Bellandarreh Farm

[Bel]

I snaffled a drake for my girls today at the Murray Bridge Poultry Show. He has lovely blue colouring. When I put him in the coop, the girls all started ‘talking’ to him and preening his feathers. I guess they like him!

[froot_loopz]

I love seeing your pics Bel, and hearing about all your animals. Id love to do this one day but its not going to happen in this lifetime.

The lady next door has one duck, its as noisy as anything, (Im not complaining, I love to hear it) Drives her and her not working young adults nuts LOL.

Have you seen any foxes up their yet?

[froot_loopz]

Do ducks have a pecking order like chookens?

[Bel]

Thanks fruitloopz. I was very inspired by Mauzi’s property thread a while ago and never thought I’d be doing something similar one day: Mauzi’s Place

We saw a few foxes not long after we moved in, but none recently. There’s a waterhole on the property behind us and the lady there says she sees a lone fox going there every day. There are stacks of rabbits around the place, so I imagine they are keeping the foxes fed. Having said that, both the chicken coop and duck enclosure are fox proof, so they would have to come out during the day when they’re free-ranging to have any success.

The ducks do seem to have a pecking order, but their bills don’t do as much damage as chickens can! The poor drake is very young and getting lots of attention – he seems quite out of sorts. I’m sure he’ll get over his melancholy soon enough with all the gorgeous ladies to service. Sadly, these ducks don’t quack – I do miss the morning quacks of my old Indian Runner girl.

[froot_loopz]

is Mauzi in SA?

ignore that, just saw, she is in tassie

[Iduna]

Sent a pm to you Bel, not sure if you got it.

Have you looked at khaki campbells, I wouldn’t mind a half dozen of them. Are you going to get a piglet?

[Bel]

I did consider khakis Iduna, but the muscovy’s seemed to fit the bill for us. Yes, definitely getting piglets just as soon as DH sets up the electric fencing in the pig paddock.

[Ravyk]

Looking great Bel! Love the calves! What I would do for a milking cow… But somehow I think the council would object to a cow being kept in our backyard!

[Bel]

Ravyk post=361000 wrote: Looking great Bel! Love the calves! What I would do for a milking cow… But somehow I think the council would object to a cow being kept in our backyard!

Yeah, backyard milker probably not on :huh:

[Ravyk]

Bel post=361007 wrote:

Looking great Bel! Love the calves! What I would do for a milking cow… But somehow I think the council would object to a cow being kept in our backyard!

Yeah, backyard milker probably not on :huh:

Honestly I’m surprised the council hasnt been around about our goat! Whilst we do have enough space for him, it’s a bit of an oddity in suburbia! 😆

[Iduna]

There isn’t a by-law stating that you can’t have him thats why. As long as you have enough space, I know I posted somewhere what it was and you have a pic number for him, your not doing anything wrong.

[Bel]

The area to the side of our house has very poor impoverished soil. The rabbits have dug heaps of very deep warrens, gazania weeds are prolific and the old orchard is at death’s door. I have started the rejuvenation of the area by sheet mulching with old packing boxes which I’m covering with all the free horse poo and soiled hay I pick up locally. Plus liberal amounts of blood n bone and dynamic lifter. I’ll heavily prune the fruit trees and see if they come back to life. Also plans to add more citrus trees…

[Iduna]

I know this might sound odd but have you talked to anyone that has a shearing shed the sheep poo collects under it and dairy farms might have free cow poop.

[mudhen]

With all that good stuff going in, I’m sure at least some of those trees will spring back to life! Once you get a certain level of mulch down, you could always plant some green manure. If you get some decent rain through winter, they should take off quite nicely.

[Bel]

Iduna post=361022 wrote: I know this might sound odd but have you talked to anyone that has a shearing shed the sheep poo collects under it and dairy farms might have free cow poop.

I haven’t looked into it to be honest iduna. I’m inundated with free horse poo and straw atm. Plus have our own sheep and alpacas if I want to go collecting more poo!

[Author]

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