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....
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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 |
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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