Halloween isn't celebrated around here. So, I wonder why that little bug bothered?
Showing posts with label animals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label animals. Show all posts
Monday, 27 October 2014
All dressed up...
...and nobody to scare.
Halloween isn't celebrated around here. So, I wonder why that little bug bothered?
Does anyone have an idea what bug that could be? It looks quite funky, doesn't it? :)
Halloween isn't celebrated around here. So, I wonder why that little bug bothered?
Friday, 21 June 2013
Meet the Big Boy!
Here is our new rooster. He's a big boy! We don't have a name for him yet, any suggestions? At the moment we call him - wait for it - Big Boy!
This is his first morning with our girls. He was a bit reluctant to get off the perch. Can't blame him, the weather is pretty bad today.
He is pretty, isn't he? Also very gentle with the girls so far.
He is pretty, isn't he? Also very gentle with the girls so far.
Friday, 31 May 2013
The ladybirds are back!
They usually invade our house in Autumn. It's quite a conversation piece, when friends visit and they notice all these ladybirds along the cornices.
They slowly disappear and by Winter they are all gone again. Where to? Who knows?
Saturday, 29 December 2012
Guard sheep....
...try entering through that door! She's not budging for anyone.
At a friend's place. :)
Saturday, 4 August 2012
Destruction!
All was well this morning. Then we went out for a bit over 2 hours. And came back to a scene of destruction on the balcony.
Something (I suspect white cockatoos) had attacked my succulents. It (or they?) must have gone from one pot to another.
The flat-ish terracotta pot on the top rack had 3 healthy succulents in it. One landed on the rack below (behind the pots), one ended up on the ground.
The one left in the pot was hacked at. Nice bite marks, ey?
Then it went to the next pot and ripped that out (but it didn't manage to drop it on the floor) and attacked it.
That's the ground underneath the next rack.
Where most of my aloe vera (and some dragon fruit & cardamom plants) where decimated.
As you can imagine, I'm slightly* upset. I just hope the culprits don't come back for more. :(
*bit of an understatement, actually.
Something (I suspect white cockatoos) had attacked my succulents. It (or they?) must have gone from one pot to another.
The flat-ish terracotta pot on the top rack had 3 healthy succulents in it. One landed on the rack below (behind the pots), one ended up on the ground.
*bit of an understatement, actually.
Friday, 18 May 2012
Tired of mowing and weeding?
Your sheep will be happy to help.
Fence in the over-grown area in your front yard, open gate. And the sheep are already waiting to move in.
Sheep heaven!
Kikuyu grass is taking over? Treat the chooks to a green feast. Fence in the area, make sure there is a water supply.
Chook heaven!
We had to cover the 'pen' with netting, as the chooks saw even better & greener grass on the other side, and kept flying over. Even with their wings clipped. There's no pleasing some chooks!
Fence in the over-grown area in your front yard, open gate. And the sheep are already waiting to move in.
Sheep heaven!
Kikuyu grass is taking over? Treat the chooks to a green feast. Fence in the area, make sure there is a water supply.
Chook heaven!
Friday, 6 January 2012
Sunday, 11 December 2011
Laughing Kookaburra
...sitting on a post.
It sat still for quite a while and I was able to get fairly close. They are lovely birds, aren't they? I love hearing their laughter in the trees.
Then it had enough of all that and flew off.
It sat still for quite a while and I was able to get fairly close. They are lovely birds, aren't they? I love hearing their laughter in the trees.Then it had enough of all that and flew off.
Saturday, 10 December 2011
Have you ever seen...
...a chook with a leg in plaster?
Here it is.
No, this is not one of ours. A lovely friend, whose name I shall not mention to protect the (crazy? mad? very caring?) person, had to take this chook to the vet. Blame the new dog, who caused this accident. Anyway, after the X-ray (which revealed a broken leg), the plaster was put on. Isn't she cute?
Here it is.
No, this is not one of ours. A lovely friend, whose name I shall not mention to protect the (crazy? mad? very caring?) person, had to take this chook to the vet. Blame the new dog, who caused this accident. Anyway, after the X-ray (which revealed a broken leg), the plaster was put on. Isn't she cute?
Friday, 7 January 2011
Visitors to the garden
Most of the times I leave vegetable plants in their beds, long after they have finished producing vegetables. Mainly because they flower profusely, look pretty, attract lots of insect life, and then give us tons of seeds for the next season.
