Clueless About Chickens

Being an animal lover and farming enthusiast I like to think that I'm quite well qualified for my part time job as a pet sitter. I'm even vet nurse trained, not that it amounts to much but it makes me look good on paper.
As kids me and my sister had rabbits, guinea pigs and gerbils as well as fish.  We started with cold water fish and progressed to tropical. We were even breeding guppies at one point, although not necessarily on purpose.
I've also owned rats, a goat, a cat, a hedgehog and two dogs (neither for much more than a year but long enough to fall in love). I've helped care for degus, bearded dragons, mice, pigs, horses, sheep and cows. I've worked with both beef and dairy cattle and even did a season of calf rearing.
The point I'm trying to make is that I have basic knowledge and experience with a good variety of domestic animals and I have owned or cared for almost all of the species commonly owned as pets. I have only one area of complete ignorance and that is birds.  Apart from a short term shared ownership of an elderly and vicious budgie that i was terrified of, I have very little idea about birds.  I've looked after peoples chickens of course but my knowledge is quite literally limited to the fact that you put grain in the coop and take eggs out.  

I don't know anything about when or what they need to lay eggs.  Is a rooster necessary? Why and when do they go clucky and how do you stop it? Do they sit on the nest all day and if so when do they eat? Nutritional requirements, health issues, breed differences, behavior and life span are all a mystery to me. 
I'm currently looking after 16 hens and a crabby rooster which is a bit of a worry considering how little I know. The hens are mostly very well behaved although it did take a week and a half for one of them to trust me enough to be in the coop at the same time as me.  Another sneaky girl started laying her eggs in a cupboard in the tool shed and it took me 9 days to find her nest which was looking rather full by then! I water tested the eggs and they all seem fine, she hadn't been sitting on them so I guess they were stored in a cool dark place.  

The rooster however is turning out to be a nuisance. For the first week he was great, he looked after his hens and left me alone. Then one day he decided to wage war and have a go at me which didn't go down well with me considering I'm not an uber fan of birds anyway and its always somewhat nerve wracking to have something attacking you in the vicinity of your ankles!  Especially when I was only wearing jandals and shorts, it felt like I had rather too much flesh exposed when there was a grumpy chicken flashing his talons around. 

Like a good nerd I went straight to google to see what I could do and it suggested following him around and picking him up if possible. I haven't managed to pick him up but I have found that if I extend my arms towards him he will walk away from me which is all cool until I turn my back on him and he rushes me again.  So we play a weird game of follow the rooster every night now until I can lock him in the coop at which point I then go and fetch the grain and return to feed the hens. I really quite resent him though as he has turned my pleasant evening task into an absolute chore. I really hate having to go and pit my wits again a damn bird every night especially since I do them no harm. Why can't he just be nice and eat the grain and follow his hens and pretend I don't exist like they do.

If anyone has any tips or hints or useful facts about chickens I'd very much like to hear them. Any ideas about how to cope with an errant rooster would also be much appreciated!  

Not Your Normal Work Day

Tuesday was take the dog to work day! I had decided over the weekend that there was little else I could do in Troy's garden to improve matters without first weed spraying all the bricks and paths. I always figure that it doesn't matter how good the flowers look if the path to them is a mess. So first thing Tuesday morning I went round, loaded Rush onto the ute so that he was out the way and soaked that place with a good strong solution of weed killer. 

 

Now anyone with any sense should realise that poison and pets aren't a great mix but the general consensus around here is that so long as pets are away from the area for two hours or so and don't eat the plant material they should be fine. Hence why Rush came to work for the day! I had to have him tied up for most of the day but he was attached to a 3 metre long rope which meant he still had a bit of freedom and I let him off when I could.

It's really quite liberating having a job that is so flexible and although it wouldn't be ideal taking Rush to work with us everyday it seemed to go better than I hoped. He got a bit of exercise, got to meet a few people and sniff his way around the lawns we were doing so I think he enjoyed himself and I even took him to the river for a swim at lunchtime.

