Chook security

It was 5am and I was sleeping in bed, enjoying lazy cuddles from my littlest baby who had snuck in sometime overnight.

I heard a few strange noises coming from the chooks, but rolled over and figured as Duane was already up, he could deal with it.

The chooks kept cackling and making their loud "honking" noise, then it sounded like a scuffle and I heard the flap of wings and louder honking.

I stumbled out of bed (remember 5am), expecting to find Duane on the couch either asleep or enjoying his Internet time (I allocate 12 midnight-6am to him!) Nope, not around anywhere.

The chooks had fully ramped the noise up by now. I opened the front door and just as I did a black cat slunk under the front gate and ran away. I quickly did a head count of the chooks, hoping that the cat hadn't just enjoyed his breakfast. The front yard was scattered in feathers, but none of the chooks looked injured.

I really didn't think the chooks could get any louder, but they did, especially Henny. She was honking so damn loudly, with her head high in the air and her chest thrust out, obviously trying to look scary to the intruder.

I tried everything to get her to shut up, remembering its 5am and I'm sure the neighbours where not sympathising with the chooks being scared by a cat. She just would not stop. I called Duane, firstly asking what the hell he was doing at work so damn early, then shoving the phone into the open air so he could hear the lovely sound everyone else and I were not enjoying.

Apparently he had gone up early to chip and putt, my guess is its to eat the coco pops and nutri grain that the club supplies for breakfast - not sure whats wrong with the Aldi weet-bix that he gets here?? Anyway, he suggested a few things and none of the worked. She was just getting honkier and honkier (ok, I know that's not even a word), pacing up and down in front of the cats escape route. I threw some seed out, Dulcie and Silkie gobbled it up but not Miss Henny. Bertha had the right idea, after I came out she went back to bed. Smart girl.

I ran inside and raided the cupboards for rice bubbles, normally her favourite. Nope, still damn honking (I'm not even sure if the noise sounded like honking, but I can't think of anything else to describe the lovely-not tones) The 2 other chooks awake gobbled up the bubbles, whilst Henny carried on, not caring about the treats.

Pea, she loves frozen peas. So I raced inside and grabbed the peas out of the freezer, still hearing loud and clear the constant noise. I scattered nearly a full bag of peas all over the front lawn, I didn't care I just wanted the noises to stop.

She started to look a bit interested, the honking slowed down and then became more sporadic. I knew then that I had her weakness. She started lowering her beak to the ground, then shut the hell up, and ate the peas in peace.

I tell you, if I'd had an axe and a jar of Chicken tonight, she would have been dinner.

But the chook lays good eggs, even if she does hide them in the front garden. We found a stash of a dozen the other day that she had layed under the cycad.

The kids didn't not even stir and its 6.30am now, they are still tucked up in bed (Grace in hers and Xav in ours).

On the upside, gosh its beautiful outside in the early morning.