Bring Back The Chook

Written by Dr Harry Cooper for The Pet Directory

My dad used to keep chooks. He has kept most things and bred with them too. We lived on a large block of land at Lane Cove where we had Coloured Muscovies, Australorps, Canaries, Pigeons, Fox Terriers and my mother bred Pom’s!

As a young child I can still remember the large wooden crates, the vet bleeding the birds and the simple microscope slide test and blue dye for Pullorum disease.

As kids my brother and I had the job of feeding the kitchen scraps in the afternoon and collecting the eggs. There were about 8 layers plus the ducks and collecting the eggs was all part of the fun. “Don’t put them in your pockets” mum would say – but kids are kids and you can imagine what happened.

To witness Chickens and Ducklings hatch; to watch them grow to adulthood was something special and when all our mates would come around, they were fascinated. You know even today at the age of 63, having spent 42 years in Vet practice, I still find the marvel of a new life as wonderful as I did 40 years ago - don’t you?

Our chook yard was enormous by today’s standards – about half the size of a suburban block with a large shed for roosting. Hawks were often a problem – one soon learnt the art of the catapult.

For me there is no substitute for the living thing. No artificial flowers and certainly no artificial pets. Our children were brought up WITHOUT Double A batteries and three pin plugs. THEIR PETS WERE ALIVE! The Tamagotchi and computer pets have no heart, no soul and certainly no love.

Animals teach children a sense of caring, responsibility, love and often they are the first experience of death.

Chickens (and ducks) make great pets. Check with your council and if allowed, set up an “A” frame to house 3 hens or 5 bantams . It should be dog proof. It can easily be moved around and the birds will apply fertilizer as they go. There are lots on the market or you can make one. You don’t need a rooster (only for breeding). The hens lay regardless. Choose from commercial Isa Browns or a rarer breed like a Campine which don’t lay quite as many eggs but look great. After all, how many omelettes can you eat!

Bantams are good layers - visit a poultry show and go for the miniature versions of a large good laying breeding – Leghorns or Australorps would be good. Silkies are cute but are poor layers.

You can now recycle all your scraps and have fresh chemical free eggs as well.

How does a child talk to an inanimate plastic “thing”
that only works when you switch it on?
Animals are alive, they need us and we them and they reward us in so many ways...

Children develop a routine, its good for them. I used to set a daily surprise for ours and then would draw funny faces on their eggs before they were boiled.
It was fun!! And guess what – my eldest daughter and her hubby live on four acres in Brisbane. The Chook Yard is going up as we speak and I have a hatch of Welsummers in the incubator just for them.
Bring back the chooks, they are the best recyclers, they’re fun and they’re rewarding.

I’m ready to stand for a whole new party at the next election – lets change the over governed, over regulated society of ours, let’s tell our Councils where to “get off”. BRING BACK THE CHOOK AND LET’S GET BACK TO THE REAL AUSTRALIAN LIFE.