We are getting more eggs to hatch. Helen emailed a few days ago to tell me her chickens are laying again and she will collect some eggs to send. This time a neighbour lady, Margaret, will hatch them for me. I'm really looking forward to raising these beautiful chicks.
Photo from this site that has very good information about chickens in general but most particularly Wyandottes. This chicken is a partridge Wyandotte bantam, which is what I hope we hatch from the eggs Helen is sending.
Raising pure breed chooks is similar to growing heirloom seeds. They both need backyarders like all of us to keep the irreplaceable and important stocks going, they are both unchanged since our great, great, great grannies day and they both add that wonderful old-fashioned dimension of sustainability to our backyards. Heirloom seeds and pure breed chooks are just like they were 100s of years ago and have managed to survive, so that we too can enjoy their true and genuine nature. They both have big business doing their best to modify and change them to suit the market place so I intend to do my bit in helping them survive my generation so that my grandchildren can also know the pleasure of eating real vegetables and raising pure chickens for eggs.
I'll be home alone all day today because Hanno is driving to Warwick with Shane. Shane will start work at his new job tomorrow. They'll have an early breakfast soon at 6am and then start the drive. I'll make scrambled eggs on toast for breakfast, with tea and juice. While they're eating, I'll pack some food for the trip. I have leftover potato pancakes, walnut and choc chip biscuits, grapes, tea and water. That should keep them going to a while.
At home here I'll make the bed, do some laundry, tidy my linen cupboard, sweep the floors and clean the kitchen. I have six Brandywine tomato seeds left from last year so they'll be carefully planted so I have some for the aquaponics garden and some for the soil garden. Three more fish died yesterday. :- ( Before lunch I want to tidy up the bushhouse and make room for seedling trays. There will be more trays planted up soon and they need to be placed in a sheltered position that gets a little sunshine but mostly shade.
It's been a very mild summer here with very few days over 30C (86F) but there are some hot days predicted. I'll get all my outside work done today and when it's hotter, I'll stay inside, sewing.
