All things FOWL

Chickens and Ducks…. Who would have thought we’d ever have our own! We purchased 5 Isa Brown pullets (young hens not quite ready to start laying) after our first week on the farm. Frans and our friend John went to the Poultry auction at the Colac showgrounds. Frans says they didn’t bother going inside. Instead they purchased the chooks from a lady who pulled up outside in her ute who was selling all sorts of farm animals. She was obviously well known as a lot of people seemed to be waiting for her. So at $20 each, we were the proud owners of five chickens in various shades of rusty brown. My brother Lionel decided to name them. So we have Roast, Soup, Stew, Curry and Stirfry!

Scratching around in the garden. Free Range!

We kept them in their flash chicken palace for a couple of days to get them used to their new residence. Then Frans let them out for a few hours each afternoon to forage for bugs and tasty bits in the back yard. Getting them back into the coop in the late afternoon took a bit of manoeuvring and cajoling. Frans decided that seeing that we had a dog that was half cattle dog, we would use Nala to help round up the ‘girls’. It was an exciting few minutes each afternoon as Frans issued instructions for Nala to bring the chooks in. Well, mostly the instructions were for her not to eat them! Frans and Nala have got the hang of it now, and together they can bring them in quickly. With me on the other hand, it is a different story altogether. Frans went to the city one day by train which meant he’d only be home after dark. So I had the task of getting the chickens into their enclosure for the night. I thought I’d use Nala to help me. Big mistake. She’s her master’s dog.  She did not know what I was on about. So instead she chased the chickens enthusiastically around the water tanks. Four of the five chickens scooted through the escape hatch and settled themselves back inside the coop. That left one crazy bird and Nala outside. Round and round they went. Finally Nala chased Mrs Soup over the electric fence and into our neighbour’s paddock. That’s where a big bull roams freely, so I was not about to go and chase after her. I called, clucked and begged. No chicken. I gave up and carried on with other chores. Periodically I would go back to the chicken run and see if she had come back. Nothing. I gave up when it got dark and hoped that the foxes wouldn’t get to her. Frans came home from his little trip and I told him I’d managed to loose a chicken.  He went to have a look to see if he could find her.  And there she was. Sitting on top of the food barrel at the door to the coop. What a good girl!

This event led to the ceremoniously clipping of their wings. So now instead of the chickens taking off over the fence in clumsy flight, they will instead do summersaults and shake themselves off in confusion.

Catching the chooks to perform this task is a major excersize in patience!

Which brings us to the purpose of having chickens at all. It’s for the eggs! Free range, organic, no fish meal, no cruelty, just happy chickens giving us lovely golden yellow yolked eggs. So three weeks into having five pullets, we still had no eggs. How much longer? We’re starting to wander if these are going to be very expensive pets! We organised for a friend named Wes to build us a chook feeder. It’s a home grown contraption that allows the chickens to eat their grain without the rats and birds getting to it. Wes is a fountain of knowledge. He told us that we could tell by the colour of the chicken combs whether they were ready to lay or not. Our ‘girls’ combs were still a little pink, except for one who had a deeper red comb. Once the combs turn red, they will lay. And he was right. A day later we had our first egg!

Wes' groovy chicken feeder.

Frans and I went into the coop a couple of mornings later, hoping to find another egg or two, but nothing yet. Frans had called me to come and have a look. One of the chickens was nesting in the nesting box. The rest of the chickens were gathered around her looking at her and hopefully learning! This was indeed a good sign. Soon she stuck her neck out of the box and started clucking madly. Not five minutes later, she hopped out of her box and there it was… another egg. Fresh and warm! And yes, they do come out hard! Us city folk really have no idea about farm life. What we take for granted is incredible. We felt like proud parents. We’d just witnessed the ‘birth’ of an egg. The problem is we don’t know if it’s the same chook that laid the first egg, or if it’s one of her posse.  We check the coop with great anticipation each morning now. Will we have a full quota of five eggs per day soon? We hope so!

An egg is on the way....

Still warm...

We are into egg production!