The leeks are flowering at the moment. They are amazing plants, from the time the flower buds develop, then shed their little 'hats', until finally they develop their flowers.
Yesterday evening there were at least 20 butterflies circling above the leek bed.
Settling here and there.
Opening and closing their wings.
Busy feeding on the flowers.
And generally just looking incredibly pretty.
Sometimes there were as many as 3 butterflies on one flower.
You can't beat entertainment like that! :)
The leeks are flowering at the moment. They are amazing plants, from the time the flower buds develop, then shed their little 'hats', until finally they develop their flowers.
Yesterday evening there were at least 20 butterflies circling above the leek bed.
Settling here and there.
Opening and closing their wings.
Busy feeding on the flowers.
And generally just looking incredibly pretty.
Sometimes there were as many as 3 butterflies on one flower.
You can't beat entertainment like that! :)
Friday, 11 June 2010
RIP Lambie
RIP Lambie the Sheep
1997 - 2010
Lambie the sheep passed away today. She has been very slow this week and the only thing keeping her going was spending most of her day in the front yard grazing on lush green grass, nibbling on lupins and porridge with vitamin powder hidden in it. Today she did not want to come into the garden, she did want lots of pats though. The above photo was taken earlier this week while she was enjoying the garden. Just before she passed away the other 3 sheep gathered near by to look at her, Lambie looked back at them and they went on their way, I think she was actually saying goodbye to them.
Lambie came to us in 2000 with her new lamb Psycho. 5 months later she had another boy lamb named Johnny, we then let her retire from breeding. She still had a tail which is why her previous owners named her lambie. We have actually called her the old girl for the past few years.
4 and half years ago we had the vet to see her because she was not eating and seemed to be giving up on life as she had lost all her teeth. Turned out she had a spot of pneumonia and was up in no time after her treatment. From then on we made sure she got plenty of lupins and access to the lush grass in the front yard a couple of times a week. The vet actually was not hopeful that she would recover, we even dug her a grave which is now the bio-char pit. But she always was a greedy guts and that has kept her alive for so long.
We will miss the old girl, she is survived by her two boys Psycho and Johnny. We will farewell her tomorrow with a big bonfire.
Lambie came to us in 2000 with her new lamb Psycho. 5 months later she had another boy lamb named Johnny, we then let her retire from breeding. She still had a tail which is why her previous owners named her lambie. We have actually called her the old girl for the past few years.
4 and half years ago we had the vet to see her because she was not eating and seemed to be giving up on life as she had lost all her teeth. Turned out she had a spot of pneumonia and was up in no time after her treatment. From then on we made sure she got plenty of lupins and access to the lush grass in the front yard a couple of times a week. The vet actually was not hopeful that she would recover, we even dug her a grave which is now the bio-char pit. But she always was a greedy guts and that has kept her alive for so long.
We will miss the old girl, she is survived by her two boys Psycho and Johnny. We will farewell her tomorrow with a big bonfire.
Tuesday, 13 April 2010
Don't mess with me!
I am broody and really cranky, because I have just been thrown out of my nesting box!
Sunday, 25 October 2009
RIP Freckles
Freckles the Sheep
May 2000 to October 24 2009
Freckles has not been eating well over the last few months. He seemed to have a problem adapting to sheep old age which means learning to eat without teeth. We have tried all sorts of things to get him to eat more but he decided that he just does not do lupins anymore, if he would have eaten his lupins I think he would have had more time. Anyway, yesterday he suddenly went downhill, it was though his internal systems were shutting down and by mid afternoon we knew we had to do something. So we asked our neighbour gnome to come over and put poor Freckles out of his misery. It was very quick, thank you Willie.
Freckles came to us at 3 months old, for a sheep he was quite smart, always scheming about how to stand on the fence to get to the goodies in the garden and how to get into the chook shed when you turned your back. He had many nick names like, old bugger, old man but mostly "you bastard" which was often yelled as he was ruining another fence or being a bully to the other sheep. Lately he could only bully Lambie (the old girl sheep), in fact he gave her one last bully on Friday. But he was affectionate too, he loved his pats, he loved being with you when in the paddock and loved getting in the way when you were trying to do something.
