WELCOME

Hi there, and welcome to the chicken keeper, this blog is devoted to the keeping of chickens, and the trials and tribulations that go with it, I also would like to share my D.I.Y tips and ideas. We started keeping chickens in September 2008, which is about the time I started on the recycling drive, and self sufficient lifestyle. List of Poultry we have at present, 4 Brown Shavers, two are in lay, two aren’t laying at the moment, the others are one Minorca, (in lay), one Light Sussex, and one Wyandotte Gold Lace . At present we live on a 1/3 of an acre with a creek running through the back, in Waitakere City, which is part of the greater Auckland area in the North Island of New Zealand, although i’m originally London/Irish and the other half is from Waterford, in Ireland. We arrived from the UK in April 2008, the aim is to attain 10 acres, to become truely self sufficient.
I work as a local handyman, and the other half is a teacher at the local primary school, we feel we have moved to a lovely community, we have already met half the street, mainly through the fact that we are keeping chickens, unlike other big cites of the world people still stop each other in the street for a chat, or strike up conversation with strangers, a forgotten pastime.
Comments are very welcome, I hope you enjoy the site and maybe find some of it useful.

Nest Share

Hi there keepers, I try to write my posts first thing in the morning when the brain is supposed to be alert, I make a coffee, roll a smoke, and sit down to type. So far today I have sorted out the feeder, it’s getting a bit clogged up with the damp weather, then I went to collect the eggs. Yesterday when cleaning out the coop, which was very messy, as it has been raining so much I haven’t felt inclined to stand out in the rain scooping chicken poo, well I noticed Manuella the Minorcan has stopped laying under the coop, she is the fussiest layer, if you so much as touch the egg that you are leaving behind in the nest, she will kick it outof the nest, she has done this on three occassions, and finally she has decided to move her nest, just when I had tracked down Daphne and Daisy’s new spot, and found the new nest of Betty.
I decided to clear the nest that Daphne and Daisy are using, it had been two days since I checked it , again due to the weather, and to my surprise found it contained three Minorca eggs too, so it would appear three out of the four current layers are using the same nest, which makes my life a bit easier, and dryer, as I only have to negotiate one damp shrubbery. So the girls have come to their senses and set up a time share nest in Mani’s garden next door, fortunately they have set it down just over the small bamboo fence, which I can easily reach. I wonder do they know Nancy is only inches away from them, just behind the trellis, sitting broody on an egg about six weeks old, I hope she doesn’t break it, the smell would be awful, the neigbours wouldn’t be too happy either as it is just by their outdoor seating area.

Secret Layers Nest Discovered

Well, hello to you all, she has evaded me now for 8 days, Saturday, no where to go, but sit and watch her til she goes to lay, but i didn’t do that, i was busy catching 3 other birds in the neighbours garden, chasing them back over the fence, during the comotion, Daisy seized her opportunity to slip off to her secret nest, sure enough by the time i had sorted the other 3 out, she had disappeared.
I walked down to where i last saw her, nothing, but then i stumbled on some branches and nearly fell into a nearby large bizzy lizzy plant, apon doing this a few clucks came from the aforementioned bush, which only 2 days ago i had taken some cuttings from, and there she was sitting in the now not so secret nest, i did my best to pretend i hadn’t seen her, and went about adding to the new coop.
Finally she emerged from the bizzy lizzy to see what i was up to, I gave them a handful of feed, to keep them occupied, and went to investigate, low and behold, 9 eggs, it felt like christmas had come early. I let out a loud wooping sound, neighbours probably think i’m a bit cookoo. Well excited doesn’t describe it, i rushed 8 of the eggs upstairs, straight into a pan of water, all good. If your wondering why only took 8, I figure if i leave one there, she keep going back to it, and not go off to a new hiding spot, a have made clay eggs for the others nesting spots.
The street did well today for fresh eggs, i give the excess away to the neighbours.
‘Alls well that ends well’ said Shakespeare, i wonder if he kept chickens?
thechickenkeeper