Book A Chook - hire and buy hens and roosters in Melbourne!

Testimonials

These are just some of the lovely emails we've received...............

Dear Deb, just letting you know that the three beautiful girls we bought from you nearly two weeks ago are doing fine and had their first little venture outside today, while I gave the coop a big clean out. Funny little things... they know exactly what to do, rummaging and scratching around. Within no time they were having a lovely dirt bath under the cherry tree. It was funny, but Thomas, our NZ white/dwarf cross rabbit kept an eye on them, big brute that he is! I have taken a great shot of bunny and young hens meeting each other as the girls headed home for the clean coop. (4.10 pm precisely). The youngest led the way. As I predicted from the beginning, she looks like becoming the head honcho of the trio.

Dear Deb, We bought our 2 beautiful Pekin’s from you after your holiday in Warrnambool in Dec. The black one is called Sylvie and the white on is Ruby. We all love them dearly. The kids love to cuddle and play with them and mummy especially loves to sit and listen and watch their lovely scratchings and chattings with their little bustle bottoms wiggling behind them. They are great company for us all. They haven’t started laying yet tho!! You thought they were ready to lay within a month or so, but then they started to moult, and I presume this is the laying holdup. Should I be concerned or just patient? We all love them anyway; it’s just exciting to anticipate the eggs!! We thankyou for the discovery of Pekin’s and chooks as pets.

Dear Deb, just a quick note to share our total enjoyment with our book-a-chook ladies -"Lily, Lulu & Lucy" who today produced the first of many gleaming ping-pong ball size eggs. Hidden in the mint bush of course! Our magnificent rooster "Lance" unfortunately needed to be relocated, and I do miss those early morning wake up calls, although our neighbors don’t. We look forward to growing our brood in the coming months with a few more on order and congratulate you on your fine business idea of producing healthy hand-reared chickens, perfect for suburban backyards.

Hi Deb, I just wanted to thank you for the chooks I bought for my belated Uncle for his Birthday. Unfortunately he was diagnosed with cancer and passed away 2 weeks ago. While he was in hospital all he could ask about where his chooks, have I fed them, provided water, given them boiled eggs, yoghurt, rice, sun etc. They brought him a lot of joy and made him very happy. My father & his sister have now adopted these chooks as their own children and have been paying them undivided attention daily.Thanks again for providing these beautiful chooks. They have brought hope and a ray of sunshine for my family. I just need to get over the fact that I come second after the chooks to my dad! ;) I just recommended a friend (Brian) to you for chooks hence I thought I'd express my appreciation to you and the special chooks.

Hi Deb, Just letting you know the chooks have settled in very well. The kids, family and friends all love them. Their names are Crunch (black), Spazzy (grey), Honey Cuddles (brown) and Fonzie (brown with speckled feathers). They keep us entertained with their funny behavior in sorting out their "pecking" order.

Took a week to settle, 'Dotty' our olderbantam gave her serious hurry curry. We sleptthe frizzle in an old rabbit hutch inside the hen house for about 5 nights. The war is over now and they have settled on who is in charge. She ( the frizzle is loved and adored by all the children)

Hi Deb, Just a quick update on the three chooks we bought a month ago, (and the big chook that arrived uninvited). The big one found a new home through Lort Smith. Thanks for your advice on that one. Henrietta, Sheep and Korma are doing splendidly. They roam the yard and verandah, and have become very tolerant of Sam's natural inquisition. The cat has dealt with it well and pretends they are not there. Though at first skeptical, the household now finds itself fully chooked up and loving its new companions. Thanks for all your help. It's a lovely business.

Hi Deb, Just in case you are wondering how our chooks are getting along, (We bought 4 from you in November last year) Here is a short film http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YEjM_YTeFw Bluey, the red one, has now usurped the black one as boss-chook. It is all very exciting. We hope they will be laying soon.

Hi Deb, I purchased 8 of your gorgeous chickens in December of last...we just love them to bits! Miranda started laying eggs two weeks ago and it is only a matter of time before the next oldest hen, Esmeralda does. Miranda is quite the little layer at the moment, she is popping out one a day right now. We are sure the novelty will wear off soon. Sorry we haven't sent you any pics, we will get around to that...one day. We are interested in purchasing one of your chook houses. Either style will be fine as hubby has no time to rustle up another one in the immediate and not so immediate future.

Hi Deb! Two of the eggs have hatched! Oscar is thrilled. We're thrilled with the little chickies………….

Hi Deb, Just an update of the 3 girls we brought from you just before Christmas. Their names are Betty, Ethel and Goldie. Everyone - 5 cats and a dog plus chooks are getting on famously. The girls free range around the yard all day and take themselves off to bed at 8-8.30pm every night. Betty the eldest has just started laying! 3 eggs so far, we're all very excited. We love hanging out with them and observing their gorgeous behavior.Will send you some photos when we have some.

