Chicks, Chooks, Tractors and Bylaws

Hooray!  At last we have the last of the missing puzzle piece in our little Permaculture backyard plan!  But all was not well for a wee while.


This journey started way, way back, on a visit to the Hamilton gardens, when I spied the Chook Tractor in the Sustainable Backyard Garden.  I thought it might be really neat to have one myself but the hubbie was none too keen.  Being allergic to eggs, he questioned the wisdom of raising chickens in the backyard.  "What for?"     That was about 4 years ago.  Since then, I have learned about the essential part of a good working permaculture system, chickens are:  they are hard little workers who till the soil with their constant scratching (working on soil friability) , eat the slugs, snails and bugs left over by a previous crop (pest control), scratch up weeds and sometimes eat them (weed control) and fertilize the soil with their poops.  And the eggs of course, are an added bonus.  Well, I managed to convince Mike of the benefits of these little workers instead of him having to do it all.  And the eggs?  Well, if they do lay eggs, then Shanti, our cat loves to eat a raw yolk once a week.  The rest can be gifted away to  neighbours to keep them happy.  Okay, says Mike, who will build the chook tractor?  (This is a term for a moveable chicken run, that fits over spent vegetable beds, for the chickens to perform their magic.)

Chook Tractor designed to fit exactly over our raised veg beds.

Enter our wonderful Helpxchange guests, Liz and Spencer, from the UK.  On arrival, I flippantly mention the arduous task of building a chook tractor, and undaunted, Spencer proceeds to measure out our beds and design and build a Deluxe Chook Tractor, entirely out of recycled wood salvaged from our woodstore and shed!!  Nails, screws, hinges, chicken wire and latch cost under $40!!  There is a little mezzanine sleeping quarters, which has a little door opening out, so we can change their bedding (straw) and check for eggs.  This he completed within 4 days!  Suddenly, the realization, what about the chooks?  A chance calls from my good friend, Gina, and when I ask if she knows where I can get bantams from, she tells me I can have 2 of her half-bantams destined for the pot!  Now I know I have karma with these two chooks - I have to take them and save them from being eaten!  Liz and Spencer are also excited and we bide our time impatiently, till Friday, when we can go and collect them.  Liz asks if I will name the chooks after them, and I agree, pointing out that they are both girl hens - no problem, she says, Spencer is fine with that.

A pair of good looking chooks - Liz and Spencer!

"Liz and Spence" arrive in a little box and we introduce them to their new deluxe home where they immediately start to scratch around.............. ooops!  Suddenly, my heart falls to the ground as I hear their little calls....Prrrrrrrrrrrrrrk, prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrkeke, prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrkeke!  Oh, no!  What about the neighbours!  We try to shush the chooks but they are oblivious to my panicked state as I suddenly think about Council bylaws............ eeek!  I forgot to actually investigate whether or not we are allowed to keep chooks in suburbia!   Mike senses my panic and assures me the best way to get neighbours on side, is to talk about it.  So he informs our closest neighbour of our chooks but they already know about them, having heard them and the dear old lady says:  "You're not allowed to keep chickens in your back yard!  The council won't allow it!"

Day 1, our chook tractor in the orchard

"Oh, @#$%!" I say, full of dismay!  I spend the rest of the day feeling really sorry that I will have to give up these cute little speckled half-bantams and their deluxe home!   Each time they communicate, I glare in their direction and will them to stop calling out, via telepathic airwaves, but it isn't working.  By lunchtime, I am completely neurotic, anticipating each chook call and angry neighbours beating on our door to complain!  Mike runs down the stairs with a look of excitement..........."Great news!  We can keep the chooks!  I've just read the Council bylaws for keeping poultry and we're allowed to!"  Jubilation!  Now I can relax and enjoy our girls, Liz and Spence.

Liz and Spence, the little half-bantam ladies

Day 3 and no sign of eggs yet but I bet they are just settling in.  Not that we need the eggs, but I just anticipate that thrill of finding one in the sleeping box!  I'll keep you posted.............