The Xmas 2010 Project (cont.)

Still plenty of work to be done! Rendering the concrete so that it all looks uniform and neat.

The leftover road base we had from the Pise construction of the Chookhouse was put to good use as the foundation of the floor and once again machines came to our rescue, making life so much easier (adds to our carbon foot print but I will plant several trees just for the CO2 we have produced).

The stack of pavers we got dirt cheap (and the seconds paving slabs) have been put to use and looks great even though its not finished yet... but then anything would have looked better than what we had.

We did have to buy timber for the frame and new corrugated iron for the roof but that actually made it go up a lot faster as it was all straight and easier to use.

Well that's most of the hard work done... all that remains now is to build the BBQ and the Wood-Fired Oven under the new roof over the next few weeks (time allowing) and Party!!!

But till then we will just sit back and relax with a home brew! and for the record just because you don't see me working, doesn't mean I don't work up a sweat and deserve a beer too!!!

And it all comes with the Black Chook Seal of Approval!

The Xmas 2010 Project

After spending time in the cramped, uneven and rocky excuse for a patio the previous owner created, we decided to get stuck in and create a patio/BBQ area to be the envy of the entire world (if not the whole Universe).

We have a stack of paving bricks and assorted other stuff that we could use, not to mention muscle power... that is until we tried it and gave over to the Dark Side and hired machines.

We picked the best time possible to get stuck in as the weather has been rain, rain and more rain! It quickly turned our dirt and clay into a sticky, muddy mess and certainly challenged us.

But it wasn't long and a few sunny and dry days and with the help of some friends from Sydney Rebekah and Federico, we made great progress (thanks guys!!!)

It is our wonderful friends that we named the new calves after... luckily we had a boy and girl hey!!!

How Now Brown Cow!!!

Isn't Nature amazing! Less than 24 hours after being born Fede has changed colour...

He originally looked black (sort of) with white hooves but has now changed to a light brown in colour. Obviously not a pure bred Dexter! The place that Charles picked the cows up from was in the process over changing their herd over to Galloways, so there is a chance that Dad could have been a Galloway bull. I guess we'll find out in due course, as Galloways are known for their dominant gene as a small breed.

Unfortunately for little Fede we don't want him to breed with either his mother, grandmother or his aunty and as I would hate to sell him off and think that he could end up on someone's dinner plate, we will have to make sure he lose's his testicles.

Sorry Fede!!! But it is for your own good!!!

Another New-born in the Family!

After the few days of bright sunny days and Nikki's calf suffering in the heat, it is now raining again and Nina's calf has entered the world.

I thought I heard Becky crying up in the top paddock and assumed she'd got herself on the wrong side of the electric fence from her Mum but when I looked I found Nina in the throes of childbirth and 2 small hooves poking out from behind. Nina wasn't happy that we were there so we left her to it and we would return to check on her in a half hour or so.

After only 15 minutes Charles went up to the shed and stopped to check that all was well and found that the little calf had already been born and that Nina had chosen a very slopping patch of ground to give birth on, so that the calf had rolled down the hill and was now on the wrong side of the electric fence. Picking him up he carried her around to some flatter area and left her to mum to lick and feed.

It was a truly fast and almost painless experience for Nina (her first calf).

After hearing cows in surrounding properties birthing for hours and moaning on and on, and to hear both of ours hardly make a sound and birth so easily and without complications was great!.

Happy birthday to the latest addition of the family, Fede!