Re: Chooks...
 

We did have, until they kept finding their way out the front of the house and onto the road. Little sods would head home and we would be none the wiser if it wasn't for some kids knocking on asking to see the chickens lol. We found them a new home then.

Re: Chooks...
 

How rural are you Martin? We arent allowed to keep roosters...to surburban dontçha know ;)

We have 2 silkies and I totally adore them, they run to the fence when we arrive and sit on our laps for fuss.
I love the looks of the Barnvelders best. I have a wyandotte too, but she annoys me cos she honks!! We get 3 to 4 eggs a day, they are small ATM, but then so are the hens i suppose, about 24 weeks

Re: Chooks...
 

:lol:

Re: Chooks...
 

I dont have rats, but I'm not in the country...and I think my dog would eat them!

Re: Chooks...
 

We seem to be classed as semi-rural. All the houses on out court are on 2 or 2.5 acre blocks.

I think the local council rules allow us to have a certain number of roosters but I just checked with the neighbours and they were okay about them. One of them has his own roosters and the other has roosters in the neighbour on the other side.

I like the silkies to look at. Ours are Heinz 57 which gives us some interesting looking chicks. Unfortunately a lot of them grow into grey hens.

We don't have rats either. I've only seen one on the property in the last 7 years.

Re: Chooks...
 

Ah but you rarely see the rats and mice but they are probably there. You really only notice them if they come into a house. For the rest of they time they are pretty invisible.

We have more problems with possums than rats though I must admit! DH and DGD are spitting chips this morning that the local poss got the nearly ripe prize apricots before they did!

Re: Chooks...
 

Well Hevs - it's an option you have taken we haven't - suburban or not. :) Freinds of ours in Caulfield have chooks. We're going for ISAs I think.

We've delayed our chooks - I got busy building an office rather than a chook pen. Loads of veggies though - got about 100 green tomatoes appearing and zucchinis...the chooks will come when they come.

Re: Chooks...
 

Maybe. I see lots of mice but few rats. Growing up on a farm I'm well used to the behaviour of rats and I can say that there is little evidence of them around the property.

Re: Chooks...
 

Agreed, probably more mice than rats now I come to think of it.

Re: Chooks...
 

I've managed to sqeeze 2 veggie patches into my weeny block. The bigger one is currently being fertalized by the said chooks every day and dug over once a week. The soil there is pap, and last year everything flowered but didnt produce much, i think it might be due to having a mature lemon tree there before.....

Mum has a great veggie patch and I get stuff daily from there :thumbsup:

Re: Chooks...
 

yep - have done since I arrived - also 2 sheep for mowing :-)