Chicks stink out the mud room

Zak waiting to be adopted

 18.9.2021

 

Every day the number of new virus cases in Victoria goes up. NSW has completely lost control of the pandemic and it looks as if we will soon be in the same situation.  We still do not have enough vaccine for everyone but at least Bo’s boys are now booked in for their first jab.  Silkie is on treatment for a bee sting so she has to delay the vaccine until she has completed the medicine courses she is on.    I will be much happier when all the family is vaccinated.

 

Everyone is now struggling with lockdown; it has been too long and as birthdays and other event pass uncelebrated for the second year it is harder to keep a positive outlook.  We are lucky because we have plenty of “at home” space on the farm, but others are restricted to one hours outside exercise a day.  I feel that we would be very selfish if we complained but this does not make things easier.

 

Half way through the week the chickens became large enough to stink out the mud room. Josh has moved them to a slightly larger pen in the ruins’ but they are growing so fast they will need moving again very soon.  He has almost finished building himself a cabin and is making more bee hives.  I have taught the lambs to suck a bottle of milk through their pen fence. When they first came, we needed to catch them every feeding time so it is much easier to care for them now.    We have also sold the male kids to a local family and the remaining 7 kids are together in one pen, so looking after them is much faster.

 

The weather is typical of Spring. We get some glorious sunny mornings when CB sits outside on the donga porch and serenades us on her concertina with Irish tunes. The music reminds me of a stream gurgling along over rocks and is a good tempo to work with. Then just as we get going with all the outside work the temperature drops and we are back to near freezing nights and wet windy days.  

 

 Today we started to build a sheep handling area with a foot dip.  We were doing quite well before a storm hit and we had to retire to the house.  The lettuce seedlings I trans planted yesterday are getting a battering from the wind before their roots have got a good grip, which is not helpful.  Josh has spent the week with Stevo doing building work.  We miss having him around to help with things but he is enjoying having a legitimate reason to be away off the farm for a bit.