Chooky News

We added some more shadecloth shade on the side of the chook run yesterday afternoon. I know the shadecloth doesn't look too tidy, but it's really just a temporary measure until the plants get growing I hope. Down this side I planted some more nasturtians (since they grow really well, and the chooks love them), the last few seeds of last year's packet of corn, some wormwood (herb that's good for preventing worms in chooks) and some carrot and lettuce seeds. I planted these quite close to the fence, so that hopefully the chooks will be able to peck at them through the wire.

In the corner, where that cheeky magpie is, I planted what I think is a liquid amber tree. My mum has one, and I love the autumn colours. For those overseas, nearly all the trees here in Australia are evergreen, so we have very few visible changes in autumn. Hopefully this will bring a bit of a seasonal feeling to our place next year. It will also have the advantage of providing the chooks with shade during summer, but letting the sun in in winter. Once it grows anyway.

The pen has been quite a bit cooler with all the work we've done on it, which is gratifying. Still hot, but then everywhere is right now. Hopefully not so hot that they'll cook though. The few times we've been out in the hotter part of the day they have seemed fine when we get back.

Our one chook who has been laying lays an egg most days (missed once since that first egg I think), and it seems we have another one, maybe two, laying as well. The last two days we've had an extra egg. It's surprising how different the eggs look. With supermarket eggs, you get a whole box looking just the same. But seems that isn't the case with backyard chooks, even if they are all the same breed. Our first layer lays small, pinkish/brown eggs, very round. The egg we had the other day was more orange, and with a more elongated shape.

I find it very funny that I can't tell the chooks apart, but I can tell their eggs apart!