livestock

[Oscar]

Isn't there anyone else out there with livestock/animals ?

Well I'll have to bore you some more with my lot then.

I've started spinning the wool from my sheep. This will give enough wool for two sweaters this year. I've still not worn one of the ones from last year yet, they might end up as christmas presents (the sweaters not the sheep!)

The ducks are on a 'go slow' right now, haven't laid an egg for weeks, shame really as I have people waiting to buy the eggs. I'll have to have a serious chat with them soon, they are shamelessly freeloading right now !

The goats are being, well, goats, the cats are soaking up the central heating, rabbits are spoiled rotten, the wild pheasant still comes for his breakfast and evening meal as does the ferrel cat, no idea where he came from, so that's about it really for now.

So come on, speak to me, (about your animals preferably!)

[Wombat]

G'Day Oscar :) ,

So far we only have 6 chooks (4 Rhode Island Reds and two Austalorps) and a miscellaneous number of worms in the worm farm, but am lining up to get some bees (one hive) and maybe some miniature milking goats. We only live on a suburban block and a hell of a lot of that is veggies and fruit trees so we are a bit pushed for space.

How do you find keeping goats? Do you work off property? If so how do you manage your livestock?

[Honey monster]

Let me know about the bees, I want to keep some.

From my user name you might guess why

[Wombat]

No probs

What did did you want to know?

A few years ago I did bees as a subject when I did farm technology at TAFE, although I can't say I have huge amounts of practical experience. :D

[Honey monster]

I know that you have to wait until they swarm then you can get a hive going. What I don't know is how to get this swarm in the first place. Do I have to get a special hive and if so how much will that cost?

[Wombat]

I am going to buy mine, hive boxes and all, from an established apiarist, perhaps one selling off their excess or going out of the business. We have a paper called the "trading post" and there are hives regularly coming up. They can cost 60 to 100AUD.

They reckon that swarming bees don't sting because they are full of honey, but I for one would not be game to find out first hand.

Try looking up your local beekeping organisation (Yellow Pages) and giving them a ring. It would help you if you could find an apiarist who would let you follow him around and watch what he does.

Before you do anything with bees buy a bee veil if nothing else, bees dive bombing your face ain't fun

[Honey monster]

Actually I saw a thing on Riverside Cottage the other day and Hugh got stung when trying to catch a swarm. Thanks for the advice though Wombat, will certainly make some more inquires in the spring time.

[Wombat]

No worries, when I get them I'll let you know how they go!

[cyndeelouwho1972]

Well, my chickens give me fresh eggs every morning. I don't know how I ate store bought eggs for so long! The eggs are twice the size. Some are brown with red spots, they are quite beautiful. The chickens free range about my property and I do still buy some food to keep them happy and close to home. I am awaiting my female pheasant to lay some eggs. I hope she has some babies, my husband is getting impatient. My worm farm is coming in the mail for mothers day. I am so excited.

[Andy Hamilton]

I hope that when we move to Bristol we can keep chickens, will have to wait and see. Do they need much looking after, and how much room do you need?

I have never tried a free range egg that was not from a supermarket, I bet they taste much nicer when they are totally fre range organic.

[Wombat]

OOOOHHHHYeah! Fresh (your own) eggs are always great!

Nev

[shiney]

The idea of a coupla chooks is looking so tempting, even with my small back garden. I have eaten Tracey's (downshifting week lady)hens eggs and they are the best thing ever. They eat all the kitchen scraps/compostie stuff, scratch around in a large coup and are very happy hens. I even had a double yolker when I was there last.

I do buy free range eggs, but with your own hens you know exactly what they've been fed with etc.

[Millymollymandy]

You know, when we ate the very first eggs from our hens, I was expecting them to taste something really special and different. But they didn't! They just tasted like......... eggs! I have always bought "free range" from the supermarket but not the really expensive ones.

However, it's just the fact they are from our own hens that make them special. And the fact that there are so many of them (eggs), no longer do I look at a cake recipe and think "4 eggs?", now I can bake to my heart's desire and the more eggs used, the merrier! Do have to watch the waistline but the harder we work outside, the more cakes and puds we can eat!

[catalyst]

we had one chicken that laid triple yoke eggs... regularly, til a fox got her...

personally i find bought eggs tasteless... our chicks and geese and ducks are fed pure grain and corn... the yokes are SO bright yellow...

we´re just about to finish a new chicken shed with a whole terrace fenced in.. then we are getting a lot more chickens... a local cafe wants us to supply them with eggs...

[Naomi]

Hi, I have, getting on for sixty chickens, all different rare breeds!
I also have Indian Runner ducks. I much prefer the duck eggs, especially for baking. The ducks egg shells are also a lovely shade of pale blue.
MyCuckoo Marans lay very dark brown, almost chocolate coloured eggs , my Silkies lay pinky buff ones , my Exchequer Leghorns lay white etc etc .
So I get a very colourful basket of eggs each morning.
I sell some at my gate along with some vegetable plants that I have grown from seed etc.
I also swap the fertile ones with other smallholders to incubate, in exchange for goose eggs etc
Andy, if you don't have a lot of space, you can keep a few bantams in a moveable ark. It is a great way to reduce pests in the veg beds, as you move the ark over the beds as they are cleared of veg and the chooks scratch up all the wireworms etc and manure it for you too.
I do this with one of my arks and in America they call them chicken tractors!
I also have rabbits, guinea pigs and an elderly horse here, so manure is one thing I have ample supply of.