And then there is the story of the ducks. Sara and Stephen decided that they really wanted some ducks. Stephen has always wanted a duck named Mr Harold. Don’t ask me why… it is what it is. So a couple of weeks ago, they arrived on the farm one Saturday morning with a shoe box that had holes thumped into the lid. Emitting from the box were a lot of scratching sounds along with little ‘peeps’. They presented us with Mr Harold, Martha and Goose. Again, don’t ask where the names come from. The only problem is that it’s almost impossible to tell them apart.

So cute....

They gave us a bag of duck food and a list of instructions. The ducks had to remain warm and under a light for two weeks. What? That meant they had to stay inside. Mmm… not sure about that. All was fine for the first week. They were still small, fluffy and cuddly. Then they started to grow. Quickly. Ducks do nothing much except eat and poop. They quickly outgrew their first box and a bigger one was sought. Not only do they need clean water a number of times a day, they also need clean straw and more food. Lots more food! They finished that first back of food in about a week. When Sara and Stephen returned the following weekend, a new enclosure had to be thought of. The ducklings were getting too big for the box all day.

This is the first box. They outgrew this box within the first week.

So a discarded dog pen was used. The ducklings could sit in the sun in the mornings, and be brought back inside at night. Let me just say, ducks stink. A lot. They have now hit the 2 week mark since they came to live on the farm. So they have graduated to the chicken coop. They spent their first night there last night. Still in the box, covered with wire mesh just in case the chooks feel aggressive towards their new chicken coop mates. Watching the new feathers emerge is fascinating.

The ducks now have their own private pool, complete with ramp.

Frans decided to give the ducks some play time outside. Catching them proved entertaining! For me!

Alan, Sonja and Amelie came for the weekend. The ducks were a bit hit. Duck duty was undertaken by all! Changing water, straw and feeding them.

"So soft and fluffy Daddy"

They grow daily. Before long we will have beautiful white Pekings wandering around the garden eating the slugs. Hopefully.

Otway Fields

A month ago today we moved to our ‘tree change’ property in the Otways. We have named our little farm Otway Fields. We thought this would be a multipurpose name. It would work as a B&B and look good on a jam jar!

Stephen, Sara, Ami, Frans and Nala!

Moving day was a monster day. Two big trucks, three burly fellows, and about five hours later, everything was unpacked. We were very pleased with our movers. They did an excellent job. We had very little damage.

It took 3 blokes to push the doors shut!

Nala had to be chained up. We didn't want her taking off down the road. She just stayed in her bed and observed the proceedings from the sidelines!

Over the following week we unpacked and unpacked. Finding a spot for everything is always a challenge. I concentrated on the kitchen first. The last box I had packed at the old house in Melbourne was supposed to be the first box I would unpack on the farm. Unfortunately, it was buried in the far corner of the porch with mountains of boxes on top and in front of it. So no kettle. No plunger. Bugger. Fortunately our good friends who live just through the forrest  loaded us up with a basket of essentials. We could have coffee. Starting a day without a cuppa is just not going to happen. We were touched by the welcome we received from friends in the country. We had meals provided and I didn’t need to cook for 4 days. It was so easy. Norma made us a delicious pot of potato and chirizo soup. Prue supplied us with a lovely Moussaka. Our neighbours brought us fresh eggs.  We received welcome cards. We are going to love living here.

Packing space is a challenge. I've put all my entertaining crockery in the old fashioned cupbaord in the laundry.

All the bulk foods (tinned tomatoes, coffee etc) are also relegated to the laundry cupboard.

I'm learning to use the wood fired store. It warms the house beautifully.

We have slowly organised ourselves into a routine. We needed to purchase farm ‘stuff’. So every time we went into town, which is around 20kms away, we would make a list of things to do. Going to town for just one thing is not an option. There’s no just nipping down to Safeway for milk or bread. The trip has to have a number of requirements. We found the co-op. What an interesting shop. Horses bridles, sheep drench, fencing kits, lime for the chook shed, gum boots, bread flour… yes… bread flour! I bought two big bags of organic flour. (I’ve been baking my own bread for over a year now and will keep doing so). We changed our address details at many places. The beauty of living in a small country town is that there is never a queue. Going into the Vic Roads office is a breeze. No numbering system. Just walk up to the counter and do your thing. The same applied at the Medicare office, the Electoral office and the bank.

