I haven't been sharing much online of late as I've had to get a few things done in the outernet. When this happens, I try to avoid picking up my tablet as much as possible because I know I'll lose too much time to it! While one daughter is out of the house for a bit, it seemed an opportune time to redecorate the other's bedroom. The hole in her carpet was getting a bit large, so while we have a little money with the tax return in, it seemed a good time to replace it.
So for that last couple of weeks we've had wardrobes and bedside cabinets in the kitchen/diner and a desk and dismantled bed in the living room. I forgot how long winded it can be cleaning and repairing dinged walls in preparation for painting, but I think we're on the home run now.
As we head towards summer, watering has become a necessity in the garden most days again. My least favourite job! It can be time consuming, particularly watering with compost tea, which seems to be the only way to keep nutrients up in summer at the moment.
As much as possible, I like to try and seed save to grow each year from my own seeds. With no luck on the curcubit side (not that I was very organised anyway) I caved and bought some cucumber and butternut squash seedlings for what I hope will be the curcubit arch.
Now to try and protect them from the earwigs until they can grow big enough!
Munched!
I finally planted out the muntrie. I just hope I'm not too late and it recovers from its excessive stay in the pot. It's behind a cage to protect it from the quails until it's bigger.
The great news this year is that I'm seeing more bees in the garden past the first spring flowers. Having more flowing plants in the garden seems to be working. Last year the supine fruit trees were well pollinated, but the bees had disappeared by the time the apple tree flowered and I forgot to hand pollinate, leaving me with a total of three apples. Hoping for a better crop this year as the bees are still hanging around.
On the chicken side, Puddin and Precious have needed some extra care. Puddin has developed an infection in the side of her mouth. It looks like canker, so I've treated the whole flock, but there doesn't seem to be any improvement in Puddin. So I'm wondering if it's got something to do with her uneven jaw. She's fine in herself otherwise, which doesn't make it easy for me to separate her each morning for a separate feed with antibiotics in. It makes it even less easy to go in and remove the chunks of infection and check on progress. She really isn't keen on people and is probably getting less so with each check up.
I've come to the conclusion that Precious has a slow digestive system which struggles to clear through the amount of food she wants to cram in, in a timely manner. So now that I've finally got her crop clear and stable, I'm going to have to be more diligent in not letting her over do it and keeping things moving.
Better news is that one of the little bantams, Red, has gone broody for the first time and she seems to be determined. I tested her resolve by taking her of the nest and putting her on the roost for a couple of nights, but she was back on the nest the next day. So I've moved her to the cruiser and given her some bantam eggs to sit on.
She is untested as a mother, so I've just given her six eggs. Now to wait and see how she goes. Our experienced mamma, Buffy, is wandering around clucking broodily, so she could be back up. As could Ducky, who is also broody.
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I got out the back with the machete and got stuck into the big, high weeds yesterday.
The chickens loved picking through the wreckage to snap up all the insects. I love how they put themselves to bed at night. Their house is just outside Evelyn's window, so I tell her she has to be quiet so the chickens can hear the bedtime story too.
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Haha! Love it! It must make for peaceful bedtimes. Does she say goodnight to them too?
Once you have chickens, you'll never see weeds or bugs in quite the same way. They are now chicken food! Cockroach? The chickens will love that!
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It's easy to incorporate into the evening routine while the sun sets at bedtime. Mid summer we can't stay up until sunset though, so I don't want it too entrenched.
The boys helped with the weed chopping; looks like I won't need to do that again for a while :)
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that good project, I knew this initiative by a friend who traveled from Venezuela to Spain to study organic farming and are aware of the project of houses farms, a great help for people who went through the most terrible economic crisis that Europe has suffered. unfortunately here in Venezuela despite the government has encouraged farming in our own homes has not been successful.
i think the problem with bees and pollination is a global problem. i am a great flower catcher, and according to the latest studies i have seen on pollinators is serious. it turns out that monocultures have caused pollinators, including bees, to migrate to other areas. another factor is global warming, and the use of agrotoxics in crops. this is alarming, imagine you have to pollinate by hand when it is a job that the bees naturally have to do. this is an alarming factor, imagine you have to pollinate by hand when it is a job that the bees naturally have to do.
Compost tea is the best for any time of the year.
Very good your initiative, I have some crops in my house and published about it but at the level that you take it, insurmountable.
Thank you for sharing.
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That's interesting. Do you think it's because people don't like to garden? I watched a programme on Cuba after the US put the embargo on them and they were encouraged similarly by the government to grow at home. They were growing on the roofs and everywhere they could find space. Land was offered up for free on the proviso that they farm it.
I'm probably not making the best use of the growing I have due to time constraints. Perhaps when my children become more independent...
