Chooks!

We have been itching to get chooks ever since we made the decision to move to our NSW property.  So, from soon after moving in, work began on modifying an existing aviary to be our chook house - the Chookery.  This turned out to be a slightly bigger job than we initially anticipated.  The partitions needed to be cut out, together with the steel mesh floor, and additional roofing installed to provide a larger covered area.  The interior was also completely overgrown with weeds. 

The 'before' photos below don't do justice to the amount of work required, but do show the scale of the new Chookery.

What used to be vege gardens outside the former aviary were also overgrown with weeds, and required forking, then hoeing to get to a reasonable state to be able to plant anything.


There were also sizeable stones throughout which suggests that the soil is from somewhere on this property - a heavy soil with reasonable clay content.  Where are Perth's lovely sandy soils?
 
There are now herbs planted in these beds, which are covered effectively with some of the wire that was cut out from the aviary.








But now the Chookery is practically complete, and we have welcomed 7 hens.






View from the Chookery

After only two nights, we have even had our first egg.  Some might say a slow start, but a start nevertheless.

 Boiled egg, anyone?