Our family wishes you all the best for 2018. What will this year bring us? Perhaps some guidance can be found in Chinese New Year.
In Chinese astrology, each year is related to a Chinese zodiac animal according to the 12-year cycle. 2018 is an Earth Dog Year. Years of the Dog include 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, and 2030… The Dog occupies the eleventh position in the Chinese zodiac, after the Rooster, and before the Pig.
Dogs
Marlie – Looking for a good Kelpie to join her up next heat.
Baily – Could be up for breeding later this year or if on heat with Marlie could happen sooner.
Red – Loving semi-retirement and her inside work
Bear – Doing his thing and enjoying his inside work with Red. Always on the watch.
Jasmine – Looking good. As she does so well.
Rooster
We have way too many at the moment. At least 15. You get that when you have naturally born chicks. Our heritage breed flock continue to flourish in our food forest. They companion well with the pigs and piglets. We’ve got the old incubator out and plan to incubate some of our eggs and get in some more once we have that working.
Pigs
7 Breeding sows going great. Last litter was born in our pig pasture. The plan is to get them on more pasture and in under the shade of the Big Fig.
The Chinese zodiak doesn’t mention Horses, Cows or Cats this year. We have some of those too.
Horses
Lady
Buck
Lightning
Indie
Bobben
All the horses are going well and Alison has a great year of camps booked in with Tanya. Keeping the feed and minerals up to our old crew and working to keep them all fit and happy.
Cows
We have reduced our herd size down to foundation stock as part of our next phase of breeding. Our two bulls Lowco and Chip are tolerating each other and sharing duties nicely.
Hoping to find someone to take on Chip for a year to give Lowco a bit of peace to work his magic.
Looking at doing a home kill for an older horned steer and then his mate after we see how the meat is. Looking a bit on the lean side. We shall see.
About 5 calves on the ground aged a month to 4 months. More information to come on the cows.
Cat
Pad Thai-doing a great job keeping the mice and rats under control. Leaves native creatures alone. What a boy. Still working hard to make friends.