For around 10 years Scott had made a pledge to build a chook run. Well, I just could not see that happening. He needed to find the exact right spot with the perfect aspect, the right amount of sun and the right amount of shade. The roosts and the laying boxes needed to be under cover and if possible he would like to be able to collect the eggs without entering the run. Self feeders for pellets grain and water as well as shell grit on demand. The run would need to be entirely fox proof with no way in, under or through the wire. He had seen many chickens lost to foxes in his time.

His Mum ran 100s of chickens at Nordale. All types, sizes and colours. There were chickens to lay eggs, chickens to roast, chickens to rare chickens and the odd rooster!

They often talked about how the little bantams were chicken factories, sitting on eggs and raring chicks for many of the other hens.

Scott spent most afternoons as a kid helping out with the chickens, rain or sunshine, so he had a pretty good idea of what the perfect chicken run would be like.

Finally this year we opened the chook house. The 6 chickens were all named after celebrity chefs. Martha, Maggie, Nigella, Po, Marion and Margaret. This made it a cook house rather than a chook house and their eggs would be hard to beat. (Pun)

We used what we had on hand, old bee boxes, old feeders from his Mums day, wired metal frame from Graeme Hosegood. It was wired, nailed and stapled together over a period of a few days. Each day Scott would tweak and improve it a little more into he was happy that it was fox proof.

Now there is excitement every visit we make to collect the eggs. First there was one egg on most days and then a couple a day. They are now about 4 months old and we reliably get 3-4. There has only been one day of 6 eggs from 6 hens so we are hoping this will improved soon. The hens are Isa Browns a 40 year old breed which is capable of 300 – 350 eggs a year . They have a lifespan of 2-5 years.