I bought some wheat for them...mmmm yeah I know I said they can just free range and eat scraps but they really were getting into all the wrong places....looking for scraps...(like under my bed) !!! They didn't like the mash so much any more, but it will be good in winter for them, when I add warm water...they went psycho when I put the wheat down, and for two days I hardly saw them...they ate so much they slept under trees most of the day...maybe that's where all the eggs are.... now the bugs have a chance to regroup and breed up ready for the next onslaught of the psycho chooks!
Must say Red is looking a lot better now that Chickadee (diva) is out of action. Her feathers have started growing back from the head area to halfway down her back, the vaseline treatment seems to have worked too, she is not pecking at her feet as much.
BUT!! My grandaughter Amber was checking Black Betty on her lap the other day and suddenly screwed up her face and went ooohhh... "Black Betty has dandruff"! I asked her to keep looking to see if it had legs or moved....you guessed right, except for the Diva, they all have mites, or lice whatever you call them. Groan, now what chemical do I have to buy and pour all over them to control these nasty little critters?, my dad suggested whitewashing the chookshed, that's what he did in the old days (he's over 80) he thinks they used to wipe them over with a 'rag dipped in kerosine' too...I wouln't even do that to the Diva..hehe, instead of spending time doing this I should be checking the net out for an organic cure.
Amber kept checking and suddenly looked up with a concerned serious look on her face and said "NANA, THEY HAVE ANTS TOO" another quick look and with a serious nod and a sigh confirmed this fact. Do they make flea collars for chooks....the way things are going I ought to hang some garlic round their necks to ward off vampires while I am at it...
The chooks and Jack the horse get along really well, his owners bring food for him every day as there is no grass growing yet, when it's 'barley and molasses in the old baby bath' day, the chooks come running, eagerly they line up for the left overs!
A full size horse eats a lot in a day and Jack broke my heart watching him just standing there waiting for meal time. There is nothing for him to look at or anything for him to do (not that he is into chess or anything) no grass to just graze away the day, so I decided to remove part of the chooks back fence and let him in to graze, there is grass in there because the spoilt chooks won't eat it and because they are free range they don't go there at all. I had a bit of trouble moving the big gate to the side, Jack wouldn't move out of my way and kept putting his head over it to see if I had some grass for him!!!!! - I must point out now that 'I AM REALLY SCARED OF HORSES AND CATTLE' - I summoned up all my strength and bravery and succeded in making an opening, he moved in and didn't stop eating for about an hour. One very happy Jack. My house mate got hold of a bale of hay and we feed it to him in between his other feeds.
After I fed Jack some scraps (old corn cobs and husks) I noticed he was still hungry so I got a 'biscuit' of hay and held it up in the chook pen for him to come in and eat...he forgot that the fence was partly open and hung his head over it...I had to go right up the other end and entice him round...I walked in front with it so I could get him into where I wanted him.. I was very brave.. the faster I walked the faster he walked I looked back and he was breathing down my neck, by the time I reached the spot -I think I was galloping!!!!
He would never hurt me I know that but my heart still races when I am near him.
It occured to me this morning that now I have removed part of the back fence in the chook pen the chooks can come and go as they wish, no need to wait on me to open the front door!!! ( the fence was easily hopped over by them anyway but they never bothered). But not these chooks, no back door for them, they were all there in line waiting for me...I sneak down there some mornings, just to spy on them but no matter how quiet I am, they know I am comming. One of them will start clucking and then all of them shuffle round the front door, I have to be careful opening the door inwards, as I have knocked Bindi off her feet before with it.
We have had some great rain this week and the vegies are looking good, I put barrow loads of horse manure on most of the beds, it wasn't too fresh but I hope it I didn't overdo it. I know the tomatoes will appreciate it. Most of the tomato crops this year have failed and some of my friends have pulled theirs out, but after a shakey start most of mine are ok now and producing a nice crop, won't break any records and the bite size ones are poorly but I have been able to give heaps away already.
After putting lime on my garden I noticed the beans leaves going yellow, I looked it up on the net and if I have too much lime in the soil they get deficient in iron, but thankfully I only bought a small bag, so I didn't overdo it and I noticed all the garden has some plants with yellowing leaves. Maybe the drought has had a greater effect than I thought. I have wonderful trays of seedlings to go in or give away, I started planting some yesterday, lettuce, cucumber (bit too late though) beetroot and more spring onions. I have picked some rhubarb to encourage the rest to grow better, at the moment I am eating;
- CORN
- BUTTER BEANS
- GREEN BEANS
- ZUCCHINI
- CARROTS
- PARSNIP
- SILVERBEET
- BEETROOT
- SPRING ONIONS
- TOMATOES
- BORLOTTI BEANS
- PEAS
- RADISH
SEEDLINGS
- CABBAGE
- CAULIFLOWER
- SPRING ONION
- SILVERBEET
- BEETROOT
- LETTUCE 3 VARIETIES
- BOKCHOY
- BRUSSEL SPROUTS
- BROCOLI
- and heaps and heaps of herbs
More photos next post, in fact mostly photos next time.
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