Kate and I thought you would be pleased to know that the three chooks we bought from you a couple of weeks ago have settled in well to their new home. There werea couple of rough days as Mavis and Esme established their authority over Jemima but they are all getting along well now. They usually deliver us 2 eggs a day, but we got 3 yesterday so we couldn't be prouder of the girls! They are all eating out of our hand and are very friendly, even to our friend's young children. The photo I have attached of them (Mavis is gold, Esme is white and Jemima you probably recognize...) was taken as they followed me through the back yard after letting them out for a run this morning to continue their scratching in the back garden, which is surviving well considering we let them do what they like for more than 8 hours a day at the moment! I am doing my best to convince work colleagues and friends how good chooks are to own as pets, so hopefully I won't be the only chook-crazed person at work soon...

Hi Deb, It has now been 4 weeks and the girls are doing great. Still doing everything together and have now learnt how to roost on their perch. Hilda started out being the bossiest but has since been taken over by Joyce. Lucy was the smallest (and a week younger) and is now the biggest. Edna (the smallest) is definitely the nosey parker - she rushes to inspect all goings on. They are happy and contented and are even living quite cozily with the guinea pigs. The kids love them and are still eager to feed them, and rush outside to open the door each morning. Hannah frequently checks the nesting boxes - just in case. Thanks for introducing us to such wonderful pets

Hello Deb, We bought 3 chickens from you in October. Winnie is the black chook, Maryanne is the white chook and Christine is the brown chook. This is in the chicken run, they now have the run of the yard too, as the dog has got used to them. I was surprised as he is a bad tempered Jack Russell and not young, I didn't think he would.All has gone well and the girls have grown and lay eggs now most days.

Hello Deb, We are the proud parents of 4 chickys – not a bad conversion I think from 5 eggs. This includes one egg that Theodora ‘peeled’ about one third of the shell from about 2 days before it was due to hatch. She did not break the membrane, but I could see the movement of the chick beneath. It was a bit horrifying to see, but I quickly put it back beneath the mother and it hatched healthily. As you said, the 2 mother hens are sharing the parenting responsibilities very harmoniously. Both Bob and Spud are excellent parents. The chicks are now 1 week old, and a mix of colours. They are very sweet, and the children love them. I will update you on their progress later on.

Thank you for all of your advice and help – it was appreciated, Lara and Simon

Hi Deb. I hope all is well with your flock. “Bob” and Spud and both fit and well, and supplying us with plenty of eggs. Further to that, Bob has gone broody and is sitting on eggs – but of course without the knowledge that nothing will happen. We were wonderingif you have any fertilised eggs that we could buy to put under bob so that we may have 1 or 2 chickys.Would you please be able to let us know?

Hey Deb, Just thought I would let you know that the chickens are doing well. They spend nights inside still and outside in the coop for most of the daylight hours. They also have a free run for an hour or 2 each day. They seem to love playing chasie with each other running around in circles flapping their wings, which is really funny to watch.

Hi Deb, The three chookies I bought from you a few weeks ago are so beautiful. I have named them Loretta (because she sort of looks like your Loretta) Martine, and Celeste.My 2 year old son Ely just called them "the babies" and always wants to helpfeed and cuddle them. When I brought them home a few weeks ago we spent the afternoon putting together a nice little fox/mouse/rat proof box for them to hang out inuntil later in the summer, whenthey grow big enough to be with mytwo older bossy hens.Luckily we haven't had any really cold nights so far so I haven't needed to bring them inside, but many hot days we have put their boxunder the shade of the oak tree so they can see the canopy above. They tell methey're happy.

Dear Deb, The chickens have been great! We play with them every day and love them very much. Our dog, Nutmeg, is getting used to them and has almost started playing with them. They have learned how to jump up on their perch, except they still sleep in a corner of their bedroom. They have grown much bigger since we got them! Their names are Chuckles (brown), Smudge (blue) and Cookies (white).

Hi Deb, just to a say thanks for letting us come around and see your chooks and chicks, my husband was very impressed with them and the chook houses. Will let you know how I go with hatching these eggs, I think I told you hatched 8 out of the last 12, so happy with that, they are now under a broody, who is doing a great job. Have been hatching all week and my favorite hen has taken to 12 that have hatched almost a week apart, she is very patient with the stragglers, I knew she was my fav for some reason!

