the business of chickens

So as many of you are painfully aware.. I am waiting for my point of lays to start producing eggs and to officially become 'hens'.
I have been researching many different ways to keep my chickens healthy and happy.
One thing that has stood out is that prevention is better than a cure.
I want to care for my chickens in the best way possible but I also want to keep my home free of products that are harmful to my animals and my family.
Thankfully I have found many ways to keep mites, worms and scaly legs at bay.
One Blogger I have previously mention - Lisa prescribes to the holy trinity - Apple Cider Vinegar, Garlic & Diatomaceous Earth.

Click here to read more about how Lisa keeps the chicken nasties away.

Something that seems to have a bit of a debate raging around it is feeding your chickens egg shells to boost their calcium levels for egg production.
Many argue if you are giving your hens or point of lays a good laying pellet/mash/grain then that is all they need while others argue otherwise.
After consideration I have decided to offer as a free choice to my chickens -ground egg shells.
At this point I am using market purchased free range egg shells, baking them in the oven and grinding them with a mortar and pestle.  Whether you need to bake them in the oven or not is also a hot topic when feeding your chicken their own eggs shells - it is always advised when using other hens egg shells.

Wow, who knew there were so many different ways to feed and care for your chickens. At the end of the day if you have your chickens best interests at heart you just need to do what works for you and them. And maybe a little bit of careful trial and error....the same as parenting really.

Cheers,
Lila

while the neighbours away....

Missing! Lots of limes and passionfruit from my neighbours yard!
Found - on my kitchen bench!

My lovely neighbours have gone away for a month and kindly gave me permission to pick their fruit trees in their absence...
I was very patient.  They left on Monday and I politely thought I should atleast wait a few days before jumping the fence....
And today was the day! And what a bounty.  I did leave plenty more to be foraged over the coming weeks.

We love lime and fresh fruit in soda water so many limes will be used for this.  However, I am considering making some jam....
I found a great recipe on YouTube by Jeff Heriot for Passionfruit Skin Jam which I have been dying to make and now I can! 

And as for the limes...
I'm taking some hints and advice from Vivian on jam making, click here to check out her tips for all things jam!

Cheers,
Lila
*Disclaimer - My neighbours gave me strict instructions to go for my life! And by the time they are home my egg factory should be up and running and I will pay them back in kind with fresh eggs!

waiting waiting..in the mean time...

So as I have stated previously...I didn't adopt chickens just for their eggs.... and it wasn't a lie.
But waiting for them to lay is a waiting game I have discovered I am not good at.

Every morning I go and check for eggs I know aren't going to be there.
It reminds me a little of waiting to give birth to my daughter. All that expectation.
Now these eggs aren't going to be baby chickens but I guess to my Hens it is sort of the same thing. They have no idea the egg their body has worked so hard to produce isnt going to be a baby chick....although I am not sure they even know what is happening when they first lay an egg??

To keep my mind off checking the coop for non-existent eggs I visited my local second hand shop to find an "egg basket". In order to have as little contact with hands as possible its best they go into a basket or bucket of come kind....

I didn't know previously that egg shells were extremely porous and can suck in the toxins/bacteria they are exposed too.  Some great advice on keeping chickens can be found from Lisa at her Fresh Eggs Daily's Blog.  Click here to visit her site.

As we will only have 2-3 eggs daily I decided on something small and versatile. I can line it with paper towel or if anyone has any suggestions???? It's not a wicker basket but I'm a big believer in making everyday chores/habits a little funner. So if this basket makes me smile inside then why not use it. The same principle goes for not forgetting to use my best tea cups from time to time.  Life is too short!  Anyway this little beauty cost me $4 so even if it becomes impractical to use for any reason it can become a fruit bowl or be given away as a gift with eggs.

Cheers,
Lila

Worm Farm

Something I have had for awhile is a worm farm....so I guess these little guys were my first pets??
Although my daughter lays claim to them.
They are the easiest first step you can take to living a more simple, eco/waste friendly, farm way of life, and they are fun too.
There castings are great for the garden.
Really there is just so many good things you can say about them and nothing bad!
I am still quite new at all this so i am not going to give any advice except...
Go and get some!!!

And for anyone a little squeemish... you never have to touch them! Just feed them yummy food scraps and they will love you unconditionally!

I purchased mine from Bunnings but you can buy them online for a good price or make your own if your a little more adventurous.

Here are some great sites to get you started

1. Aus Dept of Industry

2. A Beginners Guide

3. Eight Acre's Blog

Cheers,

Lila

I keep my farm undercover in a shady spot

Not our idea of a tidy home but the worms love it.

Chicken Quick Reference

To prepare myself for being a mother to hen's I purchased a book to read on raising and caring for chickens and found it to be quite useful. There are plenty of online resources and I use these too but it's great to have something to grab when the wifi is down!
Click here to check the book out!  It is by a UK author but most of the advice is still relevant.

To find out if you can have hens in your backyard visit your local council's website.
For local Brisbanites - click here.

Cheers,
Lila

My first pet ever!

I am so excited! A bucket list item and a long held dream has been achieved!
My husband bought me my very own chicken!!!
And a coop and two playmates to go with.

I may not have dreamed of them as a child but as long as I can remember as an adult I have always wanted chickens. For so many reasons, not just their yummy and free range eggs.
Being somewhat intrepid I have not stayed in one place long enough or had a large enough backyard to commit to being a mummy to hens before now.

My first ever pet was much wanted and I love them.  They are point of lays so are a few weeks off laying but they have already added so much to our home.  My husband and I love sitting in the backyard watching them go about their very busy business. My Black Australorp "Wanderer" has taken the lead and after only one night was corralling the other two up into the roost at sunset.

They are very smart! That is one thing I wasn't expecting.

We ummed and ahhed for months about adding to our family.  Would my husband's dogs get along with them, who would look after them if we went away, point of lays or rescued battery hens... the list goes on. But after careful consideration and research we decided we were ready.

So it may not be a farm yet but our big backyard is alive with activity and chicken poop!

Cheers,

Lila

Wanderer

My husbands White Leghorn "Foghorn"

My daughter's Isa Brown "Twinkle"

Inspiration and Encouragement

Finding my way to a farm is going to be a long and I know at times very challenging journey.
One of my favourite pick me up's is reading about other peoples experiences in similar endeavours.
When I'm feeling like there is no way my brain can learn everything there is to learn to make a successful go at farming I am comforted by the musings of others who have stepped before me.
Their tales of baby steps and miss-steps helps me to see that the journey there is just as important and along the way I will find my feet and one day before I know it I will wake up (very early) in my bed on the farm I dream about.
One of my favourites and a farm that has similar ethics to my 'farm' are the lovely folks at Mount Gnomon Farm in Tasmania.
They love their animals and give a beautiful and realistic account of their own adventure into farming.
Click here to head over to their blog and be inspired or at the very least entertained by the wonderful photos of their beautiful animals and experiences.

Cheers,

Lila

Check out my next blog for more info on these guys!!!