Our first few weeks on the farm have been a learning experience. We attended a course in Camperdown on Composting. It may sound boring, but it was a very informative day. The speaker was Dr Elaine Ingham, and American scientist who specialises in soil biology. We came away wanting to get our compost system up and running as soon as possible. The benefits are huge. The least of which is a reduction in the number of weeds you will have on your property. We hope.

In our third week we attended a two day workshop on Organic Farming. It was an introduction into the requirements and benefits of being certified organic. The rules are incredibly strict. We will endeavour to operate our farm by the organic guidelines, but unless we enter the market and actually sell our produce we won’t bother getting the actual certification.

The pool is behind the hedge. The two trees you see are crab apples.

The garden is beautiful. And vast! There are 5 enormous raised vegetable beds. There are lovely flower garden beds and plenty of fruit trees and ornamentals. I have a greenhouse which is a huge bonus. The weather here in the Otways is cold and wet during Winter. Spring is a little later here, so getting some seeds started in the greenhouse means we get our summer veggies going sooner. So I’ve created a spread sheet (record keeping is essential when planting up a number of garden beds) of all the seeds that need to be planted. The first batch of seed trays are sitting in the greenhouse being warmed. The beetroot has sprouted. A mini victory. I check these trays every day, inspecting them closely for the first signs of little green buds pushing their way through the soil.

I have claimed this corner of the enclosed verandah as my spot. I just love looking out of the windows. Mornings are usually misty. They are the best part of the day!

I've organised all my seeds according to their planting locations and times.

Nala keeps me company. It's truly a dogs life!

This is my temprorary potting bench. I'm sharing the shed with the chooks and the ducks.

The start of the seedling trays sitting in the green house.

The green house is big!

  

Don't believe that little red label! This stuff stinks!

We have done a lot of mulching with our new mulcher. What a dream. We had our fruit trees pruned a couple of weeks ago. I’ve also cut back some overgrown garden beds and pruned around 40 rose bushes. The mulcher just blitzes all the off cuts in a flash. We’ve had a few moments where we’ve jammed it with follage that is too soft or green, but we’re learning what can be mulched and what can’t. In the process we are creating a wonderful compost heap. This is biodynamics and permaculture at its basic level. Compost.  Beautiful stuff.

Nala is loving the farm. She is in her element. She has always been an inside dog. Spoiled one may say. Moving to the farm has meant that we have the challenge of dirty, muddy paws to contend with. Yes, we could just make her stay outside, but she’s an old lady now. And it’s cold outside! Yes, I’m a souk when it comes to Nala. She used to wake Frans up every night around 3 or 4 am to go outside for a wee. But since being on the farm, she sleeps in till around 7.30am! She’s exhausted from all her running around and exploring. So far she has not wandered out of the gate. The garden is big enough for her to play in. We need to keep an eye on her around the ducklings and chickens. She’s more used to the chickens now. But the ducklings still sound too much like her squeaky ball. She stands at their enclosure, licking her lips! “No Nala” is our catch phrase when she’s near the birds.

Nala looking very interested in the chickens....

Our ‘to do’ lists are growing! There are so many chores to be done. The trick is to prioritise them, otherwise we feel like we are not achieving much. There is wood to be chopped and stacked, garden beds to be planted, trees to be netted and the list goes on...

What beautiful moss you find on a piece of firewood....

Vegetable garden beds waiting for warmer weather before they get planted up.

At the end of the day, there is nothing more satisfying then to realise that 'we have done it'!

Stay tuned for more farm adventures!

Going AWOL for a bit...

I've been missing in action for a while.... blame it on the big move coming up shortly. In the mean time we are packing madly. I'll be back blogging about our new life in the country as soon as we're sorted and settled!

