No such thing as a simple life on my one acre in Tasmania with my two dogs.I try to grow food, wrangle chickens and the native and non native wildlife share the land I call home. Life with CPTSD and ADHD not been easy so I share about it all. Low income, a bit frugal, real life My Life.
I was driving home from my GP this afternoon. This is a 140km round trip and it is a pleasurable and scenic drive. Alongside both sides of the Huon River. Though this set of photos is my seeing a hen with her chicks on the road. I pulled over to watch them.
I feel it was Busby my large dog sticking his head out the rear seat window that really got the Mamma Hen to rally her chicks up the rather steep embankment of the sealed road. These wee chicks were not that old.
The three at the bottom are struggling
Really scared one poor chick soils itself, and one is left behind
My heart aches as I hear this wee chicks cries for help to its Mamma, and her responses of what I can only imagine encouragement
I considered getting out to help and then this tiny little chick began to climb
So much energy adrenaline I reckon getting this little one up the steep embankment
A really rough patch with difficult things to climb, it is so impressive to watch and I feel some guilt for creating this panic
The chick makes it over the high jump and its little wing is raised high as if to help it fly up to its Mamma.
I did wonder how this little one would manage. I was awed by its determination and perhaps more so the drive that adrenaline and fear for ones life give. Mamma had not waited for this wee one, she was back under the fence and just seemed to keep telling the chicks to get back in the yard, It seems all parents are the same. All chicks made it and the little one is seen second from left back with its siblings and Mamma in the yard. I hope that their Mamma has learnt not to take her babies down on the main road again.
It was lovely to see this family and to watch the effort and achievement of this one little chick. At first after the other two chicks had left it. I really feared it was going to give up. (I would have jumped out and got it up there if it had) It was a delightful thing to observe and shoot with my camera.
This was not the only bird life we saw on the way home from the GPs. Another day to share more of the journey home with my dogs.
‘There you are! Its about time. We are star…ving…STARVING!! Hope you have some food for us.” “What are you all doing out of your run? ” I say to them and chuckle to myself at their chatter. “You left us all day. We have only had lovely green grass, bugs, and insects to eat. We have been looking for you for hours. We were abandoned, and starved! “But girls you are meant to be in your run not out here. I am coming to feed you.” A Loud SQUAWK “Girls? Girls? I suddenly have a hen attacking my toes and ankles..take that we are not all GIRLS”
OUCH that hurts stop nipping me? Oh heck your a rooster! “You noticed…at last..now give me that food for my harem!”. Le Coq Arrogant is jumping up attempting to get at the grain container. “My harem must eat, we are neglected and Starving” he is demanding as he strikes me it hurts a little he really means business.
How anyone could mistake ME for a hen! I rule the roost and Echidna HOME! Le Coq Arrogant is almost crowing.
I am the boss of you all! YOU Rooster, and six hens are my flock and if you keep jumping at me and pecking me, I will not feed YOU and YOU will become soup!
I will not be intimated or bullied by any cockeral I say to him. I push him away and tell him You will be eating out of my hand or not at all!
I will not eat out of Your hand, what will my harem think of me..do not make me do this. I will not succomb..I have to be the …oh sunflower seeds….yum yum
“Girls look yummy seeds, we are loved and being fed sunflower seeds wheat and all sorts of deliciousness. Just bow down and eat, from our leaders hand. I assure you its safe, you are not at risk.” “Oooh Le Coq Arrogant thank you for ensuring we are safe. So so hungry.. yumm yum”
Le Coq Arrogant you have done well to accept my leadership I will ensure food water a lovely home to live in. Look how happy and content your harem is with full crops. Le Coq Arrogant ‘they do indeed but I must be off, things to do’
I have had them for about two months now and I grow to love them more and more every day.
I have a lovely hen house, and they have a huge run. The little black hen has finally decided being in the the hen house with the others is far better then in the tree in gale force winds and icy cold rain.
