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21 June 2009

Chooks go bush

During the warmer months our flock of chooks follow behind the vegetable harvest. After the vegetables are pulled up, the chooks go in and enjoy the leftovers, scratch up and fertilise the ground.

Now it's Winter and it's time for them to come up onto higher ground which for us means into the bush.

But first we have to make a few modifications to fit their houses in.


Cutting a few trees down to make way for their houses means firewood for next year,

some bush poles for building our tractor shed,

and some sawdust.

Every year we are surprised by how much the chooks look at home in the bush and then we remember that they were originally jungle fowl.

I love this one of Mr Rooster mid crow.


Collecting the eggs.



This Mrs chicken stayed home....


Doesn't this look like the definition of free range?

Hello Banjo, we are friends.


Enjoying a dust bath.

We try to offer them pasture as well as bush but given the choice they much prefer the shelter of the trees and scratching amongst the leaf litter.

5 comments:

WriterBee said...

Beautiful photo essay. I love seeing the chooks in the bush. You're right - they do look so at home.

eddy carroll said...

OHHHHHH my lordy how gorgeous are they.!
The B.D. eggs we sell at the store are like golden gems
I cant even begin to imagine how these lovely ladies googies must taste..

kpickles said...

What keeps them safe out there? I love that they are so happy.

daylesford organics said...

Hey kpickles, safety for the chooks is always an issue for us as we have a big fox problem. We have a maremma dog that guards each flock and portable, solar electric fencing.

Beck said...

Solar electric fencing! Wow! What a great idea. I loved this chooky post, being a big fan of chookens myself. Now I know a bit more about how you get such lovely eggs x ps great shots!