4 Lovely Eggs a Day

Our small brood of 4 layer birds is now at full production. They all lay at odd times, the last one after 4pm in the day! We're not sure why she is a late layer, but she does still lay.  They all stick to the one nest too, even though there is a second box available. 

All our chickens were raised from being day old chicks. As chicks they need a warm environment (we use a box with a lamp for heating) until they lose their down and grow their first adult feathers. After that we house them outside in a separate hutch until they get big enough to be introduced to the rest of the flock.

We feed the chickens a blend of kitchen scraps, layer bird pellets and grass.  The pellets contain a lot nutrients and shell hardener (presumably calcium of some form). We occasionally provide grit aswell.

Owning chickens is such a joy. We have kept chickens for about 7 years now. They earn their keep producing eggs and good quality fertiliser for the garden. Best of all chickens make our spot in the country feel like home.

Porky and Bacon

Our pigs Porky and Bacon have been with us for two months now and are doing nicely.  They have rooted around and turned over the ground in their yard eating all the grass that once grew there and chewed up shallow roots and tasty shrubs.

Porky (the boar) will stay for another 3 months before we slaughter him for pork, while Bacon (the sow) will stay a further 6 months before slaughter to make bacon and Christmas Ham. 

It all sounds a bit macabre, but I currently  purchase and eat farm reared pork and bacon from the supermarket (as many people do) and I would be a hypocrite to say that it is cruel or unfair.

I am happy with the manner of our pig's existence, that they are fed and watered well, have space to do what comes naturally and shelter to sleep out of the elements. Providing they are humanely slaughtered, I feel confident that the process has been cruelty free and fair (as much as it can possibly be).

Keeping pigs has been a satisfying experience but there are challenges ahead. As the pigs grow, so do their appetites and making sure we have an ample supply of free scraps is a job in itself. We occasionally top up their food with store bought grains, but this is costly and not ideal - the pigs don't enjoy it as much either.

It will be tough to see them go, but this is the reality of eating meat. Our children will grow up understanding where their food

comes from and the process involved.

Hopefully it will make them appreciate the work that goes into rearing their food and value the lives of the animals we sacrifice to feed ourselves.  

Goat Out and Stay Out!

Last night I awoke to the sound of banging and clattering on our front porch. Still sleepy I got up to investigate and when I opened the front door, who should be there nibbling all the flower heads off my plants and flowers - Buttercup our pet nanny goat!

I was not at all impressed. Neither was my husband who I had to wake to take her back to her run down in the paddock in the dark. I had trouble sleeping for the rest of the night. I'd wake up to every little sound thinking Buttercup was back at the house.

She is a notorious escape artist and when she does escape, she's like a kid in sweet shop she goes for all the yummiest treats, the bean vine, succulent plants and most flowering shrubs.

Needless to say we need to improve security on her run. She is a lovely pet and as a herd animal she seeks out company of other creatures and fresh pastures. I can't blame her for wanting to escape - but I can't have it.

We do plan to do some more fencing in the paddock and introduce a couple of sheep, which will be company while they are being reared for slaughter. But that won't be for a few months until we can afford to tackle this project.

Till then we are working on a plan to strengthen her run, replacing the wire that she is tethered to with chain and modifying a couple of warratah metal posts to secure the chain to the ground.  It would be nice not to have to tether her, but we have no other option for now.

Rosemary's Garden

One area of garden on our property which has been making steady progress is Rosemary's garden. Rosemary, my mother in law and her husband live with us on the property and she has a good sized garden along the road side of the house.

Rosemary has taken the original contemporary planting and has added mainly traditional style planting to fill in the gaps.  There are tonnes of flowering plants, which are small now, but will bush out to create a sprawling cottage garden look.  She also has a love of bromeliads, native grasses and succulents which have found their way into the scheme.

Eventually we plan to build a boardwalk leading from their parking space to a decked area leading off their personal living space.  Removable covers for the gas cylinders and A/C units are on the cards too as they look very untidy at the moment. Ideally the garden will be also be fenced off to give them peace and privacy and further shelter their garden from wind.

Further down the roadside, the garden narrows off and transitions into our garden.  Our small vege raised bed sits just off our deck (very handy to the kitchen) and my new patch of garden further along, which I only planted out at the beginning of Spring is growing well.

I'm especially happy with growth of my low growing grevillea, which was an investment plant.  I would dearly love to add more grevillias to this garden and I also have my eye on some of the new varieties of hebe, but these will have to wait.

It will be worthwhile waiting until early summer to post more photos of these gardens because I can see them really taking off this year and the result is going to look amazing!

See How the Garden Grows

I have been trying to put at least a couple of plants in every week. The plants have a way of disappearing in the expanse of garden. I just keep hoping that one day I will look and I will see a well planted and thriving garden.  This lot of plants cost $21.87.  For 14 plants that is not too bad. Cheaper than a bunch of cut flowers and I will get months and years enjoyment out of them.

At the moment I see bare patches, rough edging and overgrown flax plants.  I am trying to move out some of the more mature flax.  Here is an example. Three large flax were removed along the fence line and replaced with three small palms which will take time to mature (unlike the flax). I can underplant them to add colour if I choose and they will work in nicely with some of the more mature palms we have growing already.

I have a habit of working in one area and then moving onto another when progress slows. It means that overall there is no one area that has been finished and looks tidy and maintained.  It does however mean that small amounts of progress are being made everywhere.  I'm hoping it will all start to come together in the coming months. 

I don't have a specific plan which doesn't help.  It has been hard to sit down and make a plan. My planning usually revolves around what plants I can buy cheaply and I am restricted to where I can put certain plants with our exposed site. There are a few sheltered spaces around the house, but most plants have to be hardy.

There are areas that need only a little finishing off with mulch and given more time to grow.  I'm happy with the new garden bed along the front of the house. It is one of the few sheltered spots we have, but it also quite shaded and gets very little direct sun.  I have had to choose my plants carefully, so far they are doing well.

It is a labour of love, but it is rewarding seeing the garden grow :-)

Easter in Autumn

I am so proud of my vase of flowers from our garden. Okay, they are not flowers in the typical sense and they are certainly not an Easter Spring bouquet - but it is Autumn in these parts and I have to work with what I've got.

I planted a variety of leucodendrons around this time last year and they are bushing out really well - to the point where I can start using them for floral arrangements - all part of the plan :-)

I have used a few sprigs of tee tree and broom as well, these need regular trimming and offer an almost endless supply of foliage for cutting.

The best thing about this arrangement (other than it was free) is that it will last for ages if I keep the water topped up. I should get around 2 weeks of enjoyment out of it.

I'm not planning to go nuts on Easter celebrations this year, but it would be nice to squeeze in some crafts in the next week.  I have a thing for bunnies and eggs all year round, so surely I can find a few things laying around to help me get into the mood for Easter festivities.