Baby, it's cold outside

NEWSPAPER has wonderful insulation properties, a fact much appreciated by the feather riot here at the Jan Juc Surf Farm.

Keeping the hens warm and comfortable during these chilly nights is an important task as it will ensure they keep up their egg production now we are into autumn's home straight.

On Sunday, the old newspaper and straw in the hen house was removed and fresh newspaper was put in to line the floor . Now summer is over, it;'s also used to line the open-floor wire section. Then, a fresh pile of hay was placed on top, causing the chooks to do delirious with delight as they bounced about, eating seeds and insects from the bale.

Ledger looking for unwary insects before fresh straw went into the chook run

Fresh straw was also strewn about their run and seeing the hens stand neck deep in some parts where they had scratched the hay into a pile was hilarious - I'd have taken a photo except I was digging itn the potato bed at the time.

Newspaper is an excellent ingredient in the recycled / sustainable garden - it's cheap, effective and when saturated with chook manure can be easily recycled through the compost bins.

Ditto the straw.

Another bargain has been a $5 paper shredder fro the op-shop.

Now all the old bills, circulars and some non-coated junk mail can be converted into composting material - much faster and more efficient than standing over the bins tearing it up by hand. The shredded paper can also b good chook house insulation if you run out of straw.

Apollo Bay Music Fesitval

WOW!

Spent yesterday at the 21st Apollo Bay Music Festival and it was great.

Sunshine, mellow crowds, rocking music and a relaxed atmosphere all combined to make the best located festival on the surf coast a marvellous day out.

Now it's time to get back into the garden and hope the predicted rain comes through a bit heavier than a mist.

The weeds have sprouted up like nobody's business and the chooks are no help as they'd rather dig up soinach seedlings than attack pigweed, grass and clover. 

Recycle, reclaim and feel great!

SURF COAST residents who love a recycled bargain will be thrilled with the new second-hand shop opening at the Anglesea Landfill this weekend.

Council has finally seen the light and will be selling pre-loved items hopefully at realistic prices - since the shop is manned by volunteers and they are getting the items donated, for zilch and for nothing.

See you there at 10 am!

Salty lemons

CAN you grow great lemons on the coast?

Sir Peter Cundall doesn't think so in his latest Weekly Times column.

Still I persevere.

Call me stubborn but I'm not going to let a fruit tree get the better of me.

My neighbours have a cracker which tantalises me every time I look over the fence as my citrus trees are not half as prolific. But when when I asked them about any special soil treatments or fertilisers, they seem to take the 'healthy neglect' approach.

Darn.

One lemon tree which came with the property and sulked in various parts of the garden is now happily caged in the fully wired-up chook run, gets plenty of sunshine, water and ahem, chook fertiliser. The hens even like to climb the ladder next to it to occasionally roost in the branches.

The others are variously in pots and the ground.

Hopefully the little darlings will improve. The lemon and lime trees, not the chooks, they are fine.

But even if they don't my dear neighbours are happy to swap plump fruit for the feather riot's eggs.

So as long as I keep a few cackleberries I can have my lemon pacakes and eat them too.

BUZZ on bees..

BEES are critical to producing food in backyards, the bush and in agricultural communities around the country.

We need to attract them by growing plants which attract them and offer them food so they can do their job and pollinate. It's estimated over 90 per cent of plants we eat need assistance from bees.

Here's a few interesting bee items I came across today.

AN ABC report said beekeepers in Gippsland are having one of their worst seasons in 30 years.

Some bee colonies haven't produced a honey flow this season, which is at least three months behind schedule.

Commonly used pesticides pose a serious threat to bees, restricting their ability to pollinate crops.

That's according to a European study published yesterday in the journal Nature.

Studies find pesticides damage brains of bees.

Native bees..

Bathing chooks

DUST baths are one of the funniest sights when you have chooks.

Hilda and Gidget have a chat while dust-bathing in the tomato bed.

Watching them lie on their backs, legs akimbo with wings outstretched to get dust into every feather, it’s hard not to laugh.

They are amazingly dexterous and resemble contortionists as they wriggle about, looking to rid themselves of mites and other insects at home in their feathers.

Of course the little devils don’t choose empty plots of earth to enjoy their bath – no, they have to settle into a newly seeded bed or one where I have been heaping soil on top of growing potatoes.

Now we have finally had some rain they will use the sol under the massive but unproductive passionfruit vine and fluff their feathers there.

Sometimes they lay an egg in their dust bath after a particular vigorous session. But usually, they give themselves a shake and wander off, stretching their wings and giving little satisfied 'crawk crawk' noises as they saunter about their domain.

Pancakes please

PANCAKES are the perfect autumn and winter weekend breakfast.

After a bracing surf or cycle down the Great Ocean Road - or even a sleepy stroll to get the newspapers - siting down to pancakes made with fresh eggs from the chooks is always a great meal to start the day.

Saturday's pancakes ready to enjoy.

Versatile too.

You can add blueberries to the mix or serve them on the side.

Instead of butter, lemons and sugar or maple syrup, I'm a sucker for no-fat Greek yogurt and a handful of berries. Or a splash of real-deal maple syrap.

Here's the recipe - if you like your flapjacks on the fluffy side then add 1/2 cup more flour or if you like them more crepe-like then add a splash more milk.

This recipe makes heaps - they freeze well but I usually give any leftovers to the hens.

2 fresh eggs
3 cups milk
3/4 cup wholemeal SR flour
3/4 cup plain flour

Get out the medium sized Sunbeam mixmaster
Beat the eggs, add milk
Gently add flours
Mix until resembles cream
Let it sit for a few minutes
Cook in a pan with a little oil or butter, flip when one side is all bubbly. (If cooking for a few friends, then I'll use two pans to keep things moving.)
Enjoy!