Big Red

TOMATO time is here again.

Last night I spent a couple of hours weeding and getting rid of dead plant leaves in the Cluckingham Palace tomato bed which is chock-full of cherry tomatoes.

Sweetbite bite cherry tomatoes

It's a fun time of the year with the different varieties of tomatoes are ripening at different stages, so there's a constant supply of yummy types.

Rouge Marmalade tomatoes

 

The free range chef Annabelle Langbein has a great recipe for Harvest tomato sauce...

 

MAKE HAY

THIS heatwave means mulching is essential.

Last night I collected two bales of straw and this morning, one was put in the chook run.

After cleaning out the hutch, all the lovely old straw was placed in the garden and the feather riot were cackling with excitement with their new clean hay.

The second bale is on the hutch's corrugated iron roof so it is both out of harm's way from the gals and will act as a good insulator in this heat.

And languid the chooks are not!

The hot weather does not appear to be stopping them from dashing about eating unwary insects.

 

Although we are down to three eggs a day so two of them are holding out.

But in this weather, who can blame them?

Cool chooks

KEEPING my hens cool and watered during the heat this week will be an additional challenge.

 

Along with their usual deep water bowl I'll be adding two more into their enclosed pen.

 

Plus positioning the market umbrella to keep them in the shade.

 

If you kave any backyard chooks, be sure to check they have constant access to fresh, clean, cool water.

 

Also look out for snakes and other reptiles who may be attracted to the chooks water supply.

 

Hilda enjoys prime position on the bird bath

Free range debate

THOSE of us lucky enough to have chooks in the back yard know the joys of enjoying delicious, free range eggs.

However, labelling laws in Australia are all over the shop - pretty much any egg producer can call their eggs free-range.

On Monday January 6, ABC Radio ran a story about a group of Australian egg producers are urging state and federal governments to create a legal, enforceable definition of free range eggs. Listen here...

Meanwhile, the feather riot continue to produce the best darn eggs this side of Geelong. 

 

Friends say I'm fortunate to be able to keep chooks and I have to agree.

 

So if you have a spare patch of garden, think seriously about giving a couple of former cage-hens a loving home.

 

They will reward you with more than just lovely eggs.

 

FREE RANGE ID WIN

CHOICE, the consumer's lobby today announced their key wins for consumers in 2013, including the NSW Department of Fair Trading announced in December that it would champion a national crackdown on dodgy free-range egg labelling after CHOICE made a complaint earlier in the year.

This is an important step towards an enforceable free-range egg standard in Australia.

If you can, consider having a couple of chooks in your backyard.

Here's the label for the egg-cess bounty from my feather riot...

Gidget’s Cluckingham Palace

Fresh laid free range eggs from the happy hens: 

Gidget, Layne. Ledger, Laura and Hilda.

PAVLOVAS

MAKING meringues is always a hoot.

It's easier than working out what to do with all the left-over egg yolks if you are not planning on whipping up mayonnaise afterwards.

Last night I had fun baking mini-pavlovas for the fire brigade barbecue tonight.

Listening to 3RRR, drinking a diet ginger-beer and keeping an eye on the chooks to make sure they did not invade the bean patch, it's a pleasant way to spend a sunny summer evening.

As I'd already made the chocolate spice and vanilla butter cakes, the oven was well heated so I could easily lower the temperature.

To check they are cooked, gently tap the meringue - it will sound hollow if it is done.

While a large pavlova looks spectacular, for a buffet I prefer to make single serves so people can help themselves.

ALISON'S NO-FAIL MERINGUES

4 egg whites
3/4 cup castor sugar
1 pinch of salt
2 TBL spoons sifted pure icing sugar

Beat egg whites, Salt and sugar until thick, glossy and firm - about 10 minutes
Gently fold in icing sugar until fully combined
Line flat trays with baking paper 
Pipe into small swirls
Bake in a low oven - around 100 degrees for about an hour (every oven is different so keep an eye on them to ensure they don't brown.)
Fill with cream and scatter with blueberries or grated chocolate
Enjoy!

BAMBOO BASHERS

ERADICATING bamboo can be a thankless task.

 

So thank goodness for the feather riot.

 

Before the combines attack of mattock and chook

 

  

After the hens and the mattock

 

Looking at the bare earth down the pathway behind my studio and chook run, it's a testament to those cheeky chooks.

 

The before photo which was taken from the other end of the path shows the triffid-like jungle the bamboo had grown into

 

These hens have been working hard.

As have I - swinging a mattock is a great core and upper-body workout but it took ages to cut down the bamboo and then dig out the roots.

 

The bamboo poles were then left to dry out and cure and as you can see from the photo above, are perfect for staking tomatoes and beans.

 

There's still the occasional bamboo shoot, but by the time the hens have a nobble and scratch it's all over red rover.

 

 

HAPPY HENS

KEEPING your backyard chooks happy is the key to getting great eggs.

 

Ensuring they have a constant supply of cool and clean fresh water, food and a relaxed environment all make those cackleberrries extra-good.

 

Free-range is the go but foxes, even in urban areas, can be a problem.

