Meet our chooks

Today was just glorious! Mid 20s, slight breeze, very sunny ... very motivating too! We got heaps done, inside the house and out, but I thought I'd focus on my chooks tonight.

Before we took off on our chook ownership adventure, I think I borrowed every book I could from the local library on the subject. One book I just couldn't put down was Linda Woodrow's The Permaculture Home Garden. I actually found it being sold in a local bookshop for a very good price, so decided to treat myself and purchase a copy. Linda has great advice through the whole book, but I was really taken with her chook tractor idea. Lots of umming and ahhing, measuring up my gardening spaces, pricing materials and I came to a modified version and declared it one of our official homeschooling activities. The children were in there helping as we began a one week job of construction.

My garden area at that time (and things have changed for various reasons, but 3 years ago ...) was 8 x 4 metres. I decided to build a rectangular chook tractor rather than the dome shape Linda gives instructions for in the book. The dimensions for our tractor are 1m x 2m, and 1m high. We used the plumber's piping and some chook wire, all 'sewn' together with baling twine picked up for free from the produce store (where we now get our chook feed). The covering is very high tech. (lol!), recycled projection screen material offcuts from my hubby's work. It's been very durable, but after 3 years in the weather, it's looking quite grotty, a little worn around the edges, and after taking these photos, I suggested perhaps we need to replace it. But, these are our photos of how it's looking at the moment.

This photo is taken from behind to show the length and covering (also since the sun was at a difficult angle, it helped with glare):

Here is the inside, showing the perch. I actually have two perches in there. The narrower one was in first, and also adds support to the frame, but was too narrow, so a narrow tree limb was then strapped across behind on the two supporting stakes and the chooks are quite happy with that.

In the foreground is our laying box: an older Victor lawn mower catcher. Also, our friendly chooks who decided to follow me around the run, curious to see if I had any scraps, lol!

The type of chooks we bought are Isa Browns. They are of good temperament, quite tamable, and good layers. In our council area, we're allowed to keep 5 without a permit, but roosters are another matter - so no roosters at our place.

When we got our chooks, we did actually have the tractor used as a tractor. Ie: we moved it around so they ate the weeds, fertilised, etc. Then our clothesline gave us a headache and a new one was put in .. but the only place to put this style clothesline was in the vegie garden area. That happened 2 years ago. So .... the story is now, the chook tractor is moved around under our fruit trees, but the chooks are allowed to freerange all along the back of the property and around behind the shed hubby built. It helps keep all the weeds down as we just can't get in there to mow. We have an access gate, which is also where their fresh water supply is kept as it's in shade most of the day and close to the water tank.

Behind the shed, is a feeder I purchased to help contain their food, and minimise 'wastage' from birds coming in and stealing. It wasn't cheap, but for those days when we're away, it serves us well as we can fill it with up to 3 days worth of feed. Then neighbours or friends only have to worry about water and eggs for us. The feeder is from Grandpa's Feeders.

There are quite a few people who use the chook tractor method. Adventures in Sideways Living have lots of step-by-step information on how they building their dome. Down to Earth also has LOTS of great information.

Okay, just one more picture! Our Satsuma plum tree has been doing so well this year, and I think the chooks have been helping a lot. We'd picked almost all the fruit from the tree, but couldn't reach those on the uppermost branches, so I hoped shaking the branches would work (firm, but not too agressive) and it did. The children got extra fruit for dessert tonight - yumm!

Update 28/7/09:
We've completely remodelled our chookhouse and have a new flock. Come and see the latest chook news here.