I think he had a happy life and will be missed, he and his little sister Froggie were always together but she doesn't seem to have noticed his demise.
Freckle's mother did exactly the same thing, just wouldn't eat what was good for her once she reached old age, on the other hand we have been feeding lambie lupins for 3 and a half years and at 12 years old she is still going strong, but she is just a greedy guts.
I will remember Freckles every night as I stand on the floor rug next to my bed that Vegi Gnome's mum made out of Freckles wool. Thank you Mama Gnome.
On a happier note it is Froggie's ninth birthday today. She will get a few extra pats but no treats as she has been eating most of Freckles share of lupins and has become a real fatty boomba.
PS: If you smell a hint of mutton in the air it is just our bonfire.
May 2000 to October 24 2009
Freckles has not been eating well over the last few months. He seemed to have a problem adapting to sheep old age which means learning to eat without teeth. We have tried all sorts of things to get him to eat more but he decided that he just does not do lupins anymore, if he would have eaten his lupins I think he would have had more time. Anyway, yesterday he suddenly went downhill, it was though his internal systems were shutting down and by mid afternoon we knew we had to do something. So we asked our neighbour gnome to come over and put poor Freckles out of his misery. It was very quick, thank you Willie.
Freckles came to us at 3 months old, for a sheep he was quite smart, always scheming about how to stand on the fence to get to the goodies in the garden and how to get into the chook shed when you turned your back. He had many nick names like, old bugger, old man but mostly "you bastard" which was often yelled as he was ruining another fence or being a bully to the other sheep. Lately he could only bully Lambie (the old girl sheep), in fact he gave her one last bully on Friday. But he was affectionate too, he loved his pats, he loved being with you when in the paddock and loved getting in the way when you were trying to do something.
I think he had a happy life and will be missed, he and his little sister Froggie were always together but she doesn't seem to have noticed his demise.
Freckle's mother did exactly the same thing, just wouldn't eat what was good for her once she reached old age, on the other hand we have been feeding lambie lupins for 3 and a half years and at 12 years old she is still going strong, but she is just a greedy guts.
I will remember Freckles every night as I stand on the floor rug next to my bed that Vegi Gnome's mum made out of Freckles wool. Thank you Mama Gnome.
On a happier note it is Froggie's ninth birthday today. She will get a few extra pats but no treats as she has been eating most of Freckles share of lupins and has become a real fatty boomba.
PS: If you smell a hint of mutton in the air it is just our bonfire.
Thursday, 23 July 2009
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Breakfast...
...at The Geriatric Animal Farm.
Porridge with oats and sprouted lupins. And a teaspoon of powdered minerals, etc. to ward off pneumonia. In an ice-cream container for each sheep. You know what these oldies are like, if they don't get their own container. They just start jostling and pushing. *rolls eyes*
How crazy is that?! The youngest is now 8 1/2 years old. The oldest 12. Try reading up on sheep diseases! None of the books cover geriatric sheep.
The above breakfast was, however, a once off. Just to boost their immune system, etc.
At least I hope so. I really do. Try telling them that there is a container each and not to worry, there is enough for everyone, there really is, and do stay with your own container...
Porridge with oats and sprouted lupins. And a teaspoon of powdered minerals, etc. to ward off pneumonia. In an ice-cream container for each sheep. You know what these oldies are like, if they don't get their own container. They just start jostling and pushing. *rolls eyes*How crazy is that?! The youngest is now 8 1/2 years old. The oldest 12. Try reading up on sheep diseases! None of the books cover geriatric sheep.
The above breakfast was, however, a once off. Just to boost their immune system, etc.
At least I hope so. I really do. Try telling them that there is a container each and not to worry, there is enough for everyone, there really is, and do stay with your own container...
Monday, 6 July 2009
New Potato Bed
... in the making.
Remember our free-ranging chooks constantly breaking into our veggie garden?
Well, we decided to use this to our advantage. We set up an enclosure with stakes, pots and bird netting where we'd like to set up a new potato bed.
Now every time the chooks break into the garden, we put them into the enclosure. They have enough water to keep them happy and they can scratch to their hearts' content. The more they scratch, the better. They will dig into the soil, get rid of the grass, weed seeds, bugs, etc. and fertilise the area at the same time. Before it gets dark, we open the enclosure and the gate to the paddock so that they can go back to the chook shed for the night. Tomorrow, we shall play the same game again. Until the whole area is nicely dug over.