Before we dropped him home I bought him a huge bone from the local pet shop as a blatant distraction in the hopes that he won't feel the need to chew the foliage in his garden and it also counted as his wages for his first honest days work!

 

When we got home there was a message to say that our home kill sausages and pork joints were ready so we jumped back in the truck to collect it. Along the way a bumblebee managed to kamikaze it's way into the ute and onto Mum's lap which wouldn't be a big deal apart from the fact that she is deathly afraid of them and was operating a 2 tonne vehicle at the time. Luckily it didn't sting her on impact or I think we would have ended up in the ditch. I froze in horror for a moment trying to decide whether to rid mum of the bee or make a grab for the steering wheel but Mum seemed to be staying on course so I grabbed a cloth, scooped up the bee and shook it clear outside the window. Terror over (or so we thought) we continued on our way.

Just as we turned into the village where the butcher lives Mum gave a squeal and stopped the truck in the middle of the road. Again, luckily, we were on a quiet country lane. Turns out the stinger from the bee had been on her neck and as we turned it stung her. I dived out and ran around to her side of the ute and on the door where she had flicked it was the bum end of the bee (which is disgusting, just so you know) I searched her shoulder and top to make sure there wasn't a second bee and then made her get out so I could check the seat and floor and get rid of the bum end. Mum was in half panic at this point because as a kid she somehow got a bumble bee trapped in her armpit and it stung her repeatedly so she was waiting for the extra stings.

Once back in the truck I delved into our first aid kit (the glove box) and used the witch hazel spray on her neck. It doesn't really do much but it's cooling and it helps mentally.

After that we were finally able to go see the butcher and collect our small order of 80 kgs of meat! We now have two chest freezers full to the brim with sausages, pork patties, pork roasts and various other cuts. It's all amazing for the first month or so but soon enough I'll be desperate for some beef or chicken or lamb or anything that's not pork!

By the time I got back to the Waites and sorted all the animals I could hardly be bothered to feed myself. As I wandered through the garden I picked an asparagus shoot for my starter followed by a cob of corn for my main and then I grabbed an apple off the tree for dessert. This really is my favourite time of year and there's something special about being able to forage your dinner, even if it is only from a well tended veg bed. 

 

Meep! Sheep!

It's high time I introduced you to my favourite pets, my sheep! They are also my only pets but that's just a technicality. Our current mob are all between four and six years old and are very friendly. They like to be petted and when at home they follow us around hoping for treats. Jack is our only boy and my personal fav as he is such a fuss bucket. He likes to lean against my leg so that I can scratch the top of his head and if I stop too soon he chews on my tshirt to remind me to carry on! He's a cheeky chap but amazingly gentle considering he weighs more than I do. 

 

Monday was sunny and hot so in the evening so we went to check on the flock of 5 pet sheep who are currently grazing in a neighbours orchard and since we have had so little grass growth we took them some hay and apples as a treat. I was leaning on the fence enjoying the antics of the chooks who were running in and out under the noses of the sheep to try and get some apples when Ruffles came up towards me and did a graceful little pirouette. I couldn't help snort a laugh at her but realised as soon as I laughed that dancing sheep mean trouble. 

 

I called Mum over and we both watched her for a few minutes, she was wagging her bum around and licking her lips and side stepping her back legs which would be hilarious to watch if we didn't know that it usually means fly strike. So we raced home for some supplies and were back in the orchard within 5 minutes with some more apples to coax them over. I'm the official sheep holder and Mum does the doctoring just because having kids makes her less squeamish and means she has more experience when it comes to patching things up and I'm younger and better on my feet so firstly I'm less likely to fall and secondly, if I do, I should heal quicker.

