When we got our chickens and set them up in our small backyard I felt as though I'd kind of "arrived" at a crucial point on my journey into simplicity.
Well, things were going along ok for quite some time and we were really enjoying the hens and the routine of collecting our own organic eggs and so on..
Until one day about three months ago, when my hubby spied a dead rat in the yard.
That was a turning point for him!
He decided that we must get rid of the hens in case they were attracting rats to our yard :-(
I was pretty depressed to hear this, and thought we should not panic but wait a bit longer before giving up on our backyard hen-house dream!
Nevertheless, a few weeks later all my girls were given away to friends and are now happily ensconsed in a new backyard where they continue to faithfully lay their eggs.
So, no more rats for hubby to worry about..right?
Three days after our girls were gone, I heard a hen cackling behind me as I hung my washing on the line!
Seeing as I was away from home when the coop was dismantled and the chickens moved, I wondered if hubby had somehow missed one of them and she'd been hiding away in the bushes.
My heart was going pitter-patter as I searched high and low trying to trace that cackle!
Surely there must be a hen around somewhere - I couldn't just be "hearing things" because I missed the chooks so much - could I?!
Well, I finally found the little lady.
In my next door neighbour's yard.
They had bought their own hens and had set up a small coop right along our side of the fence!
I was sad that it wasn't one of mine who had been left behind..but I was glad to be able to enjoy that homely sound of "chook-chatter" again :-)
And hubby...
He did wonder if we would get any unwelcome 'visitors' from over the fence.
But no rat has come calling; and now he is actually planning on building a new coop so that we can have a few small bantams again in Spring.
Turns out ..he misses our chooks too.
He just didn't know that he would- until they were all gone!
In the meantime..I am regularly visited by one of my neighbours cute little hens who seems to find a handy gap in the fence under the Bansia Rose bush :-)
These are some of the great photos from Backyard Chickens which hubby is using as inspiration for housing our next lot of "girls".
Pretty swish homes for chooks, lol!
I couldn't help but smile when you mentioned yourself looking high and low for "that cackle." I could picture you doing that, tee hee.
ReplyDeleteAt any rate, I'm sorry about your chook girls. Hopefully when the new "girls" come, you'll be happy again. :)
Oh, I LOVE the photos of those chook houses! They're very decorative and unique.
I'm so happy that ended well for you! My husband would do the same thing, except he wouldn't miss them and get some more after! And that is so nice your neighbor has the same mindset! love,andrea
ReplyDeleteGreat hen houses!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your chickens.
I never thought about them attracting rats, but I guess the feed would attract them. Living in the country, we have our share of mice, but I've never seen them in the hen house or yard. I think the chickens would probably eat a mouse, but we do have outside cats too that are pretty good mousers.
Mice just come with the country here. :-)
Blessings to you,
Anne♥
Hi Trish,
ReplyDeleteSo happy that you will be getting some chooks again. I have had them since early married, and enjoy them so much. The chook houses are adorable, my favorite is #1. Enjoy your weekend.
Hugs,
Sue
Wherever there are hens, compost or humans, there will be rats. Anyone who has pretty ivy or wisteria climbing up the housewall to the eaves probably has rats in the attic.
ReplyDelete2 cats could help a lot. Hooray for your neighbour! So glad you will be having hens again x
Hi Trish,
ReplyDeleteGlad you are going to get some more 'girls' for your yard. I like the sound of chooks cackling away in the background.
Have a good week
God Bless
Barb
xxx