Backyard chickens! - Real Mum story on MoM

12 Comments

My story is of the feathered variety, specifically chooks! Recently keeping chickens in suburban backyards has become increasingly popular, but my city slicker husband was horrified when I built my first pen and moved in some lovely ladies 8 years ago when we first bought the house. Being from the ‘bush’ chickens were just a way of life for me and there was no way I was paying $6.50 for a dozen faux ‘free-range & organic’ eggs, we have boys, eggs are part of their staple diet! You’ll have to check on your council regulations and it pays to have a chat with your neighbours, but if you would consider keeping guinea pigs then chooks are just as easy!

I have 5 hens of varying breeds, do your research, chickens are like dogs, they come in many different shapes, sizes, colours and temperaments! My personal favourite for eggs and personality are Australorps, they are like the Labradors of the chicken world, Plymouth rocks are more ‘clumsy friendly Rottweilers’ and Silkies are without a doubt the small manic yappy lap dog! Frizzles are like princess poodles, lovely to look at but down right mean! And then you have your friendly bitza, the mixed breed so often crossed you can never quite figure out where it origins lay, but that’s okay as they are generally strong, healthy and intelligent!

Chickens are great pets, not only for the obvious, egg laying, scrap eating, fertiliser producing eco benefits, but they are quite smart animals, not unable to show affection, you will find yourself chatting to your hens and don’t be surprised when they chat back!

Posted by mle00, 14th November 2013

12 Comments

- - mom81879 said
  - 12 Sep 2015
    2:30 pm
We had chickens when I was a child growing up,and I’ve never seen them in this way. Except for one, we hatched him in our frying pan on the old kitchen stove. We never ate him, he died of old age, his name was Chicksie.

- - Kell said
  - 11 Jun 2015
    3:21 pm
My Nana in law gives us fresh eggs… we give her scraps

- - mom113055 said
  - 14 May 2015
    3:26 pm
kool

- - mom113055 said
  - 24 Apr 2015
    2:05 pm
i like reading these stories it s fun

- - mom113055 said
  - 07 Apr 2015
    11:44 am
top story to read

- - mom93821 said
  - 31 Jan 2015
    9:47 pm
We are lucky enough to have a loved one that supplies us with fresh eggs.

- - mom93821 said
  - 18 Jan 2015
    9:17 am
Love having fresh eggs and you are right; they are so expensive!

- - mom57522 said
  - 09 Jan 2015
    2:09 pm
I’d love it have some backyard chooks.

- - sanjipanj said
  - 19 Nov 2013
    10:36 am
My brother has recently bought 2 chickens which have been great for providing eggs & gives my 5 & 3 yr old nephews an understanding of where eggs come from and is a lot of fun. They enjoy playing with the chickens the most

- - melliedl said
  - 17 Nov 2013
    9:44 am
I love this story. Naive as i am i didnt know the different breeds, i love how you have likened them to dog breeds, its something highly relate-able for me. Great article!!

- - sizzlingcool said
  - 15 Nov 2013
    3:04 pm
What a great idea and I love the fact all the household leftovers won’t go in the bin. I’m always throwing food away at the end of each week and I would love to know who has chickens around where I live.

- - jocelynwong31 said
  - 15 Nov 2013
    1:50 am
Very informative to me, thank you. At least I can have a start. Thinking of getting one for my almost 3yo. Do you think it is the right age?