Once everyone was distracted munching on apples I, rather unceremoniously, grabbed Ruffles by the leg and then got her head into a lock between my knees. It's not very dignified for anyone involved but it's the easiest way for me to control her without hurting her. She's not particularly bothered by the whole idea either since she's gotten used to it over the years. In fact she's so relaxed about it that while Mum prepped her gear Ruffles happily nibbled on tit bits of apple from my pocket.

Treating fly strike isn't a fun job but luckily we had caught it early and we have a magic liquid that you pour into the wool and all the maggots just up and leave on their own accord. It's hideously fascinating to watch and very satisfying to see your pet so instantly free of such horrible pests, if only they had something similar for fleas. Once the procedure was done we reassured everyone with lots of ear tickles and bum scratches and of course they obliged me by posing for some photos. I'm always pleased when they still like us after we have to do something unpleasant to them and I like to think that they know we are only doing it to help them. After all sheep are so easily frightened and once the fear grips them it takes ages to calm them down, perhaps it just goes to show how much time we put into them as lambs has desensitised them to us and our weird ways. 

 

Introduction To My Life

Back Story

Well I guess before I start I better tell you a few basic facts so that you have a little perspective. I'm female, 25 and I live with my mother who owns a lawn and garden business. The reason I still live at home? Mum has more work than she can handle alone but not enough to afford a full time employee. A lot of the day is spent travelling from job to job and that would all be wasted money if she had to pay someone to sit in the truck. That's where I come in. I literally get paid only the hours I work which can sometimes be as little as 4 in an 8 hour day but the incentive is that I live rent and bill free. It's a win win for us both really as I get to keep my entire pay cheque and she has to pay less to have a helper.

We live in a little village called Fordell which is 14km out of the nearest town called Wanganui which is in New Zealand. We have a quarter acre but my Mother is very sociable and persuasive and has managed to convince half the neighbours to allow us to use their land for grazing which is how we are able to maintain a flock of 10 sheep. We also have a pig pen which we rear porkers in. That means that every 4months or so we get a new pair of pigs.

As a side earner I do housesitting/petsitting. Which isn't always as fun as it sounds but it's a nice money earner.

I tend to spend a lot of time in town with my friends and boyfriend because as much as I love my Mum when you work and live together you need space.

I've been toying around with the idea of starting a blog for awhile now mainly because almost every time I write my diary I start with 'Today was weird/odd/strange/interesting' and it got me thinking that maybe other people might find my accounts of an 'average' day worth a read. Of course my diary is out of bounds for all human eyes except my own as all my dirty dark secrets are written there. Telling my stories to people I know isn't an option as I seem to become a babbling idiot as soon as I have to speak face to face with someone and besides, the people I know are too old/young/cool/busy/judgemental and/or idiotic to appreciate the subtleties of the things that fascinate me.

So lets just jump right in and I'll tell you about today March 5^th 2015

Today was weird..... XD

My alarm actually woke me this morning which was the first oddity as usually I am awake before it and just pretend to be asleep until it goes off and forces me into reality. I padded through to the bathroom and Kit Kat the resident cat (the owner forgot to tell me her name so I've christened her Kit Kat) must have heard me and she started up her morning cry which is terrible racket for an old cat to make and amazingly loud. I gave her breakfast and she was happy for all of about 3 seconds but then she started her war cry again and paced by the front door. Turns out she had brought me a present, a cute little baby bunny nice and stiff on the doormat, dead. How the hell she caught the thing I don't know. She's so old she's all skin and bone, moves around slow and deliberate, can't seem to see or hear me unless I move around in front of her face and yet the old biddy can still catch rabbits. You can't trust cats aye?!

After telling her what a girl she was and playing with her prize for a few minutes I got myself organised and headed out to Fordell to pick up Mum. She was booked in for a surgery today, I won't go into details but it was a minor procedure and she's ok. It was expected to take about 3 hours from arrival to departure so I decided I would do a little work in my boyfriends garden while I waited for her.

