The Chickens

Last weekend the chicken watch began.  I was lucky enough to have been offered the loan of an incubator and some eggs to try to hatch.  Things were touch and go at one point with a storm and 6 hour blackout but we kept fingers crossed that the eggs would be ok.

The first chick 'peeping'.  Did you know that you can hear the chickens cheeping in the eggs before they have even peeped a hole?  It was an exciting moment!

And the three chickens that hatched!  Two chicks died while hatching which was a shame but I am thankful for these three fluffy babies.  They are living under a warming light in my laundry for the next 5 weeks and then they will be old enough to go outside.

I wonder what sex they are?

The Incubator

After the fox got 7 of my 8 chickens I was pretty upset. The one remaining bantam was pretty upset too so we didn't waste too much time in buying 3 more Isa Brown hens to put back into the hen house.

In the meanwhile, one of the Playgroup Mum's heard of my plight and lent me her incubator and some eggs that should be Silkie Bantams when they hatch. I have to turn the eggs twice a day for 18 days, then leave them for two days and I should have chickens about then.  The incubator is set at 37 degrees and you have to make sure water is always in the bottom.  It is also important to try to sit the eggs with the fatter end slightly elevated.

 

I have labelled the eggs with a 1 on one side, and a 2 on the other to help keep track of which side is which.

The photo below was taken on day 5. You can see spider veins forming which is the start of the chicken growing.  Since day three I have been candling my eggs every night to watch the change in the egg development.  It is all a little bit fun.  I was given 12 eggs and I think 9 are good at this point.

 

Last night was a bit of a worry with a big storm going over and a 6 hour blackout.  I sent the Mr out into the rain to grab the fluffy bantam and I put her in a box with the eggs to try to keep them warm so they would be ok.   Fingers are crossed!

Fat Possums

Not everything we fix around here is exciting.  The bracket for this down pipe used to fall down the beam when the fat possums used to run up and down it.  Given the pipes had not been glued this made everything come adrift, not great for catching water.  New and improved made with another upright support in the middle of the pipe.  This is now welded in place and the pipes have been glued.

This is a very bad photo of one of the fat possums in question.  I was inside the kitchen and this fellow sat on the hot water system to peer in and say hello.

Water Trough

A water trough does not sound like a big thing, but when we moved in nothing was plumbed in so we had to fill up bath tubs from a hose to water stock.  This makes it hard to get away for a weekend, especially in hotter weather.

We sat a large round trough in the middle of a small fence line the Mr and his Dad pulled out.  The Mr made a steel panel to go over the trough then they rebuilt the fence.  This means the one trough waters both paddocks up the top end which is handy.

This trough runs off the bore, but when the water table gets low (as it is now) we can pump in to the tank that feeds it too.  This trough had a broken bung and was left here when we moved in.  It was a simple fix to get it working and in use.

Things are slowly improving around here!

Nellie's Calf

On Friday we had a warning of what Winter will have to offer with a cold snap.  The trees all dropped their leaves en-masse and Nellie decided to have her calf.

It is a very cute Black Baldy of unknown sex at this point. 

edit 16/5/11.  It's a girl!  This means Possum has told us her name is Lola.

Wild Pigs

Spotted while out for a walk last Sunday...

There were a few but this one swung around my way and I managed to snap a quick shot on the small camera I just happened to have in my pocket.

The horse does not look happy!

Before and After ~ The Well

It is wonderful to have a well to pump water from, but not so wonderful when it is not covered and safe for the two small children. 

The Mr and his Dad spent a day putting this together.  Bolted, hinged, and secure using all recycled products from about here.  They did a great job and I am glad it is no longer a risk, just an asset.