I was a bit sore and sorry today after yesterday's efforts in the yard, so I confined myself to lighter activities such as photography and light housework. I thought I would share some photos of our garden. This is the first year that we have tried having a serious vege garden as opposed to growing a couple of lettuces in a pot.

 

Roma Tomatoes

 

They're floweing!

Dwarf Peas

Various Lettuces

Pumpkin seedlings

These are just the first few things we have planted and we've already eaten a few leaves off some of the lettuces. They're very tasty and soo fresh! Free Range egg and home grown lettuce on a sandwich. It doesn't get any better than that.

 

I also took photos of some of the other plants in our garden.

 

Sunflower Seedlings sprouting for the chooks

 

The flowering Mulberry tree!

A native honey bee pollenating the mulberry blossom

More Mulberry flowers

Young Marigolds

Mango blossom

Budding Jasmine

Jasmine

Not sure what this is called, but it's pretty!

 

 

Last night, Sandra shared a quote with me from a book she is reading it was a quote by Aristotle which goes: "All men by nature desire knowledge..." It is from Aristotle's work on Metaphysics, and I think that it is a very true statement. I think all of us want to know things. Things about ourselves, the world we inhabit, the people we come into contact, and anything else that strikes our fancy at the time. We want to know how things work, whe want to know how to do things, such as playing an instrument, or driving a car.

I find that I am not immune to this desire to know. I have an unending curiosity about the world and nature and people that drives me to study, to investigate, to discover more about those thing, and it drives me to want to learn. The problem is, I don't know if I can still learn. I mean, yes, I am capable of learning. I do that, every day, but I am talking in a formal sense. I don't know if I have the ability, the stamina or whatever, to learn formally in a university/class type setting.

I've ventured into learning three times this year. The first course I undertook, I managed quite well, and was pleased by my progress. The second and third? No so much. In fact, I dropped both subjects because I wasn't coping with it. But I sit here at my computer late at night, and like a porn addict, I cruise university websites. I secretly troll through pages upon pages of information about various courses...my latest fixation being natural medicine and homeopathy. Sometimes, I even fill in enquiry forms and send them, and then hope no one contacts me!

I really do have an interest in natural medicines and homeopathy, though, but still wonder if when it came right down to it, I would be able to complete a course on it? I imagine myself doing so and I imagine the pride I would feel in achieving that, but then I sit here and sigh and think...I'd probably never make it. That thought makes me angry and sad. My brain never used to be so soggy, foggy and full of fear like this. Is this what it's like to get old, or is there some other problem holding me back.

Hmmm...it is to ponder.

I had a very busy day in the yard, today. Actually, because I have limited abilities, I had a very busy couple of hours, that felt like a whole day. LOL.

It started out with the Bokashi Bucket springing a leak on the kitchen counter, which meant that I had to deal with the contents of the bucket in order to fix the leak, so I decided that since it was pretty nearly full anyway, I would bury the contents in the backyard, in the place where we intend to put our composting bins when we set them up. So out I went with a spade and a hoe to dig a suitable trench for the bokashi. 

Since I was digging anyway, I also decided that I would gather up windfallen citrus and bury them along with the bokashi compost so that the EM (Effective Microorganisms) from the Bokashi would help to break them down underground. So I grabbed a bucket and went around the yard, collecting up all the fallen cumquats, mandarins and oranges. I also pulled a few spoiled lemons from the lemon tree. (our orchard produces far more than two people can eat!).

The chooks came over to see what I was up to, "Wha-wha-what?" they cooed to me as they pecked at the ground under the trees where I had picked up the fruit. They found some tasty grubs in the still damp earth and were well satisfied, wandering away again once they'd eaten them.

I paused for a while, standing near the plum trees and watching soft white petals drift like snowflakes on the playful breeze.  A pair of kookaburra's chortled and guffawed in the Eucalyptus tree at the end of the yard. In the branches of the plum trees, a plum headed finch dodged his own shadow and flirted with me and my camera as he sipped nectar from the blossoms. The air was filled with the heady scent of jasmine, hinting at the warm spring and summer to come.

 

Image from Wikipedia.com

 

But dawdling under the plum tree was not getting my work done, so I carted my bucket of citrus over to the composting area and started to dig a trench.

The earth was soft, rich, alive, and smelled delicious, like rich chocolate in the warm, springlike sunshine. I started to perspire as I worked and the thought of sweet, ripe mandarins on the tree was tempting me to stop for a break.

I kept at it though and finally had a trench spade deep, ready to put the fruit and the Bokashi into. It only took a few moments to bury the fruit and I went to pick one of those tempting Mandarins, carrying it down the patio to eat. It was every bit as delicious as I'd anticipated and did a lot to quench the thirst I'd worked up.

After a little while, Sandra came outside, taking a break from her studies and we decided to dig out a dead banksia tree from in front of the aviary. This is a job that has been on the list for a while, and why not get it done while the tools for the job were already out of the shed?

It took a while, but we eventually broke off the stubborn roots and got the old, dead tree up out of the ground.

It was time for a well deserved lunch and an afternoon spent on the patio with a glass of chilled apple juice and a good book.

