Home on the Range

At the beginning I said that the girls were very slow to adventure out of the chook shed. Well, that has certainly changed!

We don't have a front fence as we have a very wide and long block. There are still places that the girls haven't checked out, there's so much land.

But yesterday, they'd been outside for a couple of hours and I had had to chase them out of next door's front garden back to the top paddock. Luckily there isn't anybody living in the house at the moment otherwise they would have thought that there was a mad woman cavorting about calling chook, chook, chook. Anyway adventure over (I thought).

But later as I was in the kitchen about to prepare Osso Bucco, I glanced out of the window and there they all were - on the pavement. It almost looked like they were deciding whether to head on down to the beach or to go up the road to the corner bakery and grab a coffee! So, once again, I dashed out and did my "woman losing the plot" routine until they were back in the top, under the old oak tree, which used to be their favourite spot.

So what do I do? I can't keep checking and chasing all the time. I like the idea of them being out and enjoying the freedom but we really can't afford to put a fence up. Our farmer friend has said that a rooster would keep them in check but I have avoided a rooster as I don't sleep easily at the best of times but I'm sorely tempted.

I would appreciate any tips or comments on the keeping of roosters. Meanwhile I have to go and open Peckingham Palace for today.

Jan