 

Lat night a galpal on acreage at Bellbrae called to say her flock of hens were being stalked by a fox. So confident was this it predator, it was even turning up while she only 10m away putting out the washing!

 

Now she is going to build a totally enclosed run to keep them safe.

 

 

As my yard backs onto the Bellarine rail trail which can seem to be a fox highway at times, so I don't allow the gals out in the garden unless I'm there.

CRY FOWL OVER NEW EGG-SHARING LAWS

ALL states bar Victoria will affected by new regulations to come in next year which may mean the end to the sharing of backyard eggs.

An article in the WEEKLY TIMES said from November, selling, trading or giving away eggs produced in your backyard could be banned.

Well, I for one am appalled.

This is serious as it means that backyard chook keepers like me who give away eggs (and those who also sell), will have our egg trading restricted.

My hens produce 4-5 eggs a day and the majority are given to friends who are unwell or I use them in my baking.

The WT article said all states and territories have signed the Australian New Zealand Food Standards Code and each state has had to draft its own legislation.
It added so far Victoria has an exemption from the stamping requirement until November 25 next year and an ongoing exemption for duck and quail eggs.

HEN WRANGLING

KEEPING chooks out of the blooming vegetable beds is a never-ending story.

 

In an attempt to keep the little vixens out of harms way while i continue digging out the triffid-like bamboo, I've wired off the yard into several sections to herd them about and preserve plants and my sanity.

 

However, when i do need some lawn ripped up and new beds established, they really hoe in and do a great job.

 

This method also allows me to dig and use a mattock without the risk of a dear little hen getting in the way with disastrous consequences.

 

Here's I've recycled old platic-covered fencing wire held in place by bambook poles gleaned from the first bamboo beheading in August. Now they have dried out they are proving useful for this and growing beans and peas.

 

Eggs ain't eggs

GOLDEN-HUED yolks.

Whites so firm they half meringue without the mixmaster.

A taste so complex yet simple, you have to be there. Sponges so light they practically float off the plate. Creamy, scrambled eggs and cakes with an extra dimension of deliciousness. 

Yep, I'm talking about home-grown eggs. Or should i say home-harvested?

 

Whatever the name, these eggs are sensational.

I know I'm biased but the people whom I pass on some of my extra cackleberries say the same.

My flock of five girls (Hilda, Layne, Gidget, Ledger and Laura) average four to five eggs a day and they reflect their mostly free-range lifestyle. I let them out ta dawn and shut them back up around 7.30am before i head off to work.

Arriving home around 5.45pm, they are again released to wander across the lawn and encouraged to turn over land which will be another veggie bed come the weekend. 

They are fed lots of food scraps, oodles of fresh greens and have access to clean, cool water on top of their usual pellets. They are loved and have their own fox-proof hutch and fully enclosed run my friends refer to as Cluckingham Palace. And they are so worth it.

Hilda and her posse are a wonderful  mixture of bug-eaters, fertilisers and magic producers. I says magic because their eggs are fantastic. 

Nothing beats your own eggs and my feather riot, rescue chooks all, are up there with the best.

If you have room and you don't need much, consider getting a couple of hens and you'll be amazed at how your cooking and your garden is transformed.

Bulbs bursting out

While removing ivy which was engulfing one of my garden sheds, I discovered a swathe of Hyacinth bulbs about to flower.

 

Emerging from under a pile of dead ivy leaves, these lovely plants which might also have some daffodils in the mix, look sensational despite having been covered for months by leaf debris.

 

Which just goes to show that often it’s the gardens which look as though they are empty often have treasures waiting to be found.

Another example is the fruit tree which I think is a plum of some kind. Again the ivy was doing a take-over bid from the roof around the tree and was stopping the blossoms from getting any sunshine.

Now all I have to do is keep the chooks out of the bulb plantings,

Bamboozled

I NEED to borrow a goat.

Last Sunday I chopped down metres of bamboo to clear out the side of the chook shed and studio.

Hard work but so worth it as I also have a zillion bamboo lengths to use as stakes for the tomatoes, peas and beans I'll be planting next month.

Now a goat would be useful as they eat anything, including bamboo which is notoriously difficult to remove bar nuclear fusion.

The feather riot get stuck into the bugs hiding in the bamboo leaves.

The chooks were very helpful in eating all the insects who rushed out of the bamboo leaves.

Now I face the onerous task of digging out the bamboo roots. Once this is down I'll lay down some crushed rock or topping and I'll have a good place to keep the rubbish bins.

If you know anyone with a goat for rent, let me know.

New hen house

CLUCKINGHAM Palace II is nearly finished and the feather riot are thrilled with their new abode.

Moving house is nothing compared to moving garden and chickens, as any chook-keeper will tell you.

Firstly you have to create a fox-proof, safe environment for the gals. Then you need to move them at night when they are more docile. Note, carrying a box of sleepy chickens is a lot easier than dealing with recalcitrant, squawking hens in broad daylight.

Anyhow, Hilda, Gidget, Layne, Philly and Ledger survived the experience (far better than I) and have settled in beautifully, still laying all the way.