Le Coq Arrogant has been learning to crow. At five months approx it is about the normal time. I heard a strange noise in the night a bit like a pup crying. A few nights louder it sounded more like someone with a cough was in my garden. He has it almost down pat now and is doing a good job. Rather too good las night. I had not closed the hen house door. I think he was disturbed by nocturnal noises and crowed numerous times in the dark.
So tonight they are all in their house on their roosts and one up in the eves in an old birds nest. Full crops and tummys. Fresh water. Tired out from sunning themselves in the 21dC/69.8dF sunny day here. I hope my sleep is not disturbed in the very wee small hours of the night.
My Rooster Le CoqArrogant, is getting his mature feathers, and if you look at the activity happening in one of the above photo back ground, you will see he is doing his job as a rooster. He is also becoming a very attentive observer overseeing his girls. He keeps attention on any potential aerial attacks from Sea Eagle, Wedge Tail Eagles, Goshawks other hawks or falcons. He is no longer pecking at me, or kicking his feet and spur area at me. I love that he trusts me enough to eat out of my hand and he is encouraging the girls too.
Not all of the girls are delighted with Le Coq s attention. One of my brown girls seems to want to sit on all the eggs.
The little black hen who slept in the tree is very nervous, and she is on the bottom of the pecking order. I ensure she receives the same choice in her seed feed as I do for everyone. She is growing and looks beautiful. I have a feeling she is the layer of the smallest eggs I get.
Some of the hens are not laying as yet but should begin in the next few weeks. I love that I have my own eggs, and my dogs love eating them. Very good for their coats.
I had my first day with four eggs today, the photo was taken two days ago. The large plastic egg was stolen bye some critter who believed it was a real egg which is why it has marks all over it. It is about the size of a normal egg so you can see my girls that are laying are small hens. Or maybe some of them will lay larger eggs later on.
I love watching the chooks antics and listening to their chatter. When someone finds a tasty morsel and is squawking as they are being chased by someone else. How they love digging holes and dust bathing. Laying in the warm sunshine spread out almost flat.
Enchanting members of Echidna Home (stead). Contentment fills my heart having seen the seven birds settling into their roosts making their quite noises as they do so.
The weather is fluctuating as is normal here in the southern most council region of Australia. Huon Valley Tasmania, on the Island state of Australia, situated in the Roaring Forties. Tasmania’s location between the 40th and 50th southern parallels place it directly in the pathway of the “Roaring Forties”, which are strong westerly winds in the Southern Hemisphere.
It tends to be especially windy around the solstice, and equinoxes here in Tasmania. Which can be really hard on gardens. I had tied my broad beans the wind has been harsh, though it I am really delighted to see beans are forming.
Above, Rocket and coriander going to seed, broad beans knocked about by the wind show beans, looking towards the hen house, vegetable garden broad beans, garlic marigolds, peach tree and fig i(n barrel), with daffodils.
Above, Jostaberries, recently transplanted gooseberry bush, veggie garden, red current and veggie garden, fig, violets, pansy, mixed barrel of greens, daffodils, brassicas and broad beans on deck.
above: I love my red wattle flowering tree. The nettles will soon be flowering. Hellebore flower and the last of my snow drop. My bay tree is being attacked by something. It is on my to do list.
Hens two white, three black and two brown hens.
My hens are settling in really well. They come running to me I believe its more about the seeds I bring for them. They are running a bit amok, as the fencing in the chickens area is too low. I am working on that. The black bantam is still sleeping in the tree. I have no idea how she managed to hold on during the gale wind and storms we had the last few nights.
I love having them. The dynamics of the hen house are really fascinating to observe. I love listening to their chatter. I continue to get about six eggs a week currently. As the hens (which were an incredibly generous gift) are different ages, and very mixed breeding. So I feel that I have two hens laying and five who are maturing to be layers.
My seedlings are mostly doing well though I have had some failures. It may be I over watered them, or they grew to rapidly. I have time to resow the seeds, and get them underway.
I feel so thankful to have my hens, eggs, my potential veggies grown in my garden. There are wonderful blossoms forming on my peach and two plums (I have a couple more that are just budding up).
More rain and wind is forecast, the days are lengthing and temperatures increasing.
Echidna Home 
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