Now to say that Troy (my boyfriend) isn't interested in gardening is the understatement of the century. The house he owns actually has a pretty small backyard that is almost all brick with a few bushes and a box hedge which should be pretty easy to maintain. That of course would require someone to actually look at it every now and then. To be honest I'm not one of those girls that try to better a person when I'm with them and I wouldn't even care that his garden is a shit tip if wasn't for Rush, his dog, who we share custody of. Sort of. It's complicated. Anyway long story short is that anything I can do to better that dogs life you can bet I'll have a crack at. Which is how I found myself in his backyard at 9am avoiding the dog poo and trying to shift a few years worth of weeds and debris.

I'm not going to say that it was most pleasant experience of my life and I'm also not going to say that I turned it into a perfect garden. I was there for 3 hours and I got a truck load of weeds and tree trimmings out of there but I'm far from happy. The down side to being a gardener as your day job is that you have high standards, you have to, people are paying you to take care of the details and do a good job. The problem arises when you do a job like Troy's yard which is all unpaid and has no clear objective. Where to start? How much to remove at once? Do you focus on one area or do a bit of everything?

The best part for me about doing Troy's yard though is that he literally doesn't know and/or care what's out there. So for example, I hate roses. Oh sure the flowers are pretty enough when they are safely in a vase and dethorned and at a distance but working in a garden full of rose bushes is a nightmare. The thorns grab your clothes, hair, gloves and skin and any cuts or grazes sting for a day or more after. The roses in Troy's yard haven't been tended for probably half a decade and I swear the thorns are bigger than the flowers. Whenever I have to work with roses I wish that I could just cut them at the base and at Troy's I get to do what I like. So those poor ancient rose bushes? I'm sorry but it's death row for you.

After taking the green waste to the dump I went and collected Mum from the hospital and took her home. She was pretty sore so I sent her off to bed with some painkillers and told her I would be back around 5 to check on her. I returned to the Waites (the places I'm housesitting) and let the chooks out the pens then, mostly to entertain myself I decided to do something fancy for lunch. It didn't quite go to plan though as I had been shopping the day before and had a fridge full of delicacies that were all asking to be eaten. I ended up with a tasting plate which had a little of , well I can't say everything because I really did go over board with my shopping, but it had a good selection.

After playing with my food the sunshine called to me so I wandered outside to laze in the sun reading for a couple of hours until I got a txt from Mum around 4.30 telling me to go to my cousins to collect a fish. He had been out on a boat that day and caught a nice haul of snapper and had one gutted and descaled for us. I've put it in the freezer for when Dad arrives when we will bake it whole.

I helped Mum to feed out to the sheep, saw her back to bed and arranged a time to go back tomorrow before returning to the Waites again.

I stopped on the drive to collect pine cones and then decided to give some apples to Mother cow in the paddock. I picked a broccoli from the garden and fed her all the leaves too. All the chooks were hovering around trying to get in on the action but Mother cow wasn't keen to share. At 6.30 on the dot the chooks decided they weren't going to get much from the paddock and all made a mad dash for the coop so I wandered over to feed them. The bloody cheeky rooster though decided to have a go at me for some reason, he's been fine with me all week. I was only wearing jandals though and had visions of a toe massacre so when he came at me the second time I whacked him with grain bucket and that seemed to cool him off a bit. I went into the shed where the grain is kept and managed to spill half a can over my toes and the floor which got the hens all excited and again my poor toes were in danger of being pecked. Luckily for me the hens are rather more friendly than the rooster and they were very polite about clearing up the grain. This did mean though that I was stuck in the shed for 5 minutes standing awkwardly whilst anxiously watching my feet... I'm telling you my life is not normal.

After all the excitement of the day I couldn't even be bothered to make myself dinner so I sat in front of the tv watching Top Gear and ate crisps, crackers, lollies and a small cheesecake. Not the healthiest or most satisfying of dinner but it filled a hole.

The last odd thing of the day? Finally making myself sit down and start writing and pushing through to write this much. Although perhaps it should have been shorter!