Yesterday Jake and Elise finished the major wall of the new bastard-mink-proof chook house. This was the wall with all the holes that the minks were getting through, it is now framed and covered in strong wire netting. The big door will close over it in stormy weather. And there is a door to their run.This door will be closed at night. 
One by one I caught each chicken ( losing a little of my skin here and there) and Jake nd Elise carried them across the fields and released them into their new house. Later in the night Elise and I re-caught each chicken and put her on the perch, they have been so long in an ark that they do not know how to perch, so we will be the mother bird for a while and teach them.
Elise and I will work on the run today.
And tomorrow Jessica comes. My last farm helper.
We had a lovely lunch yesterday, I am not kidding when I say that this new/old big table has changed my life. 
It was an orphan’s Sunday lunch, my favourite kind. Collecting all the people who are a little family-less due to geographical reasons and eating food together. A family within a family if you like.
Most of the fried chicken I baked.. I know!.. I know.. But the rooster: I fried – for The Old Codge,r because that is how his Mama did it. Straight from the barnyard. He loved it. 
Elise learnt how to make peppermint oil. Which she wants to add to a soap that she will design. So today I shall render some lard and begin the soap making process.
Last night I called Poppy in for dinner with Sheila, (they eat kitchen scraps in the evening, last nght it was the left overs from a huge vegetable stock). But she was so far down the back, grazing with the cows, that she could not hear me so her dinner had to be kept for later. Poppy cannot be kept anywhere for long but thats ok. She never goes far. And the best feed for pigs is greens.
Today is a holiday in America so John is going to help me shift the calves to the other side. Yesterday got away on us as you can imagine.
I hope you all hae a lovely day.
Your friend on the farmy,
miss c
The Kitchen's Garden 
28 responses to “aka the chook house”
The Chook House is impressive, looks so well made and effective. How do you move a chicken without getting pecked to death?
The Old Codger is quite distinguished looking and I love that candelabra in the background.
Chickens are not the mental giants of the animal kingdom, that is for sure!
no, chicken brainns the lot of them.. c
The Chook House looks great! And I really would love to learn how to make peppermint oil too!! 😉
Take care
G
Grand show on the chook house repairs! I use electricians gloves that have a longer forearm section to collect hens. I leave the roosters to FD, who is great at wrangling roosters by the legs with a long wire hook. Have a lovely Labor Day holiday! 🙂
That’s Dale, I assume, eh? The codger? Happy hols, c. xx
OMG, I’m drooling over that fried/baked chicken!
Great cooks cook alike. My post last week was fried chicken. Yours sure looks good, Celi. That chook house looks good, too. I hope that will handle the mink problem this Winter. Heaven knows you don’t need to worry about the little bastards again this year.
The skunks are having a field day in my neighborhood. 3 young ones were romping in my backyard and, Friday night, Nancy couldn’t get out of her car out front until a couple of the stinkers left the front garden. It took 30 minutes! I need to order some of that Skunk Off you use. It’s only a matter of time before Max gets hit again, I’m afraid.
I can taste that chicken and I love the idea of an orphan’s Sunday lunch. I live alone and know several others in the same situation, so I will think about starting this tradition when I go back home. One week in Dublin, and I am only half way through my curtain making project for my sister. Six finished and another six to make. It is not all work, we intersperse the work with food from the garden, incoming visitors, lunches out with friends and girlie shopping trips! The Chook house looks well, may it see the end of your unwelcome visitors.
Happy to see your lovely table filled with family, whichever they belong to. The chicken looks delicious! Glad the chook house is ready for service.
Another beautiful post, and especially with that gorgeous portrait of the Old Codger. So sweet and lovely. I think I can smell that chicken from here! 😀
xoxoxo
K