Hi Deb, yes all is well - they are growing madly! Daisy, the dark one, is the biggest and is getting quite tame. Emily is very frisky and will take any chance to jump up and sit on the top rim of the box!!! They have been going out into the coop during the day when it is warm enough and coming inside at night and on days like today. They were a bit shy in the coop at first, hanging back near to the food and door to the nesting area but yesterday they started scratching around more.They eat heaps and love Solomon's left over breakfast oats and veggie slops! Here'sa picture of the coop - its been painted a bit more...and there's an arch cut through to the nesting area now.

Deb, Just to let you know we've had our 1st egg, laid by Penny (little buff girl) on Saturday.I heard lots of clucking this morning as I left for work, so I expect a few more sweet wee eggs today. Sooooo exciting

Deb - just to let you know that everyone thinks the bantams are just superb - we've had 4 eggs since Saturday - so we're hoping for one each day!!!! Great idea - we may even get the local paper down for a shot of our 'girls'!!!!

We purchased a coop and two hens from 'Book-a-Chook' and have been very happy.

Deb was very helpful in getting us started with lots of useful advice on how to care for the hens.
We've got two young children who love having the hens in the back yard. They are easy to care for pets and we've found that not a lot of space is required - we live on a single-fronted block and there is plenty of room in the back yard for a couple of hens.

There's also the bonus of fresh eggs...

We'd recommend Book-a-Chook to anyone looking to take the plunge and get chooks.

Lara, Simon, Frederick, and Theodora

I got 2 roosters, Harvey and Rupert and a hen called Rosie, after a friend of mine...

Rosie and Rupert are both black and birchen, they were around 15 weeks old and have grown into lovely looking hens and both have great temperaments.

Deb contacted me to see how the chooks were going on and if they had settled well, which was much appreciated. I am still quite a novice in the chook field, so it was great to hear from her.

Thanks again Deb, hope you will be a grandma in the spring, and I will definitely send you photos of them when they hatch some babies.

The chooks are bringing us great joy. It made my morning seeing those hens first up.

The four year olds have just loved them and because they are so tame they can really be involved with them- feeding etc.Rupert started crowing just before the start of session this afternoon which caused great celebration..

I have seen very active and unsettled children sit down quietly and watch the chooks eat their scraps. It's soothing and meditative and who doesn't need that?

Apart from that, our newly planted sensory garden is flourishing and my four year old group is involved in looking after all our pets.

God they are beautiful!! Some committee members are working hard to see how we can accommodate chickens full time which is great and what I had hoped

Just letting you know that the chooks have settled in really well, and seem to be happy and we are happy! In the morning they ran out looking for the scraps that l put out.

They come into the garden area, have a peck, with the cold they settle in early for the night.

We have named them, Charlotte, the black, Hazel the 4month one, Peaches, orange round the neck, and Beryl the grey.

The only problem is the rabbit, who has to get used to them…... as she charges at them!

I'm just letting you know that the 2 hens we bought from you a few weeks ago are doing just fine. One was a white 12 week old that looked like a dove , we called Minty .The other was a black hen we have named Lucy.They have now intergrated well with our Leghorns after a few scary moments with our Big Boy Lou, probably just too many women to deal with at once! You probably dont remember me but I came over one Sunday with my 2 children, Marlee and Daniel; I'm the Father with the long hair, and you just amazed us that you had a passion ,like us , in that your love of chooks was outstanding.

Saw Hobo in the paper and straight away had to congratulate all of you on your great effort,keep up the good work,

Just to let you know the girls have settled in very well, Patsy has just laid her first egg so there is lots of excitement.

The children are very interested in them and have spent most of the morning watching them scratch in the dirt and they have been having some fabulous dust baths.

We have fixed the structure that we made so it connects to the door of their coop so they have got a bit more room to move around, we will leave it for a few days before we let them roam free to allow the children to get used to having them around.

Now that we have seen how much space they need we are sure to be able to fit them in at our new centre next year.

Two of the lovely pictures drawn for me by the gorgeous kids at Scott Street Childrens Centre.

Honey Soy, Molly, Flabbergasted and Lorelei are growing and Phoebe and Betsy are excepting their new home. No eggs yet, Eleanor inspects often every day I am sure you will hear the commotion when it happens.

Even my brother is taken by them; he hands feeds and chats away to them, the guinea pigs are terribly jealous.

This has helped to de-traumatize him from our young days battling clucky bantams whilst trying to retrieve eggs.

Just want to say a big thanks for your time and advice - your website is beautiful!! I love Eggscalibur!! Congratulations to you and your feathered family.

I was intrigued that you mention roosters and that there is an option to have one - I thought you were not allowed in urban/suburban areas?!?

Hi Deb, Edward has made himself king of the castle and domestic harmony now reins. He struts around crowing and taking great leaps onto the back of each of the girls. His only problem is that my white dog, who is the same size as him, has fallen madly in love with him!

I agree with your commentary, I have had the same experiences with my chooks they each have a personality of their own.