9

Mike the headless chicken

Posted on December 22, 2008 by Symon

Seems like my posts come in themes. Currently, it’s poultry.

As Mr. Taloola was relieved of his head yesterday, he didn’t realise it for a couple of minutes. Perhaps he wanted to kiss his girlfirends (Daisy and Cornflower) goodbye before he went to the big chicken coop in the sky. We need our inner-ears to keep balance, maybe that’s why Taloola couldn’t walk straight…

I remembered reading a story once about a rooster who survived quite a while after being beheaded. Just how long?

1.5 years.

I kid you not. It’s name was Mike… Mike the chicken. He lived in the 40′s and has quite a following. Check out his website here: http://www.miketheheadlesschicken.org/.

4

The day Taloola crowed

Posted on December 21, 2008 by Symon

I thought Taloola was a just a really big hen, until recently, when my son mentioned that he saw her ‘riding on the other hen’s backs’. And so, we realised that she was actually a ‘he’… and Taloola became Mr. Taloola.

Surprisingly, Taloola never crowed until today (perhaps his name confused him somewhat). He sealed his fate at 5.30am this morning, when his masculinity kicked in and for the first time he was the king of the roost. Unfortunately, keeping roosters is illegal in urban areas of NZ. Seeing that free-range chicken meat is very expensive and that Christmas is only a few days away, I decided that Mr. Taloola would give his life for a worthy cause…. Christmas lunch.

My brother, his wife and son are staying for a few days. This afternoon, as I dispatched Taloola (with my rather blunt garden-machette), little did I realise that my nephew was watching… in horror.

A scene from Napoleon Dynamite immediately came to mind… and although the situation was unfortunate, I can’t help but smile.

14

Lucky’s Big Day

Posted on October 6, 2008 by Symon

This is the photo-story of Lucky (our young rooster) and his big day…

Happy Go Lucky

Plucky Lucky

Un Lucky

Roast Lucky

4

Chicken coop 2: Country Cottage

Posted on July 10, 2008 by Symon

A couple of weeks ago Daisy (our Blue Australorp for those who care), became broody for the first time. So broody, in fact, that she started sitting on ‘pretend eggs’, and when she wasn’t doing that, she horded Buttercup and Cornflower’s eggs to sit on!

So, thanks to Trademe, I visited one of Northland’s top chicken breeders (nice Christian lady) and acquired 8 fertile eggs.

Daisy thought all her Christmas’s had come at once! But I reminded her not to count her chickens before they hatch.

A couple of hours ago, a day’s work and $50 later, I finished Riverside’s very first chicken maternity ward (with some help from ‘daddy’s little helper’). DW and I are going to transport Daisy and her eggs to their new accomodation very soon while she’s asleep (Daisy that is, not DW).

Photos below (I think Barney thinks he’s a chicken… You become like those you hang out with the most). Stay tuned as the continuing saga unfolds.

1

Chicken Coop 1: Upmarket Bungalow

Posted on July 1, 2008 by Symon

I realise that a few of my recent posts have had a darker tone lately… so, just to let you know that I am actually quite normal (considering), I would like to introduce you to our three hens (Buttercup, Cornflower and Daisy) and their chicken coop condo.

I decided to get the kids chickens for Christmas, and during the week before, I worked almost every waking hour (inbetween sleep and work and last minute Christmas shopping) building a home for them.

So the project, which started out being a simple, small and affordable home for the chooks, turned out to be a $300 coop from nam. The photos follow…

The hens are let out during the day (free-range), and pretty much avoid the coop completely unless they are sleeping, laying or broody. They actually preferred roosting in our lemon tree (even in the rain) until I cut their branch down and clipped their wings!

For you chicken admirers out there… Buttercup is a New Hampshire Red, Cornflower is a Buff Leghorn, and Daisy is a Blue Australorp. I have to say it… they are poultry in motion ;-)