Remember our free-ranging chooks constantly breaking into our veggie garden?
Well, we decided to use this to our advantage. We set up an enclosure with stakes, pots and bird netting where we'd like to set up a new potato bed.
Now every time the chooks break into the garden, we put them into the enclosure. They have enough water to keep them happy and they can scratch to their hearts' content. The more they scratch, the better. They will dig into the soil, get rid of the grass, weed seeds, bugs, etc. and fertilise the area at the same time. Before it gets dark, we open the enclosure and the gate to the paddock so that they can go back to the chook shed for the night. Tomorrow, we shall play the same game again. Until the whole area is nicely dug over.
Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Healthy free-range life
Our chooks are still breaking into our fruit/flower/veggie gardens. This keeps us very fit as it forces us to have frequent breaks from work. They seem to take particular delight in sneaking past the office window and then starting to cackle out of sight.
We caught this one trying to sneak a peek around the corner.
It saw us and thought, 'Run away!'
Ps.: Keep the gnome pictures for the mad give-away coming! We are having a lot of fun meeting all these gnomes! Good work!
We caught this one trying to sneak a peek around the corner.
It saw us and thought, 'Run away!'
Ps.: Keep the gnome pictures for the mad give-away coming! We are having a lot of fun meeting all these gnomes! Good work!
Wednesday, 3 June 2009
Spot the...
...well, what do you think that could be?
Have a good look.
It's an echidna! It pretended to be a rock when it noticed me.
Have a good look.
It's an echidna! It pretended to be a rock when it noticed me.
Thursday, 14 May 2009
'Bad chook!'
Yes, that's what you can hear at our place at the moment. The first time Flower Gnome said that to a renegade chook, I nearly keeled over.
The little buggers are still breaking into our orchard and veggie / berry / flower garden. They dig up Flower Gnome's iris and bulb beds and totally mess up the thick mulch around the fruit trees. Very frustrating.
We had free-range chicken curry last night. Delicious! No, not our chooks. But it is very tempting to eat 'Bad Chooks!'.
The little buggers are still breaking into our orchard and veggie / berry / flower garden. They dig up Flower Gnome's iris and bulb beds and totally mess up the thick mulch around the fruit trees. Very frustrating.
We had free-range chicken curry last night. Delicious! No, not our chooks. But it is very tempting to eat 'Bad Chooks!'.
Tuesday, 28 April 2009
Is free-range good for you?
YES!
A big fat, whole-hearted yes! from this corner.
Reason?
Our chooks are free-range. The eggs are fantastic. They only get organic food that I would eat, too, if they let me.
And if you only have 3 acres or so for them to roam about, they HAVE to roam further and further. Obviously. Up the hill, through the fence, across the road, into the forest. They even have to break into your veggie garden and orchard.
So what do you do? You walk out into the garden at any time of the day, rain or shine. Then you either run after them and try to catch them to gently throw back over the fence into their roaming area.
Or you run after them and try to chase them into their roaming area through a gate (that you kindly opened for them first). While trying to keep the other chooks from entering the no-go zone through that gate AND keep the sheep from doing the same.
Very, very healthy indeed! Gets you out of the office, fills your lungs with fresh air and gives you plenty of exercise.
Now you know why free-range is good for you.
Ps.: Free-range roast chicken for the same day's dinner is a very tempting thought at times.
A big fat, whole-hearted yes! from this corner.
Reason?
Our chooks are free-range. The eggs are fantastic. They only get organic food that I would eat, too, if they let me.
And if you only have 3 acres or so for them to roam about, they HAVE to roam further and further. Obviously. Up the hill, through the fence, across the road, into the forest. They even have to break into your veggie garden and orchard.
So what do you do? You walk out into the garden at any time of the day, rain or shine. Then you either run after them and try to catch them to gently throw back over the fence into their roaming area.
Or you run after them and try to chase them into their roaming area through a gate (that you kindly opened for them first). While trying to keep the other chooks from entering the no-go zone through that gate AND keep the sheep from doing the same.
Very, very healthy indeed! Gets you out of the office, fills your lungs with fresh air and gives you plenty of exercise.
Now you know why free-range is good for you.
Ps.: Free-range roast chicken for the same day's dinner is a very tempting thought at times.
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