Had a great day and no cancellations, so pretty full on day.Started off today with a second visit to Sai. Sai purchased a further 4 chickens along with another coop to house them and provide extra run and shade. Obviously these guys can afford this and it was lovely to see 6 fat, healthy and happy chickens pecking in their clean and tidy space.
Next was a second visit to Maraea with her garden. She said she has enjoyed the silverbeet especially. The garden was nice and tidy with two older silverbeet still producing, and she was thrilled to bits to get the gloves, seeds and plant guide today. She also said she loves the bokashi bin and had already emptied it once into the bed and has the instructions on her fridge. As I explained its use and questioned her. She admitted she didn’t do anything right, but will now, and then said there was a bin left on the roadside and she thought she might grab it. We checked it out before I left and I didn’t have to give her a second one!
Lorenzo’s back yard was like a garden of Eden. He has most of the back yard planted in kumara, dozens of flowering and fruiting banana palms and a large side area earmarked for the chickens. He plans to make some fencing with pallets nailed together. Lorenzo is huge himself and I felt like a tiny wee thing standing beside his 6ft 6 or more, with a mop of black curly hair and a lovely smile. I showed him the moth plant and the flannel plant which are toxic and he said he will remove it. I also pointed out another I’m not familiar with and he didn’t know the name, but his Tongan grandmother planted it and used it for medicinal remedies. Love this space.
Faye has a very tidy back lawn and her husband is very handy, and their son a carpenter, so it didn’t seem a problem to put up some fencing. We talked about the best side to do this. They had hens when she was a young girl and is looking forward to learning how to look after them.
Te Wai is an absolute darling. Her garden has thrived and she is keen, keen, keen to learn as much as possible. She is currently learning te reo and immersing herself as much as possible in her whanau culture. She is a little unwell so looking at the plant guide, she is planning to keep filling the bokashi bucket and empty to prepare her space for spring planting of the pak choi seeds, rather than now.
Teresa is besotted with her hens and we had a great discussion about keeping mites at bay, (Rosemary into the nesting box). keeping good gut health (garlic in the water). That the time for moulting is Autumn so to be aware egg laying may stop or slow and adding extra protein in to help with building new feathers and continuing to lay. She understands this may stop for a while. When I asked for a pic she raced in to pick one up to cuddle for the pic.
So some highs and lows today!
Talk soon.
Rākau Tautoko 