The old shed with green plastic before the transformation

into Cluckingham Palace 2 - to the right is the studio.

 

 My new house came with a north-facing yard and five sheds, one of which looked like it had been a greenhouse. Using a range of mostly recycled materials, I've converted it form a raggedy-looking shack into a clean and safe  hen run.

Here the shed has been transformed into Gidget's Chook Shack.

Steel sheeting from the carport roof has been used to create a windbreak and extra-secure skirting along the bottom of the wire walls and doors.

With help from a friend, I stripped off the heavy-duty plastic and replaced the walls with avian wire and cement sheeting. An old built-in wardrobe was cannibalised for the hutch and the doors from a wooden TV cabinet were also used.

 

On the shed roof i found an old wooden ladder, which was chopped down to size to allow the hens an extra roost.

 

All I have to do now is paint the cement sheeting on the next fine weekend and it's finished!

Companion planting

CHOOKS make the ideal companion to the vegetable garden.

I know, you are thinking how the little devils can so often dig up a bed of newly planted seeds or devour a whole row of broccoli seedlings in one fell swoop.

But once your plants are established, particularly the hardier types such as pumpkins and potatoes, the hens will happily scratch away and leave them alone.

Not only will they eat caterpillars and other pests straight off the pumpkins, they kindly fertilise the soil nearby.

When you need a garden bed dug up and turned over in preparation for the next season of crops, these little humdingers have no no rival.

Online gardening

THERE'S a plethora of fabulous gardening resources online.

One of the best is the monthly newsletter from the good folk at Sustainable Gardening Australia.

Plus SGA has developed four informative booklets for home gardeners: Home Harvest, Sustainable Gardening, Waterwise Gardening and Gardening Self Audit.

They have other excellent resources so you can plan your spring planting and beyond on those days it's too wet and cold to pull on the gumboots and dig.

Chooks are a great way to get greener in the garden - they love turning over the compost!

One off-line choice to get some hens.

They are less trouble than you think, provide gorgeous eggs, manure for the compost bins, eat bugs, provide an amazing way to de-stress because they are so hilarious and will happily turn over an old veggie bed to prepare for the next planting.

Now it's winter it's a great time to plan your new chook run, hutch and investigate what type of chickens to keep.

 

Your beauty

BROCCOLI is beautiful.

I'm always dazzled by how quickly the seedlings escalate into gorgeous crowns.

Funny how much I loathe brussell sprouts and cauliflower but love broccoli.

It's perfect in soups or munched straight from the garden.

And I'm not the only one with my eye on this green beauty.

The hens have been eyeing off the broccoli bed for some weeks and Hilda has made several futile attempts to eat the crop.

Fortunately, the secure chicken wire fencing has kept them out of that part of the garden.

Tomorrow I'll pick some to take to work for lunch.

Thinly sliced and sauteed with a little garlic (I don't want my colleagues to think I'm fearful of vampires) and a squeeze of lemon - bliss.

The chooks can have the leaves, it's fun to see them toss the greens in the air with their beaks and catch them before scarfing them down.



Pruning time

THIS weekend I aim to finish pruning my fruit trees.

So I'll spend an hour or so giving the secateurs and saw a good clean, oil and then sharpen.

There's something very satisfying about reducing a triffid to a few sticks which you know will burst forth in greenery in spring and by summer be adorned with apples and peaches.

My chooks like to cluster under my feet as they vie for insects falling off the branches.

The lemon tree has grown a bit since this images taken so I'll be

getting rid of the busy branches crowding up the middle

to allow air flow and sunshine in...

As usual the delightful Sir Peter Cundall has some very useful tips to share.

Remember to toss all the cuttings into the green waste bin instead of the compost bin in case of pests or disease. 

Down and dirty

DIRT baths when it's wet can be a challenge for chooks when it's wet and muddy.



 

Hilda and Gidget enjoying a relaxing dirt bath

 

There's an area under my back deck with gravel and limestone crush which the girls love to roll around in when it's pouring.

 

Not only do they get to keep the mites at bay, a dirt bath allows them to extend their wings, roll their feet into the air and enjoy a good stretch.

 

If your chook run is getting ab it muddy, toss down some shredded newspapers, some straw and then add a good pile of grit or fine gravel they can loll about on. Don't worry it will soon resemble a mess, chooks love a bit of chaos! 

 

This time of year you should also add some crushed fresh garlic to their water as a bit of a tonic.

 

Keep on adding as many fresh greens as you can to their food.

 

Plus a teaspoon of linseed to their pullets will give them a twinkle in their eye. As though they didn't already have one when looking at your broccoli seedlings. 



Chook book

THERE'S a great new guide to keeping chooks from those lovely people at Organic Gardener magazine who have produced a their Essential Guide to Backyard Chickens.

 

When wandering about my local ABC shop the other day I saw this publication and had a quick flick through.

Robust information, well written and chock full of no nonsense details, plus great photos make this hard to resist guide perfect for experience poultry people and newcomers alike.

Like my friends who keep chooks, I cannot resist reading books, magazines or online publications about these fascinating creatures.