She was a good chook ...

Our weekend win against Tea's escapism was tempered by the loss of Pooh Chicken.

Nick and I answered Erin's calls of distress on Sunday and found one of our chookies had died - fortunately it was a fox-free natural death, though still a sad event.

Vaughan observed that Princess Fiona would miss Pooh Chicken - because they spent a lot of time with each other.

How now, Ms Cow?!

Tea has been a right royal cow of late. For the past few weeks she has regularly escaped her front paddock and was becoming increasingly adventurous. She even made it onto the road one evening, which obviously caused considerable concern.

We pondered various options before Nick decided on a plan, using materials already on hand. As it happened, he opted for a different method of tensioning the wire at Tea's escape point - as well as repositioning one of the wonky star pickets. We had leftover fencing crimps from our first chook yard, so they were used to fix the wire netting to the now-taut wire strands.

I don't have photos of the work in progress as I had a long nap on Saturday afternoon (after a chiropractic session). When I woke in the early evening, Tea had been re-located to her front paddock - albeit very reluctantly!  Nick and I walked the fenceline on Sunday morning.  It was clear that Tea had tested the boundary but had not been able to breach it.   Hah!   She's still there now, two full days later - a vast improvement on her previous two-hour limit!

The Fox-war!

After some discussion, Nick and I bought a cross-bow last Tuesday.

(We actually set out to buy to make our purchase on Monday but the shop was closed)!

Although we felt rather naughty when buying our prohibited weapon, everything is completely above board. 

As members of the Australian Bowhunters Association, we were exempt from holding a permit for the purchase. (Nick, Vaughan and I become involved in field archery last year and shoot at a local club regularly).  Obviously, proof of membership and photo ID were required - and those details are recorded in a register of sales.

When Nick suggested using a cross-bow rather than a rifle for our fox problem, I envisaged something far more medieval in appearance.  The reality is vastly different.  Ours was at the low end of the range and was fairly basic in comparison with some other varieties.  We explained what we wanted to do though, and what we now own is perfectly suitable.

Once home again, we showed Erin our purchase and muttered about the fox's days being numbered - just as he sauntered past the window!  At this stage the fox is still at large but we know where he lives and have been keeping tabs on his whereabouts.

Vaughan has been blowing the fox whistle so often and loud that the poor fox probably has a head-ache (and he/she isn't the only one sick of the whistle)! 

The quick brown fox ...

has definitely gotta go!

He's far too brazen and becoming bolder on a daily basis.

Last week, I looked out the front door and he was only a few paces away - no doubt attracted by the smell of my excellent Cobb cooker experiments.

The other morning we walked outside to find rubbish strewn over the driveway.


Our evening story-time was interrupted last night by some odd noises. When Nick went out with the spotlight, he surprised the fox quite close to the house. I managed to take photos near the water tank paddock gate, which are those above.

Seemingly much later in the night/very early morning, Nick went out again to investigate other noises.

Our resident possum had taken refuge on the roof, while the fox stalked him/her from the ground.

The fox has been spotted again just now, prowling around the Fox-proof Fowl Fort! It's an overcast day but even so, tis only 5:30pm!

Nick called out to me out and I was able to snap a few quick shots before Nick loosed an arrow toward the intruder. We weren't happy about the possum being harassed but stalking the chookies is really crossing the line. Hamby Home(in)stead has just declared war on the five o'clock fox!

In a moo-d!

Today is Tea's first evening without milk.  She has spent the day in the house paddock (as she keeps getting out of her usual one). 

I heard her calling, so wandered out with a half-measure of pellets, thinking to encourage her into her overnight enclosure and lock her up out of mischief for the night. 

(Yesterday she ate Nick's archery target, pruned one of our garlic plants as well as attempting consumption of various other inappropriate items - and that was during the day)!

When I walked outside, I spotted her already in her pen, pacing up and down, obviously expecting her blue milk bucket!! 

She scoffed the pellets and is now standing by the fence mooing hopefully!  I didn't think she'd be happy about the new milk-less regime!

No more milk for Tea!

Our calf, Tea, was just a few weeks old when she came to live with us on 25 May.  Vaughan had already been visiting her daily to assist with her afternoon feeds. 

From her arrival till early September, Tea received two three-litre milk feeds each day (in all kinds of weather). 

Increasing amounts of calf pellets were added to her diet in July (initially with small amounts of hay and straw also). 

For the past six weeks or so, Tea has received her milk of an evening only - with a larger ration of calf pellets to compensate for the reduced milk.  She drank her last bucket of milk last night and won't be getting the pellets for much longer either.


Tea's a proper big cow now - in more ways than one, proving to be quite the escape artist, which will probably see us purchasing some electric fence over the weekend!

Fencing panels ...

Our initial plan was to build a much boundary fence around the raised garden bed.  Nick had a better idea today.  He made panels to slot into the metal supporting posts - and nailed netting to the panels. 

Each panel can be lifted out individually. At this stage three are finished - and two pieces of lattice are propped up along the unfinished side, which you can see in the pic below.
There are no outside taps at Hamby Home(in)stead, so we fill buckets and/or our watering can in the laundry then carry the water to where it is needed.

We went over to the dump shop this morning, specifically to purchase a 44-gallon drum as a stand for a small water barrel bought a few weeks back.

Fingers crossed for more rain soon!