Lambs being born, broody hens, confused blossoms - in Autumn, Snake .... what is going on down South?!! Giggles, our turkey with an attitude, is sitting on eggs. Again. Fourth time in a year. But they never hatch. She's chosen a beautiful nursery for the eggs. In the lavender surrounded by rose geranium and Jerusalem artichokes. Meanwhile the two turkey chicks hatched by a Lohman hen are flourishing. They are spunky and interactive. Quite different to all the little timid Koekoek chicks they're growing up with.
Our previous summer batch of Koekoek chicks are no longer chicks. Almost full grown we ended up with 3/4 of the batch being roosters. And once again I throw my hands up in exasperation. That means only 14 hens out of more than 50 chicks hatched. It always fascinates me how the chickens prefer a wormwood bath. Wherever there's a patch of wormwood you can be sure there's a sandy hole underneath just waiting for a cackling clutter of hens.
We haven't yet integrated the young ones with the older, laying birds. It is always a challenge. Up until point of lay they are good and healthy free roamers. Something seems to switch in that bird brain once they begin laying. Then the destructive nature kicks in and they want to annihilate our gardens.
This week we transferred some of the potted plants - young date palms, pawpaw, avo, ginger and tumeric under the roof at the front door. It will be the most sheltered spot through winter. The BuckarooBabies are also helped top up the raised beds with soil. And compost. The drainage was poor and we're having to make changes. It is hard and dirty work.
The extreme temperatures are cause for alarm. The sheep are highly pregnant and the lambs have started dropping. Usually lambs arrive at the end of winter not the beginning. So many of our fruit trees are also confused by the fluctuating heat and cold. They're blossoming a season too soon. What this will mean for summer waits to be seen. For now we continue with winter preparation. Gardens for seedlings and nurseries for lambs or chickens.
Lovely pictures. Oh, those chickens are too naughty. Really lovely post that describes a piece of farm life most of us are unaccustomed to. Thank you for adding your valuable content to the EcoTrain
Thank you so much!
Hah! Love your writing. It makes me want to go to the ranch to see what's going on down there. You, see... we also got a case of misbehaved chickens \o\
@traisto we've got another case of hooligan chickens over here
Thanks @mrprofessor. My goats and the chickens have ganged up in world domination! Beginning one garden at a time.
Hahaha! @mrprofessor, they are all hooligans if they have the opportunity :)
It's the same here @buckaroobaby, all going crazy from the incredible difference of the temperature even from day to day. I hope they will find their way as animals and plants know better than us :)
I'm starting to believe chickens are planning to take over the world.
🤣🤣
I feel you about the hot and cold, my plums trees are weird, the flowers didn't get fertilized, we also had frost one night, and some fell! Crazy! Good to see you guys are all good!
Seems the crazy weather is across the world
Everything over here is confused. I didn't have a winter, but, in March, as spring had arrived after almost a month, it was shocked when we had temperatures of -5C!! Three nights in a row. We didn't have anything that cold all winter!
So, my cherries had an early demise, as did my Bradford pear.
Lambs already? How wonderful!!! A chickens galore. (and roosters too!) Boo hiss! What do you do with you roosters? In a laying operation, they are surely a drain on the feed bill, yes? I am not sure what their role in life is. Here, they would probably get sent to a petting farm or such.
Life sure is crazy right now. Today is 100% spring again, except the last three days too a lot of my flowers away.
Le sigh.