Pantries and Preparedness. Chooks.

In Australia we call chickens chooks.  I have had chooks most of my life. My downfall is that I keep them until they are really old and end up running a chook nursing home. However, overall they have always kept me in eggs, entertained the children, eaten every scrap, provided garden fertilizer and been happy and cheerful... which you find rubs off when you have them!

My Nan kept chooks all her life. She loved them. She was always out collecting the eggs and feeding the chickens. Nan loved that chooks are so cheerful. She wasn't far off herself actually they had a lot in common. She was always busy and happy. She was always cooking something or giving eggs to someone who needed them.

I have been without any chickens for a year or more as my last few were really old and we had a heatwave and that finished them off. I thought I would have a break for a while. But even though I try not to waste food sometimes I would be throwing away scraps, peeling etc and it would always seem such a waste! I could be feeding this to the chooks and getting eggs in return.

Also I want Harper to grow up doing things like collecting the eggs! Even if it's just at my house.

Last week I posted pictures of Bantams that I had really fallen in love with. They are just small chooks essentially. Tania helped me find some! And after a few phone calls and emails I have them already! This is not bad as I only just found that cage the other day...

I wanted to talk about the help of having chooks as far as your pantry goes. Not just in that you have eggs and there are so many meals you can make from them... but that you then also have a commodity. Something you can sell. Something you could trade. Also potentially something you can give to help someone out or as a gift. This is very handy!

Our family always had chhoks and when I was growing up I know Mum gave eggs away weekly to a big family she knew. She took several dozen eggs to that family for many many years. 

Now I know this won't suit everyone. If you cannot keep them in your area or have no yard etc. But they are quite suitable for suburbia if councils permit and you don't need a lot of space or to pay for fancy or expensive set ups. 

Also there are many other ways to produce something you can sell. It is good to have a commodity I think. So if you have been thinking about getting chooks and it is a possibility for you I want to say it is really good. They bring a lot to your life and a steady supply of eggs is an awesome thing. Eggs make so many meals. They are a wonderful source of protein.

All of this is great but I have to tell you about getting these chickens. I should have taken a camera crew. Andy knew I intended to get them but he was at work when this man said "come anytime after 3" so I just went. It was about 45 minutes away in the Adelaide Hills. I headed off with a map on my ipad.  Up the hills, around winding country roads, up a dirt road that got narrower and narrower... and to a gate. And there I was. I parked the car near the gate and walked down the driveway. It was in thick scrub and there was a house down the hill at the end of this driveway.

Do you know the series Greenacres? The house was like that but surrounded by all kinds of stuff and there was clearly no one home. mmm I started to feel like I am miles from no where. No one knows where I am, if I am never seen again they won't know where to look and will never find my body EVER up here. lol

Oh well. Then out of the scrub appeared a whole little tribe of the cutest chickens ever! They appeared crossing the path in front of me like bowling balls.  They were really lovely.

There were chickens everywhere! 

Then a car turned up and it was a husband and wife so I thought my chances of being murdered were much less. They turned out to be the nicest people ever.

I got the grand tour. They had a goat and that came everywhere including inside. There were little sheds and then inside the house they had chickens under lights, eggs in incubators... a cockatoo, a Galah, Lorikeets... dogs...  chooks and chickens wherever you looked.... I watched chickens hatching in an incubator.

I got to hear how they came to be breading chickens and how the man fell out of a tree (6 meters no less) and a whole lot of stories. 

Then I had to pick our chickens. I got teenagers. And went by the adults to see how they should turn out.  I am allowed to swap any that turn out to be roosters. We are allowed to have hens but not roosters here. 

This was one of the mothers I liked...

See what I mean? They are fat and round and adorable.

I had a complication with a rooster who followed me and pecked my sneakers as I walked. 

I got four chicks and tried to get different colours.  They are between chick and adult size so they are teenagers I say. So they look scrawny compared to the adults. But they are super cute and funny.

They are not marvellous at staying still for photos but this photo shows some of the pretty colours and fluffiness!

Now these are not as good at laying as regular chickens. But we will still get lots of eggs. They are a great addition to my pantry in this way plus the garden (manure for fertiliser) and pets too.

I came home with feed, nesting material and you name it. It was a really fun afternoon.

Once home the chicks settled into the little house. When they are settled in and the weather is clear and warm (it is rainy now) they will be allowed to run around most of the yard. They are not scared, they let you pick them up and don't try and run away.

Today they tried grass and crumbs. They were suspicious but soon caught on. They do everything together. If one has a drink they all have a drink. If one sits down they all sit down. And so it goes...

Whether it's stocking the pantry, planting a vegie garden planting a fruit tree or getting chickens, all these things add layers to your pantry and preparedness.

I had intended to write a post about getting ready for the fruit season and how to deal with lots of produce when it comes in. That will be next week now!

I hope you are having a good week!

As a result of Monday's lovely comments I am already working on The Christmas Club for January!
xxx