Birds of a feather

Having chickens is all part of living on a rural property. We have started with two, creatively named Brown chook and Light chook, and they are a delight to have around. They are inqusitive and like to follow me around in the garden, particularly light chook. Once brown chook realises what's going on, she races across the yard to join in. They often trot up to the front door to say hello, and look longingly through the slatted wooden fence into the kitchen garden: a no-go zone.

They also like to scratch around under the motorhome, gathering grease like true chook mechanics.

ISA Browns are popular for their good temperament; they are friendly and quiet mannered. They love being around people. They are also excellent layers, producing approximately 300 eggs each per year.

At the moment, only Light chook is laying: she was at the point of lay when she arrived, about 22 weeks. Brown chook is still a little young so we have to wait.

The chooks free range all day in the yard or in the adjacent dry-vine forest. Their diet is supplemented with a handful of protein-rich grain each morning and early evening, and some food scraps.

Once the light has faded, on cue they make tracks for their little house each night and nestle down in the mulch-filled boxes; sometimes sharing a box. They aren't into roosting as they like their comfortable bed! We lock them in overnight as we don't want pythons or Lace monitors getting too friendly.

After a fair bit of initial squabbling, the chickens are now living harmoniously with the family of Australian brush turkeys, who clean up what the chickens don't eat. The turkeys were such a nuisance; getting in the garden and scratching up all the dirt and any plants that weren't surrounded by large rocks, but now they have the chooks to distract them the garden is completely forgotten. For now anyway.

For a low maintenance, productive pet that makes you smile, you can't go past the ISA Brown chicken.