Till then.....
Cheers!

SOLD!

A picture says a thousand words!

Now the fun really begins.... packing!

A for April. A for ACTION!

The pitter patter of tiny feet..... Yes, we have another baby in the family. Well, we call the Eckerts family! Emma and Jed welcomed little Valeenah into the world on the 11th of April in Brisbane. She's absolutely beautiful. Well done Em! No drugs!

Here is a little pair of booties I made to match the two little jackets below.

I'm addicted to the BSJ pattern. It's an all in one knitting project. The stripes add wonderful designs to the jacket. 

The jacket below was crocheted. Quick and very cute! 

To add to the BSJ obsession, I made this little orange sunshine number for my friend Janelle's little grand daughter to be. She's due in a few weeks. 

Summer Harvest - all gone!

These are the last of the tomatoes. Boy, did we get a bumper crop this year! There were also a decent number of zucchinis, spring onions and one lonely cucumber! 

Oh, and let's not forget the small handful of my first batch of potatoes. I need to work on the growing technique. Horse feed bags (from my friend Fi) just didn't give me a big enough harvest. So I'm looking forward to seeing what I can grow in proper garden beds on the farm. 

FARM

Speaking of the farm... Frans and I took a drive down there a couple of weeks ago. On our way home we stopped off at Moriac, a very small Victorian country town. I just loved this ute! No, I won't get one for myself, but it does make you think 'pure Aussie outback'! 

Below is a picture of the farm we DIDN'T buy. It was set on the side of a very steep hill. And smack bang in the middle of the Otways. ie. High fire danger. Very pretty, but not for us.

The view below is a snippet of the Great Ocean Rd. We will be about 20 minutes drive from the sea. Perfect!

And the preparation for moving to the farm continues. Our home is up for auction. It's just a tad stressful! Lots of changes in the Hillege household are happening to make this dream come true.

 

One of the first changes, was getting rid of our old telly and replacing it with a big flash number. We have been wanting a flat screen for ages, but didn't have any reason to buy one as ours was perfectly ok. But, a more modern piece of technology looks better in the big lounge. Hopefully prospective home buyers will think so too! Now we just have to get rid of the old one. They're worth nothing. And you can't drop them off to the charity shops. They don't accept electrical goods. So it will sadly either go the tip or end up stored in a shed on the farm. Just in case... Here Frans is playing with the settings, getting it 'just right'.

And we've started packing. We have hired a storage space to store our boxes and excess furniture. We have decluttered the house and it's looking like a show home. Rather empty..... But that's the way you have to present it. 

And the biggest change this month has been the saddest one.....  Our little bird has flown the nest! Yes, Sara and Stephen have found a lovely old art deco flat close to the city. They moved in last weekend. She's become house proud instantly! It's been such fun watching her find a spot for all her goodies that she's collected over time! 

And some jobs are just better left to the men! Here is Stephen and his crazy mate Johnny, putting the bed together. 

And something to end this post with.... Many years ago, I visited my lovely sister Marie in Pensylvania, USA. She lived in the most beautiful spot on a lovely old farm. I took a walk one day and passed a farm with this really cool sign. I loved it. And I wanted a farm with a sign! Well, we're getting our farm. Now we have to find a suitable name for it. So we're starting to throw around ideas. And my dream is getting closer... I'm hoping to have a groovy sign up by Christmas!

And here is our new farm entrance. It definitely calls for a sign!

Willow Farm? Freedom Valley Farm? New Hope Farm? Hunter's Farm? any ideas?....

What we've been up to!

Well, I've been a little slack on the blogging front the past few weeks. The reason.... we've been busy!

We have been cleaning up our place. Painting, fixing, planting, shining.....

We are selling our lovely home in Melbourne. We're going to auction on the 7th of May.

And this is where we are going:

Gerangamete. In the Otways.

Doesn't this new home look devine? We have always wanted to live in the country. And now we're making the move! It's exciting and terrifying all at the same time.

We hope to be moving to the farm around the begining of August.