our way home we stopped in at one of the lovely roadside stalls you find in rural areas. A local farmer was selling boxes of tomatoes really cheap, so I bought a box for canning. I have a bunch of girlfriends coming round tomorrow to help process them. We have no idea what we’re doing, so wish us luck!
500m2 in Sydney 
What a comical journey you guys had down the M4. The new arrivals should fit in after a little while, I have not done it yet but I understand that the re arranging of the pecking order can take a bit.
Good luck with that box of tomatoes it will be a big job but very rewarding 🙂 think about the winter stews … yumm yumm yumm
I hadn’t really thought it through very well. I knew not to introduce a bird of a different age, but I thought adding one would be fine. Lucky it worked out how it did. Thanks about the tomatoes- should be _very_ interesting 🙂
I’m glad you got two. If there was only one new hen the others would’ve made her life an absolute misery. At least the two newbies can band together.
Yeah, I hope they settle in quickly because I feel really sorry for them.
More pat, more pat – how cute – they are lovely at this age aren’t they. I’m presuming that little D is about the same age as my 2 year old. Also a D incidently. I really think its clear I need chooks…..
Little D turned 2 in December. He’s never been much of a talker, but he’s packed with personality. Always the teachers’s favourite at daycare – I think some kids just have a natural charm. Wonder if your D has the same name? Mine has one of those names that is dirt common in older generations but rarer nowadays. A good name for a sculpture perhaps…
You really do need chooks – I can’t overstate that. They are even better than I thought they would be.
Ooh canning tomato day! I’m so jealous.
I had a friend whose backyard went from chicken paradise to chicken hell. A combo of many free range chooks, a lot of rain, mud and mites. So please don’t get more than six!
Uh Oh! No, six is definitely the limit for our small block, and we don’t let them free range (most of the time). They seem to enjoy my pumpkin vine, so I get cranky at P when he lets them out of the coop. The coop is plenty big enough for 6 chooks.
Thats great they honour their sexing. We got three new chickens a while back and two of them ended up being roosters. Thankfully they found a new home on a friends farm. One subsequently passed away, but the other now has a flock of hens and many chickens all to himself.