'Chook-mageddon!'

(This post is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans.)So...today did not turn out as I expected. We started off with a trip to the markets in Stanthorpe, in particular to see the 'chooks' on sale but there was nothing we were really interested in.We came home and finished the deck beams on Blue Moon and then had a phone call from our neighbour who said he was going to be getting his 'chook' plucker out, as he had been given some 'chooks' for the freezer. He wondered if we wanted to make use of it while it was out.As we have five roosters we have been saying that some are 'for the pot' for awhile now so before you know it we have rounded them all up in the old pen and grabbed the three new roosters and Wang-Mu. Yes, today was Wang's last day...only Yudhisthira remains to protect the four remaining hens.Will 'stretched' all their necks before chopping their heads off and five minutes after catching them we were wandering over to our neighbours with four headless 'chooks'. It was a bit disconcerting to see how long after losing a head a chicken can still flap.Our neighbours despatched two of their roosters as well as four old 'chooks' that they had been given. Dave's method of despatching involved him placing the bird in an inverted cone with it's head sticking  out, then opening it's mouth and sticking a knife through the roof of it's mouth into it's brain which killed it instantaneously. It is supposedly the most humane and painless way to despatch them.The dead 'chooks' were then dunked in hot water at a temperature of 63 degrees (this apparently loosens the feathers) before being dropped into Dave's home made 'chook' plucker. The 'chook' plucker was a drum with stiff rubber protrusions on the inside wall and on the spinning base at the bottom. It was made from an old potters wheel. It was switched on and the 'chook' chucked in. The spinning base caused the bird to bounce about against the rubber fingers all the while being hosed down to wash away the feathers that were being removed. The machine completely plucked the birds in less than a minute.Once plucked they were taken to a nearby table and 'cleaned out'. Will kept the hearts and gizzards because he says they make delicious soup. I shall be the judge of that.Our neighbours now have six fresh 'chooks' in the freezer and we have two roasting on the barbecue...

(They look a bit scrawny.)

..and two (Wang included) in a pot, with gizzards and hearts for chicken broth. It does smell delicious!It's all been a bit of a blur and not the day I was expecting...nor the day Wang and his chums were expecting either.PS . We both had a scrawny roast chicken each for tea!

More fox food?

So...today we added six Guinea Fowl to our flock.They are settling in well.

Catching up again.

Mrs Adam.

So...I was back, for the first time this school year, at the local school for the day to take the Prep/Year 1 class.I knew most of the Year 1's as I taught then every Thursday last year for three terms. It was a bit of a shock to find that there were 15 new preppies...it is just not what I have been used to in these village schools. It turns out that one of these new prep boys and I quote the class teacher..."is dynamite!"I am going to call him Dynamite but here is a word of advice, never call your son, or allow your grandson to be called, Callum, Ethan, Seth, Riley or Zeke because you are asking for trouble. In my 30 years of teaching I have never met an amenable or amiable child with any of those names and naming them thus curses them to become spawn of the Devil!I introduced my self to the new faces,"My name is Mr Allen, not Mrs Allen...there is a difference which I won't go into now, but I am Mr Allen and I am here for the day because your teacher Mrs W is busy with something else and they rang me and asked me if I would take you instead and I said 'Oh go on then' so here I am."Dynamite was sat at my feet, blonde hair, blue eyes and as cute as a button but I knew this tiny blob was not all he seemed and lurking beneath the pleasant packaging was a little demon.I fixed him with a stare and said "Today I am looking for those people who help me by making the right choices, who listen and sit well and try their best with their work. Are you going to help me?" I asked him.He nodded his little head and beamed but he wasn't fooling me. I had heard this little angel could scream and shout 'NO! YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" and stamp his feet and run off when he felt like it.Sigh, I do wish this was the kind of information you were given before you make your mind up whether to accept a booking or not. Maybe I should just flat out ask "Are there any Seths, Callums, Rileys, Ethans or Zekes in the class" next time when they ring up to ask me to cover for them.On the whole the day went well. Yes he did show some of his evil capabilities and I did see some stamping of feet and some shouting...not at me...but mostly he did as I asked with some jollying along and a fair bit of positive 'sticker bribery'.Before they went home he came up to me and said,"Thank you for coming today."  Tut, those demon children can be so charming.I caught up with the marking after they had gone and tidied up and then got out of there as soon as I could. Walking to the car another of the Prep boys, who was waiting for a bus and who had nipped back from the gate for a quick drink, waved as he passed me"Bye Mrs Adam!" 

Goodbye Iris.

So...Iris has left the coop and gone to the great Chook Pen in the sky. It is so very sad to lose her. We also lost one of the 'Hecate chick' roosters and one that we thought might be a hen. though we have not found their bodies.Iris still has a chance to help us and her fellow hens because we have decided to use her body as bait in the fox trap for the next few days.We did hear a strange couple of calls in the night which we have discovered sound very much like the call of a quoll so who knows what we might catch in the trap. It is not a lethal trap, and once caught it will allow us to release the prisoner in a land far, far away.