organic vegetable gardening courses, growing tips and homegrown recipes.
Ten Plymouth Barred Rock chicks to be precise - raised in an incubator as Mabel resolutely refused to go broody. Now fostered by a most diligent and experienced hen who happened to have just brought one of her own little chickies into the world and had room under her ample wings for a few more. The best way to raise chicks is under a broody … [Read more...]
I've just started to get a regular supply of some vibrant, yellow-yolked eggs from Rodriguez' five wives. Mabel lays slightly smaller eggs than her Rhode Island red counterparts. There are still lemons on my Meyer lemon tree. Time to make a batch of lemon delicious. Makes 16 slices or 30 mini-bites. It freezes well. I might repeat the lemon/egg … [Read more...]
There's not room in everyone's life or garden for a rooster. They are noisy at very unsociable hours. But if you want the patter of tiny chickie feet, keeping a rooster is one option. If you would like to give a very handsome pure-bred Rhode Island red rooster a good home, please email me. This is a photo of their dad, Henry. … [Read more...]
Even the best jars of mayonnaise have long lists of ingredients on the back of them. This has just four and all of them are easily recognisable. You can make this in a blender or food processor but if you do it by hand you've truly earned a large dollop of mayo. This is a small quantity but if you double the mixture if doesn't take much longer to … [Read more...]
I'm downsizing my flock of chickens so I'm selling a couple of my Rhode Island red hens on Trade Me to make room for some new ones next year. There's a reserve of $50 for the pair so if you'd like to give these lovely girls a new home, make a bid soon as the auction closes on Friday. … [Read more...]
Now's the time to sow your greens for winter - cabbage, broccoli, pak choi, lettuces, kale, silverbeet, spinach, rocket, mizuna, mibuna, claytonia and spring onions. If you want to read more about growing winter salad crops, Joy Larkcom is my favourite expert. Root vegetables can go in now too - sow radishes, carrots, turnips and beetroot. With … [Read more...]
There's something quite amazing about the process of an egg becoming a chick. Raising your own chooks from eggs gives you a wider choice of the breeds you keep, as you can get fertile eggs sent to you more easily than live birds. If you want to experience the miracle in your own back garden, you'll need some fertile chicken eggs and a broody chook … [Read more...]
