Eight Acres

Earlier this year we hatched two batches of chicks.  From the first batch we got one pullet and two cockerels, all White Leghorns.  From the the second batch we got five cockerels and three pullets, one each was Rhode Is Red and the rest White Leghorns.  They have been living outside for a while now, one batch in each cage.  Its nearly time now for the pullets to join the full grown hens in the big cages.  Its never a good idea to put one hen into a cage with other hens that she doesn't know, particularly when the majority are larger, as she'll get picked on, so we decided to rearrange the babies now so they can get to know each other early on and join the big girls as a group of four - safety in numbers!  So we now have a pen of pullets and a pen of cockerels. Six little cockerels getting fat (and feisty) for the pot Four shy hens getting to know each other before the join the main flock We are only getting 3-4 eggs a day...

Yoghurt is very good for your digestion (more here ), but the supermarket products are expensive and high in sugar.  They often add all sorts of artificial flavours, colours and thickeners, which are completely unnecessary.  I make my own yoghurt using an Easiyo kit.  This is still kind of cheating and I should really just use local milk or milk powder (as the Easiyo packets come all the way from New Zealand) and yoghurt culture, but this is so easy (foolproof!), I've been too lazy to change so far! Here's what to do: 1. Put about 1.2 L of water in the jug to boil. 2. Half fill the plastic container with cold water and add the Easiyo packet.  I use natural, as its milk powder and bacteria only, no additives! 3. Stir in some honey, about 3 'fork-fulls' will do!  And stir it all up.  Then top up the container with cold water. 4. Pour the boiling water into the insulated container and put the yoghurt container inside.  Screw on the ...

When we first started gardening, it was hard to know how much and how often to plant and we often ended up with big gluts of certain veges and then nothing at all to eat from the garden. We were also reluctant to not use seedlings that sprouted, even though we didn’t really have room for them. Once we had about 20 tomato plants squashed into a 1m square area of the garden. They were too close together, none of the plants fruited and they all got some kind of wilt and died! Now I have learnt to leave room between the plants and eat/compost/give away any that don’t fit. Since then we’ve got better at knowing how many of each plant we need to feed us and how much we can fit in the garden at a time. The amount you need to plant depends on your appetite, your garden area and your water availability, here's what we've found works for us. Too many tomatoes squashed together - they didn't do well! Tomatoes:  As I’ve mentioned before , I love my cherry tomato plant, I th...

This weekend I harvested the last of the tomatoes and pulled out the plants.  I still have heaps of beans and squash, so I've left them in the ground for now, but its time to start thinking about winter.  The main crops for winter here are broccoli (too humid in summer, too many bugs!), silver beet and peas. The last of the tomatoes and one giant button squash! giant button squash, oops!  Still ok to eat, but large seeds aren't so nice! My yellow button squash is still going, this is the correct size for buttons! Curcubits are taking over the garden!  This is a "winter squash" so I have to wait for the squash to ripen before picking them Winter squash (I think!), not sure what it will be like, this is a new one for me! I've cheated and bought some pea seedlings from the market.  I made a rough structure for them to climb up using chicken wire and some tomato stakes, I tried to find a sunny spot for them, as they don't...

See also How to use a chicken tractor and How to build a chicken tractor   and chicken tractor guest post . Sign up for my weekly email updates here , you will find out more about chickens, soap and our farmlife, straight to your inbox, never miss a post!  New soap website and shop opening soon.... When we first started with chickens, we had an old stable with a tack room, and converted that into a chicken coop, with long star-pickets and chicken mesh used to make a run.  As we got more chickens, we kept having to make the run bigger so they would have somewhere the scratch.  Its amazing how quickly a few chickens can demolish a run full of grass.  We used to let them out before we went to work, but then a few things happened.  First the dog started helping herself to chickens (we’d come home to find a very “sorry” dog and a chicken is varying stages of being eaten).  Then the chickens started crossing the road and scuffing up the neighbour’s gard...

My former flatmate has asked us to look after her kelpie , Chime, while she's overseas with her partner for several months.  Of course we couldn't say "no" when we have so much space for her to play!  I lived with both of them for about 3 years, so I'm quite attached to Chime and hate the thought of her in a small city block when she could be living here.  Chime is 10 years old, and Cheryl is 8, so they have similar energy levels, although they both act like puppies at times!  I hope they will enjoy each other's company, at the moment they are just getting used to each other, which is hard for both of them as they are both only children! Seeing double?  Cheryl and Chime sit obediently for treats.

Its that time of year where everything is growing so fast, I need to give regular updates or I'll get behind! First the zucchinis are still going, but suffering from blossom end rot, so I've topped them up with lots of gypsum to keep their calcium levels high.  I've also got some lovely little button squash growing, which are great if you just like a small amount of zucchini in your dinner! little button squash are great if you can't finish an entire zucchini! The zuchinni patch (+squashes) My tomatoes have been growing strongly and producing lots of green tomatoes that are taking FOREVER to ripen!  I noticed that one is finally turning red, so I can't wait to make tomato soup !  I have to admit I'm a bit relaxed with the organic gardening when it comes to tomatoes.  I let them go until I see a grub and then I shower them with tomato dust (very non-organic!) because I can't stand to see all my hardwork wasted.  But then I just leave it...