Dribs and drabs

Hi all, I don't like posting only text in my blog posts but at the moment there are so many varied things and jobs happening that none are actually at completion stage. They are all being done in dribs and drabs. I feel like I'd be offering an unfinished book that has half a dozen side stories going, that intertwine and are necessary to the main one, and no completion date if I published the photos of the projects so far.

However, there's always time to enjoy a sunrise and an afternoon smoko break 😊.

Cheers,

RobynLouise XO

First Day (Night?) of Winter

It was officially Winter here on the 1st of June, however I think it was Winter, thanks to Mother Nature, last night as it was absolutely freezing at -5C! The dog's and the chicken's water containers had an inch of ice on the top that needed to be broken and the containers placed in the sun. What really surprised me though was this:

See the ice in the top right corner of the container?

I have been sprouting wheat in large flat trays to give to the hens and I keep it on the bench in the laundry. The laundry is outside and is usually fairly warm, due to the insulation in the roof/walls, in Winter. I was stunned to discover this, especially as it was 10am, when I found it!

Strangely enough it was a lovely warm day and I could garden in just a t-shirt and jeans.

Cheers,
Robyn Louise XO

Freedom!

We often let the hens out in the front yard, particularly on a weekend. They love it.

Weeding and fertilising

Watch dog so adventurous hens don't trespass in back yard where the veges are growing.

 Mumma hen also had a residential relocation.....and we supplied a bodyguard for her and her offspring. She keeps him a wingspan away at the moment but I think he'll be more than a bodyguard soon. After playing second in charge to Figjam since he was a "teenager" he's very pleased to be allowed to flap his wings and crow without receiving a physical chastisement! I'm considering which breed of hens to add to his flock as I'd like some meat producers without purchasing commercial meat hens.
He also needs renaming as "Junior" doesn't sound dignified enough now he has a missus and kids!

The perfect end to a lovely Winter's day.

Cheers,

Robyn Louise XO

Wet Worms

I checked the worm farm a few days ago and discovered that very cold nights make for morning condensation and strange things grew in my worm bed.

On the other side though the worms seemed fine and there was no offensive smell. 

The top tray and the middle tray were quite soggy, though the inhabitants weren't affected. 

I added oat straw troughs in the bedding to soak up moisture. Also, spreading the bedding more evenly through the 3 layers, as well, will assist in evening out the moisture.

After I emptied out the worm fluid, into a container, the bottom tray was layered with dry straw/grass and then the worm farm remained open in the sun for a couple of hours for the moisture to reduce.

 

As I won't require worm castings until Spring I'm trying to breed my little workers over Winter and I'm thinking that the longer, shallower bathtub (the one underneath) will make a nice new home for some of my worms in the near future.

Any advice on increasing worm populations and creating a worm habitat in a bathtub, from those who have done this before, would be most appreciated 😊.

Cheers,

Robyn Louise XO

Personalised Muesli Slice

I've made this muesli bar slice since the day I found it about 2 years ago. During the last 3 weeks or so I've bought some different ingredients and formulated a fruit and sugar free (not sweetener free) recipe so that PC can have some energy snacks on hand that won't give him a hypo due to his DNA quirks.

Muesli Bar Slice                                

1 cup rolled oats

½ cup wholemeal SR flour  

½ cup desiccated coconut

½ cup chopped almonds

¼ cup pepitas

4 tbsp sesame seeds

2 tbsp linseed meal

4 tblsp sunflower seed

 ½ cup rice malt syrup

 125g coconut oil

 2 tbsp honey              

• Place oil, honey and rice malt syrup into a saucepan and melt until the ingredients can be mixed together reasonably well
• Mix all dry ingredients in large bowl
• Add oil mixture to dry ingredients and mix until sticky
  
• Press evenly into a greased slice tin. Use a potato masher to flatten out
  
• Bake @ 180c for 20 - 25 minutes until golden
• Cut into bars / squares when cold
• Keeps for 5 - 6 days in airtight container

As it is the sweet taste of sugar that triggers an unfavourable reaction with PC this recipe has been altered specifically to suit his individual needs. 😀 They are very filling and because of the content of dry ingredients they are a slow release energy.

Cheers,

RobynLouise XO