We acquired a new HelpXer on the 21st, Stephanie from France, and she's fallen into farm life very well. Because of her help we have been able to make progress with the renovations, and we now we have a loft bedroom (mostly)
The cows are improving on the calf pellets and the new grass. We'll keep it up for about a month to give them a healthy start. We will be using Diatomaceous Earth (DE) very soon and expect to see an improvement in the condition of all our animals, and ourselves. We are taking on a dealership to promote the wonders of this material. Anyone wanting information, feel free to contact us. We're also carrying other agricultural products/fertilisers/etc, and a new page will be added to the website accordingly. As they say, watch this space. enough for now there's shit to be done.
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The best laid plans of mice and men, as they say, go astray.
I had planned to rewire the bore pump and fit a timer to ease the refilling operation. Then I had a shutdown. Like the flu had hit me, or similar. So I've spent the day sleeping on and off and just taking it easy. Well, as I've always said..."never do today what you can put off 'till tomorrow" Enough for now there's shit to be done It's the 17th. Wow, how time flies.
We have had a HelpX visitor from Finland here for 2 weeks, leaving on Friday making her stay almost 3 weeks. Been shit hot, and we are indoors during the heat of the day (mostly) Had some good happenings, and some bad. The bad is, we had an oubreak of Mixomitosis in the rabbit population, decimating up to 50% of them. Some stragglers are still developing symptoms but hopefully we're over the worst of it. Got a tree down on the fence of the horse paddock that needs to be chained into firewood, and the fence repaired. We picked up 3 milking cow calves, one a pure Jersey, and two Jersey/Dexter crosses which are the cutest animals and only just taller than our kelpie dog. We need to get them into good condition and then AI them to start our milk/cream/cheese/yoghurt production. Took the Damara lambs from their mums so they (mums) can put on condition again. PZ thinks that several ewes may be pregnant again. At least the feed is holding, this late into summer because of all the late rains. And there's more rain due. Got a couple of loads of corrugated iron, mostly used, that can be used to replace the tarp on the barn roof. This will give us a more waterproof area for our storage of stuff. Also got the water tank I mentioned, and have to set it up on stumps for our grain silo. Should hold about 6 months supply of grain. We're only grinding about a weeks supply at a time at this point. We have stopped egg incubation for the moment, and so we have eggs, eggs everywhere. Processed another pig. Cured and smoked bacon (thanx Meg for the donation towards the smoker), eating pork chops, pea'n'ham soup, and pork roasts with the most superb cracklin'. Still trying to get the old ice chest to use as a coolroom for setting carcases. Maria, our HelpX girl assisted with the relocation of the laundry into the end of the shed which also tidies up the tool storage area as well. enough for now there's shit to be done. Lesson for the month: don't touch the electric fence while feeding the pigs! Ok, so it's oficially 2011 now. About mid day on day one. Going to be 38 degrees today, so it's early chores, then sit inside in the cool 'till late arvo. Then start afternoon chores. There's a slight westerly blowing that's taking the edge off it. Slightly.
We had a bunny breakout yesterday. I accidentally left the back of one kindling box unlatched and about 5 rabbit kittens escaped. Re captured 4, and I'll get the other one soon. Lillys piglets are due to start going to new homes as of monday. It's a joy to watch them grow and develop, play and just be, well, piglets. She has such healthy litters. We're hoping for a saddleback boar to come and visit this month, for our two gilts. Still have to make arrangements for that. Picked up a load of gyprock yesterday to start lining the inside of the accommodation. It will certainly make a change, and exclude some nasty mosquitoes. I hope to collect an old water tank in the coming days to use as a grain silo. Also a used retail ice chest that will be converted to a coolroom for our animal processing. enough for now, there's shit to be done.... I tried to transfer all of the blog from the previous website but they got lost somewhere in the ether of the web. If you come across any spare blogs floating around, just alert me and I'll pick them up.
So, a quick update as I haven't the time to retype everything that has happened. We have had some helpXers here to assist with things. Got some stuff done. Had the BIG RAINS of 2010. Lots of damage to the access road, dams are full, and the weeds are overtaking all of our efforts. We have had lambs born, litters of piglets, two foals born, one of which died just days later :'( , litters of rabbits, and literally hundreds of chickens... and eggs, f'ing eggs everywhere. The good news: our free range pork is delicious; our rabbits are just awesome eating; eggs, eggs everywhere; roast chicken whenever we feel like it; and the pleasure of seeing all our animals mature in a natural environment. Did I mention the f'ing eggs? And the fresh vegetables and fruit are beyond explanation. Oh, and Meg chipped in for half a smoker, so our meat tastes even better now. With the good news comes, of course, the bad.... The big rains caused damage in the gardens with vegetables just rotting off. There were just too many white cabbage butterfly to contend with. They are prolific after the neighbours canola finished flowering and so came to attack us. We had an outbreak of coccidiosis in the chooks, carried in by a purchased chook. Lesson: quarrantine ALL incoming livestock. We have had an outbreak of myxomatosis in the rabbits and of course it is untreatable. Nature takes its course. MOSQUITOES, huge damn mosquitoes are everywhere, and it would be them carrying the Myxo. We have just bought home our first (future) milking cows. One pure Jersey heifer, 7 months, and two Jersey x Dexter heifers. Mini cows. Cute. Lessons learned: Quarrantine everything Don't bite off too much. Work with Nature Appreciate what you have Appreciate what you gain Look back at your achievements back later, there's shit to be done....... This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar. Beware the Pigs of Wrath Posted by Mike on July 20, 2010 at 3:06 PM delete edit comments (2) OK, so last Friday I stepped into the pigpen without due care.
Bruce has been acting a bit stroppy as Penelope gets closer to her due delivery date. Its a Hormone thing. So, I had just fed the pigs and was giving Bruce a scratch on the back and the next thing, pow, and he's headbutted me in the leg. Pissed off, I stepped back out only to find my overalls filling with blood. Hiking up my trouser leg revealed a 140mm gash, down to the bone on my right shin. A free ambulance ride, 24 stitches and 10 days off my feet. Boring. But thats how I got to start this web page. 10 days recovery, then Bruce becomes pork chops. Can't put up with any agression whatsoever, so he's toast. Meat Rabbits Posted by Mike on July 18, 2010 at 8:16 PM delete edit comments (0) LAST Sunday July 18, 2010 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM first of the meat rabbits kindled, 17 large healthy looking babies Start blogging by creating a new post. You can edit or delete me by clicking under the comments. You can also customize your sidebar by dragging in elements from the top bar.
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Mike
Owns a small piece of the Earth and along with PZ we are transforming it, bit by bit into regenerated soil, to produce our own fresh, wholesome vegetables and fruit to complement our free range livestock. Archives
November 2011
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