The chooks were going absolutely stir crazy today after days being pent up because of wet weather, so I decided to let them out despite the rain. I'd been keeping them in, thinking that young chooks can get sick if they get wet, but after asking advice from some of my more experienced chicken keeping friends, I was assured that this only applies to chicks and young fowl less than 20 weeks of age.

 

All my girls are past 20 weeks, so I decided this morning, to let them out.

 

When I got to the henhouse, there was a pleasant surprise awaiting me. Bertha had laid her first egg! My 'baby' sussex is now a big girl.

 

 

 

 Hers is the egg at right in the picture. Sadly, it got a little fouled in the production, which can happen occasionally, but it was easily washed. The plastic eggs at either end of the real ones are 'dummies' placed in the nest to encourage the hens to use the nestbox rather than laying out in the yard, or on the ground in the chicken run.

 

There was also a visitor in the yard, today. A little scrub turkey had come to call.

 

 

 

I think this was a male bird and only young as his wattles aren't fully developed as yet. I don't know if he was just passing through, or was checking out our yard with a view to building his nest mound here. He seemed a bit confused, thinking my birds were female scrub turkeys. He kept following them around, making his soft little Goob? Goob? call, but if he got too close either Boss, or Rosie chased him off. I left them alone as the chooks seemed to have the situation under control. The last I saw of "Goober" he was heading down the driveway at a jog after I shut the hens in for the night. I wonder if he decided this wasn't the best place for a nest after all?

 

The chooks seemed to enjoy their rainy day ramble and weren't too wet when I put them in for the night.

 

Bertha got a little muddy, though it is hard to see here.

Wynona looked the most bedraggled but Boss's gloss is still present.

 

Nosie Rosie has wet hackles but the rest is fairly dry.

Waiting for dinner.

 

 

 

The wild bird mix that we have scattered for sprouting in what will be the summer run for the chooks is loving this wet weather!

 

 

So, that was the rainy day that was.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had to take a trip to my doctor this morning for a general checkup and to get some prescriptions renewed for my meds, so when I got home, I decided I would do a quick checkup of the chooks.

 

I had bought some Colloidal Silver while I was out, having heard this is a handy tonic for either bacterial or viral infection and with Rosie still a little bit lack lustre, and Bertha occasionally still coughing, I decided to give both girls a dose (just one or two drops from an eyedropper) of CS internally.

 After that was done, I thought it might be a good idea to weigh them all as I hadn't got a baseline weight since getting them. Rosie has filled out a bit again since I've been treating her for her mysterious weightloss and lethargy, so I thought it would be good to know just what she does weigh.

Each of my hens are what's known as 'first years' so they're probably not at their full adult weight yet, particularly Bertha who is a Light Sussex, a late maturing breed.

So, how do you weigh a chook? It's not as simple as just asking her to step onto the scales, after all and I don't have a hanging scale like my dad used to use for his chickens. I decided I'd have to do it the old fashioned way and step onto the scales myself, holding each hen by turns.

That actually worked out very well, and their weights are as follows.

Rosie (ISA Brown): 2.2kg (4.8pds) About right for the lower end of the scale with her breed. Would like to see her put on a little more though.

Bertha (Light Sussex): 3.5kg (7.7pds) Within a healthy weight for her breed, but there is no upper limit on weight in the standard, so she could put on more without it being too worrisome.

Boss: (Australorp Utility): 2.6kg (5.7pds) Again, not too bad for her type.

Wynona (Gold Laced Wyandotte): 2.8kg (6.16pds) She is close to the right weight for an adult of her breed, needs just a little fattening. More canned tuna for her!

Of course, I am not too obsessive over the weight of the chickens really. It's only a part of the picture and health in chickens is judged more by their laying, feeding, and sociability than their weight. All of them are eating well, foraging happily when they get the chance to free range, and are happy to scratch around and gossip with each other in their coop.

As for interest in food? Well, if the way they chased me all the way to the henhouse when they saw me with a can of sardines this afternoon is anything to go by...

 

Further to my post of yesterday about giving a pill to a chicken, I thought I would post these humorous instructions on how to dose a cat or dog with a pill.

 

How to give the cat a pill

1. Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.
2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.
3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.
4. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.
5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden.
6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.
7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines and vases from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.
8. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.
9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.
10. Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.
11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus jab. Throw Tee-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.
12. Ring fire brigade to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil-wrap.
13. Tie cat's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet steak. Hold head vertically and pour 2 pints of water down throat to wash pill down.
14. Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture shop on way home to order new table.
15. Arrange for SPCA to collect cat and ring local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.

 

How to give the dog a pill

1. Wrap it in bacon.

http://www.i-pets.com/hdogcat2.html

 

 

From time to time, chickens can and do get ill, just as humans do. This can range from something as simple as eating something that disagrees with her, right up to life threatening illnesses such as cancer or a form of paralysis called Marek's disease.

Sometimes it is easy to diagnose the problem, and other times, it is really just guesswork and or acting on a hunch.

I have been watching Rosie (pictured) my little ISA Brown for about a week now, not entirely happy with her state of health, but unable to decide if she had anything really ailing her or not.