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if it's definitely because people don't like to work in the garden. there's no other explanation, interest-free credits have been offered. and people don't care. it's sad because the land law in venezuela is very open to free land tenure.
On the other hand people are used to products made by certain companies, those products today are scarce and having scarce people perish from hunger and suffer from malnutrition.
This without encouraging to enter into a political issue, but efforts have been made but people do not do the same to self-sustain.
Greetings, I hope your children help in the development of this beautiful project. I will be watching your publications.
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howdy from Texas minismallholding! What an operation you have there, you must have alot of experience. Precious looks like a gorgeous and healthy bird and I hope that Puddin recovers fast.
Good luck in your endeavors, looks like you got tons going on, I don't know that much about quail, do you raise alot of them?
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It has been busy had a down day this week and started on the jobs that got waylaid with a bit more calm. :)
I used to raise some for selling, but I just do a small hatch each year now to replenish the flock. I was surprised to count them and realise I still have around 30, despite losing quite a few older ones this year. I probably don't need that many!
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wow 30! well do you guys eat the quail eggs?
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We do, but they still produce more than we can keep up with, so the remainder goes to the chickens.
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While rewarding, painting can be one of those bastard jobs, especially the prep work - I don't envy you that task one bit!
Mind if I sound a little naive, and ask what compost tea is? I'm trying to turn my brown thumb (the one that kills anything it plants), into a green(ish) thumb by curating some plants (I don't even know their name! - my mother-in-law planted them!!). Anything that will help them survive the coming summer months will be welcomed by them.
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I know that feeling. I'm still working on that brown thumb myself!
Compost tea is basically compost infused water. There are two types, one is green one is brown. Brown compost tea is when you use compost itself. You can just mix into the water and water straight away. Any chuncks that come out will help add to the composition of the soil. If you're watering pots, then you can put it in a bag first and let it soak a bit, literally like a tea bag. You can also let it sit and ferment for a day or two building up the bacterial level (stirring occasionally). Some people add molasses to help feed the bacteria.
Green compost tea is when you add green materials and let it sit, again stir occasionally. This can be good for weeds which spread easily as if you leave it long enough it will drown and break down everything, including seeds. You'll need to leave this at least a couple of weeks, maybe a month if you're starting from fresh. I have a tub I just keep adding water and weeds to. I use this method for manure tea too, as horse manure quite often has weed seeds in it.
When you use compost tea from the fermenting method, it gets quite strong, so mix it at least 4 parts water to 1 part tea, more water if you feel it's particularly potent. The smell will tell you. 😉
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who would say that I would like to read about a day on a farm.
Reading you was satisfactory. You really gave me that lifestyle that you have. btw, I live in Venezuela. and here we don't have that "Muntrie" plant. As I didn't know what kind of plant it is, I searched it online. and indeed in my country there is not. apparently it only grows in Australia
I go back and I repeat. I really liked all this post. I'll keep reading to you often.
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Ah yes, I probably should have mentioned that muntrie is an Australian native. In particular it's native to the state I live in, hopefully making it more tolerant to our conditions. So many plants struggle here that I have recently started looking into edible natives and we know we like muntries!
Thank you for stopping by. You've given me some new ideas for another post. I might share my adventures with Australian natives. :D
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Hi minismallholding,
Visit curiesteem.com or join the Curie Discord community to learn more.
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Looks like you have some great projects in the outernet :)
I will be looking forward to seeing your posts over the winter here. It was snowing today for the first time, so some sunny photos from you will be very nice to see :)
I can see that Puddin doesn't seem to be overly happy with her check ups. Her eye looks dangerous :)
Have you finished the room already? Refurbishing takes a lot of time but you'll be happy to see it done once you finish :)
I'm sure that Red will be a good mother one day :)
Thank you for sharing and enjoy those sunny days! :)
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It's always odd reading how the cold is creeping in northwards while the heat creeps in here. I wonder what the heatwaves have planned for us this summer.
Yes, there's quite the dinosaur look in that eye of Puddin's, isn't there! Fingers crossed for Red. She's still diligently sitting. I went in to change her water while she was off the nest for a bit to eat. She fluffed her feathers at me and stalked straight back to her eggs like she thought I'd steal them!
The painting is finished and the new skirting is on in the bedroom. Just a bit of touching up before we order the new carpet. We have 9 days before my eldest comes home to get it back into use.
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I hope you won't have any fires this year. Each years they are showing a lot of fires in Australia.
Dinosaur looks - yes, that's right! Now when you see it and I look at her, this is exactly the look that she is giving you :D
She's telling you in her way not to mess with her eggs as otherwise you'll have to deal with her :D
I hope that 9 days will be more than enough to welcome your eldest back home :)
Have a nice evening - on your side :) Here it's 9.15 am.
