'Do you have any pets?' I inevitably get asked when I say I live on 5 acres. Perhaps they expect alpacas, dwarf cows, and goats. We did have a goat once, but in ended in tears. The goat's tears, because she was so lonely.

'Just chickens' I say. That's 'chooks' in Australia. I have no idea of the etymology of that word.

When I admit this, the next time people see me, they ask 'how are your chickens going?', which always takes me aback, because I always think there are a lot more exciting things in my life than my chooks. But hey, it's a conversation starter, right?

I can't imagine a home without chooks. They're lovely creatures, apart from the shit they leave around and their tendency to make a mess in your garden. But they're lovely creatures. Quiet gentle, unless they are pecking at your toes, with no real understanding they are attached to my body. They listen, too. You can tell them all the woes you have and they'll take it.

Plus, they give me eggs. An alpaca can't do that. Nor can a goat.

'My chooks are great' I say. 'Thanks for asking.'