She's been just... different. Not her usual self. She's lost a little weight, has had some diarrheoa, and keeps shaking her head, all of which can be signs of a respiratory illness in chickens, and yet, otherwise she's been well. No sneezing, no sniffles, no wheezing, no cough, no signs of lice or intestinal worms. I'd been treating her symptoms by feeding her a little extra protein, and just making sure there was plenty of fresh, clean water available, and monitoring her condition for any deterioration.

 

Today, deciding it won't kill her, even if it doesn't cure her, I decided to give her a dose of tissue salts combination 12. This is a homeopathic remedy which I take when I feel the onset of a cold and find that it helps to fight off the virus/infection before it takes hold, so I figured it might be worth a try for Rosie. It is a general tonic which is useful in the treatment of overall fatigue and exhaustion.

Given the tiny trace amount of active ingredients in these pills, I decided to dose her with a whole pill and see how she goes.

I was a bit nervous going up to the pen to get her, having never done this before. I caught her and took her into the coop, away from the others and got her settled on my lap. I then calmly got hold of her head and opened her beak, to which she objected a little bit, but not strenuously. I looked down her throat and then tossed in the pill and closed her beak again. I felt her swallow as soon as her beak was closed. She sat on my lap and turned her head to look me right in the eye as much as to say "Hey, if you wanted to give me a treat, you could just give it to me." 

She sat and cuddled a little while and I gently scratched her belly under the feathers which always makes her close her eyes and drift off for a short nap. After a while she lightly hopped down from my lap and went off to eat some greens, neither of us the worse for wear.

The other hens crowded around her, asking "What did you get? Is there any for us?" Rosie seemed a little bit smug about getting something that the others hadn't been given. (Typical chook politics!)

I got several 'no fair!' glares from the other hens as I left the coop. hehehe

Wow! I wish it was that simple to worm my cat!!

My chickens truly never cease to amaze and amuse me and yesterday was no exception.

 

We have had a change in the weather the last few days with rain settling in for most of yesterday, so when I went to collect the eggs in the morning, I used an umbrella to keep me dry while I went up to the hen house.

 

Being quite used to the idea of an umbrella myself, it didn't occur to me that the chooks had never seen one in their lives before. I sallied forth through the light rain, carrying a dish of food with me, my mind occupied with feeding the hens, getting the eggs, opening their day run and all the usual things that run through my head on the 30 meter walk to the coops.

 

Usually when the chooks hear me coming, they run to the door to see what I have brought them, but on this occasion, they seemed a bit reticent. I stood staring at them in consternation. They stood at the opposite end of the coop, staring back with varying shades of alarm on their beaky little faces.

 

"What on earth is wrong with you lot?" I asked, glancing around for any signs of a snake, hawk or other predator.

 

Silence. Stares. Frozen postures.

And then it dawned on me.

 

"Oh! Silly chookies! That's just an ubrella!" I folded it and laid it on the ground and was cautiously rewarded by the hens creeping forward to greet me with dubious clucks of recognition as they each kept one wary eye on the now 'dead thing' lying on the ground by my feet.

 

We got on with the usual morning routine and then I walked back to the house, chuckling all the way about the incident.

 

I love those silly birds!

A couple of days ago, there was an "anti-gay marriage" rally held in Australia's Capitol, Canberra at which various members of parliament, public, religious lobbyists etc put their case to the Government against the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Australia. That is fine. I have no problem with this kind of democratic process. I've had my chance to put my case, and I have done so through various means, including writing to my representatives etc and arguing FOR the legalisation of same-sex marriage.

What I objected to, was the tactic employed by one particular group in having an American right wing commentator speak for them. Not only do I object to the fact that this... person is not an Australian, but I take enormous exception to her words and I quote:

US conservative commentator Rebecca Hagelin reportedly told a crowd of a few hundred people who had paid $30 a head to attend the event that if same-sex marriage were legalised then “anything … could be called marriage” – using the examples of group marriages and marriage between children and paedophiles.

Hagelin said there was “no greater evil” in the world than supporters of same-sex marriage and that they were engaging in a “war for the future of the human race”.

 Emphasis mine.

Ohhhh! I am soo mad! This woman can, as far as I am concerned

 

Go back to America and keep your nose out of OUR business!

That's all.

http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/2011/08/16/anti-marriage-crowd-small/59392

 

There are lots of signs in the garden at the moment that spring is on its way. I was delighted this morning when I went outside and took a deep breath, smelling the apple and plum blossoms on the air. It is so wonderful to see the plum tree which had done a convincing impersonation of death all winter, bursting into bud a few days ago, and then, today...

 

 

Another sure sign of spring in our garden is when the Pheasant Coucal returns. Although it looks like a pheasant, it is actually a variety of Cuckoo which nests in our yard each year. We really know spring is approaching when this bird shows up.

 

These birds have a soft, haunting call which carries a long distance. You can hear samples of the calls at the link above. I feel very privileged to have got these photos as this bird is extremely shy and we only see it very occasionally. 

 

And of course, spring/summer would just not be complete without dear little Willie Wagtail!