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Unfortunately, bushfires are guaranteed. We just have to hope that they aren't near where people are living. Some years are worse than others.
Thank you, we are just settling down after a Halloween day at the beach!
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muy hermoso el blog amigo . me gustaron muchos las fotos la abeja se muy hermosa aca en venezuela no se puede dejar una gallina así como las dejas tu @minismallholding se las llevan rapidito .
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I just actually scrolled down and watched those photos.
They're beautiful!
Homesteading is really great and exciting because its natural interacting and connecting to nature.
How long have you been on homesteading Mini?
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Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed them. I've been homesteading on a miniature level for about 4 years now. I've always liked to garden though.
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That's great!
Do you have veggies or plants or herbs in your garden?
I guess the would be on cage to avoid from chickens?
And you no longer go to the market for food.
All are provided from your garden.
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Unfortunately, we still have to shop for food. I don't have the room or time to provide us with everything. Eggs and herbs are the only thing we never buy. I grow enough fruit and veggies to keep our costs down and don't have to buy a lot.
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I guess its a good start. In the future everything will be provided even just in your own area. But it would take decades I guess for sustainability.
I actually admire what you're doing.
Keep it up!
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Thank you.
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You're very much welcome!
Thanks as well for responding to my comments.
And sharing your precious time with me.
It adds life when we talk to people even just even with them without speech.
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Oh how I wish that spring would soon come to Finland too. October is just so depressing.
Your chicken are so fluffy and cuddely! :) And the names! Buffy and Puddin and Precious. :) Hope Puddin will soon get rig of her infection.
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Thank you. Fingers crossed she'll come good. She seems pretty healthy otherwise. She's gone broody as well now, so that was as good an excuse as any to separate her off into her own pen for a bit, which makes giving her medicine a bit easier.
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The redecoration of a domestic area always generates disorder hahaha, I moved seven times and I know what it feels like trying to organize after redecorating, but you did it very well. I love that you have given names to your farm animals, that shows that you have affection, I hope the animal recovers from the infection in the jaw because they are very beautiful birds.
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7 times! I hate moving. In 21 years we've only had 3 homes.
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I like your post because it reflects the love that you put in every detail of your home. Homesteading doesn't look easy, but you make it look like a wonderful lifestyle. Your chickens look lovely :)
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Thank you. It can get very busy at times!
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This line about Red going broody got me especially interested.Can you explain it to me more? Please.
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I'll try. Hopefully I've not misinterpreted the question this time and am about to tell you stuff you already know! Lol
Not all domestic hens are natural mothers any more. Some don't even go broody. Of those that do go broody, not all will sit the full term and even if they do, they don't always know what to do when the chicks hatch. Some hens will even kill the chicks on hatch. So when a hen goes broody and has never hatched before, it's a wait and see game to see if she will be a good mother or even last until hatch time.
My flock queen, Ginger, went broody in her first year, so I left her egg with her. She hatched it, but then didn't seem to know what this thing was she'd hatched. When it tried to eat her food, she told it off! We had to hand raise it and she has never gone broody since.
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No you interpreted it just fine!
And here I was thinking Hens = Fertile Eggs that results in chickens! LOL
Thank you so much for the details.
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I love the names your call your birds, it makes me feel you have a special relationship with them, seems like you passionate about farming and you a home keeper as well.
This is so me, I try so much to balance my online life and offline life, it's not easy.
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My daughters have quite a but of influence with their names and my husband picks weird ones!
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Happy family!
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Very good pictures. The photographs, together with a congruent text, have achieved an excellent post. I have a fruit tree, he did not explain to me why sometimes flowers came out, but they did not bear fruit. Curiously, I was telling my mother, that the fruits come out, when there are bees. Now I know, thanks to you, the bees pollinate the flowers, and thanks to them the fruits come out. It made me curious when you talked about "pollinate by hand". I did not know that this could be done, how is it done? I would appreciate it if you could explain me. Thank you. Good post.
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Thank you.
Not all flowers are easily pollinated by hand. Some even need a male and a female plant/tree to pollinate each other. For many flowers, however, you can use a soft paint brush to just brush over each flower. This will pick up the pollen and carry it on to the other flowers. Sometimes you can even gently brush them with a finger tip.
I've also recently learnt that with some trees the first year they flower, they don't always set fruit even when pollinated. They should set the following year though. Other plants may need certain conditions to set fruit, maybe sandy soil, or high rainfall.
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Excellent your answer I find it fun and great. I want to try to pollinate. Thanks for answering. I feel motivated.
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