23 May May 2022 Newsletter

Paardekraal Produce May 2022

Sjoe the time really has flown, and winter is now practically upon us.  We are still having glorious weather with days warm and the nights getting cold.  The indoor fireplace is burning most nights and last weekend we had rain followed by cold, so it was lit from just after breakfast.  When this happens, everyone (Guinea Fowl chick, Pickwick, ducklings plus a few old hens) including the parrot congregates around, soaking up the warmth.  We adjust our farm working hours with the seasons and have now started on the winter times.

The cattle are still doing well generally.  I had to call the vet out yesterday as one of the old girls came in early this week from the veld with what has now been diagnosed as plant poisoning with pnemonia.  She is very weak and not sure she will make it, but we are trying. We weaned a lot of calves and walked the 8 bulls down from Onbedacht to Paardekraal (10km) to give them a rest and to recuperate after the work they have been doing.

Lambing is currently taking place with the cutest of little Persians and Persian crossed with Dorper arriving. For some reason the cold always seems to encourage lambing.

I also bought a new British Alpine Ram which arrived in April.  The goats are already pregnant from the last ram but its so difficult to find a milk goat ram in the Eastern Cape that I took one when I had the opportunity so we will need to wait for next year to see the results.  Georgina and her clan have now dried up, so we are not milking currently.  This is something that needs to happen before they kid again which I expect will happen end of next month.  In the meantime, I am using milk that I have frozen and making cheese from that so there continues to be cheese on offer.

The chickens and ducks (oh my word), what can I say.  The chickens are also laying less and again this has to do with the change in seasons and they drop their, egg production somewhat in the winter.  But the ducks continue to be a challenge!  They just don’t want to lay, so I need to figure out what is going on.  Their egg production also declines in the winter but right now I am lucky if I get one egg a day.  There is one duck sitting on eggs under the donkey (hot water system) so we wait to see what she will produce.  I mentioned that I have ducklings in the house which I am raising as the ducks are such bad mothers, they simply kill the ducklings in the nest by either standing on them or not taking them to get food and water.  So again, I said enough and put 3 in the house.

The geese continue to do their own thing and have adopted 2 white Muscovy ducks (which were also raised in the house) so they hang around together.

The vegetable patch continues to deliver despite the colder weather.  There are still tomatoes on the go with the green beans that keep on giving endlessly.  The chillies are still flourishing and if there is the slightest hint of frost the covers go over for the night.

All produce is made from free-ranging animals.  We do not administer growth hormones or antibiotics on a routine basis.
Whilst every effort has been made to remove bones from the pies and dishes, care should still be taken when consuming.
Dishes do not contain pork.

Many thanks for your continued support.