Christy,
That is sooo funny that you just said that. i was just looking into the idea of renting some chickens with a pen for a month or so, just for some education for the kids. Unfortunately, on the Gold Coast, we are not allowed any chickens in the backyard in properties smaller than 800 square metres. I doubt ours is that big. Our yard is pretty big, but not quite that big. I'd be willing to just keep them illegally for a while, though.
Would be a great way to get rid of our lawn grubs, too.

Yes, I know, the humidity is a killer. And it's been shocking, here on the Gold Coast. That's why having a bucket on his head is a double-edged sword: it gives his legs a chance to heal, but it makes his ears so much more prone to infections because of the reduced airflow around his head. Plus, it must be soooo uncomfortable.

Last time he was at the vet for his ears, he actually had to have a operation. His ears must have been so itchy that he was shaking and scratching them so much, that one of them blew up like a balloon. They did a test of the discharge in the ear and from memory it was a bacteria, not a yeast. We clean his ears out every other day to keep it in check. But it seems like we're fighting a losing battle.

Mmmm, I have some more chicken questions for you, but I might open a new thread for that and post the link in here.