Ecoburbia

We live in a fairly high density street in South Freo WA. For the last two mornings we have been hearing a rooster at dawn. We lay in bed talking about how nice it was, hoped no one complained to the council (we all have chooks!), wondered where it was, if we could borrow it for breeding etc etc.

The second morning I commented it sounded like it was still learning how to crow.  Tim suddenly said “what if it’s ours?”

Friends had given us three baby bantams two weeks ago and sure enough – “Cauliflower” was crowing!
 
So I called my 65 year old mum (I grew up on an “urban farm” in Canada killing chickens and rabbits but I was only a child and so was not 100% sure I could remember what to do . . . .)

Mum told us the first thing to do was relax the rooster by a process of hypnosis. Apparently chickens are not over endowed with intellect and so are excellent candidates for hypnosis. After about half an hour of my mum gently swinging a giant love heart bling in front of the chook, it was no  more relaxed but Tim was starting to look decidedly glassy eyed.
 
She and Tim had a lovely time “quieting” the rooster, plucking, gutting etc and today we had the most amazing chicken soup for lunch – all with veges from our suburban garden – potatoes, broccoli, spinach, carrots, corn (dried from last summer). What a feast (and not a shop in sight!!)
 
We invited a kid from down the road who was home sick – he commented that it felt a bit weird at first but he decided if you couldn’t kill your food you shouldn’t eat it!
 
But my favourite bit?  – seeing my mum and partner sitting side by side while they plucked the rooster, talking about growing food in your own backyard.