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Post by quambie on Jun 21, 2013 16:37:01 GMT 8
HI All I am not a happy Vegemite what with the Cold weather and still not a drop of rain my crop has popped its head above the ground and the only thing keeping it going is the mist we have had in the morning cant see a hand in front of your face the good news is I have just hatched out 6 New Hampshire chicks ::)another breed to my name this was out of two dozen eggs 20 I put under the bator and 4 to a Silky so far she has not hatched one they did get to me by post so I am happy about the amount I got out its going to be a long time before I know how true they are Trev
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Post by madison on Jun 21, 2013 20:07:46 GMT 8
I hate to say it but I'm a bit pleased that's all you get because it doesn't make me feel so bad when that's all I get . I was beginning to think it was my bad incubator use
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Post by quambie on Jun 22, 2013 8:19:43 GMT 8
from what i am told we are not alone the last couple of years most chook breeders have had small numbers hatch so dont feel so bad madison your keeping up with the rest of us i would love to know why i do not think i will ever find out though have fun anyway Trev
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Post by cannakid on Jun 23, 2013 8:05:55 GMT 8
I know how you feel about your crops there , I have about 300 acres gone and growing by the day we aren't even getting dew now either. posted eggs are a lotto if you get 2 per dozen that's a good result. I had a DVD and CD sent by mail and it had a hole right through the parcel all smashed just imagine if it were a box of eggs.
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Post by quambie on Jun 23, 2013 19:41:52 GMT 8
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Post by cannakid on Jun 24, 2013 6:40:12 GMT 8
are you talking about your own eggs ? I have had a problem in the past but have had good results last 2 years I hand transported some and the hatch rate dropped a lot of it is the terrible state of our roads I had to increase the minerals via the water , all the high salt fertilizers and chemicals we use are producing low nutrition grains now.
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Post by quambie on Jun 24, 2013 17:54:46 GMT 8
My own and imported eggs I keep all the amino acids up and vits in there water every other month or so but the hatch rate still dropped off every breeder I talk to around us and in Merridin , Beverley , York and Toodyay have told the same story hope this year will be a better year but I would love to know what caused it I do not use any chemicals or sprays on my place all natural fertilisers, then its not that large now I can do it the cost of chemicals and the like are way to high I wish you luck and glad I am now out of it Trev
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Post by cannakid on Jun 25, 2013 14:11:44 GMT 8
I am learning how too farm without them too but it will be a slow transistion I don't think I will hatch many this year as I won't have the feed.
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Post by quambie on Jun 25, 2013 15:59:17 GMT 8
Hi cannakid in the old days and I hate that saying ? we used to say feed the soil not the plant if you follow my drift I turn in the stubble each year and on a lay year the whole lot gets turned in a couple of months before I seed it I have an old disc plough that I use for this it is set for about 100 mill turn over I have done this for the last 6 years now and its working any hay left over goes back into the ground all the chook pens when there empty tea bags anything at all when I first started I used to get bogged with the tractor every time it rained and I mean bogged now I can do what I want to with out any trouble and the clay has all but gone next year I will give it some lime the first lot its had in many years then I rotate crops peas to get nitrogen in the soil then oats wheat lupins peas something like that but I do not have to make a living out of it now and the lack of rain speaks for its self this is no easy task as you know trying to make a quid in croping unless your in a good rain fall is hard today I have dark black clouds all over me and not a drop has fallen frustrating when i dont get a crop i go to the seed cleaners and get a mixed bag of grain for $ 10.00 i am still shocked at what a hen will find to eat if let loose Trev
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Post by cannakid on Jun 25, 2013 17:41:10 GMT 8
I am learning how to make proper compost and compost worms then brewing them up to high numbers then spraying them out , I have gone out of plowing and using a Kelly chain the disc plows bring up too much rock here and are too slow for a 5000 acre sowing programme .but if it works for you then its great.In the old days before my time the tractors travelled a lot slower too. I have buggered the soil from running too many sheep and will have to cut the numbers back signifigently
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Post by cannakid on Jun 25, 2013 17:42:24 GMT 8
I managed to get 2 mm last night but alas the moisture is all gone again now.
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Post by cannakid on Jul 8, 2013 10:09:54 GMT 8
July has started out as dry as June, we have 780 sheep going this week and another 300 at the end of this month but the easterly winds have killed the feed now back feeding full time, we have 1400 ewes still with lambs at foot.
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Post by quambie on Jul 8, 2013 16:29:58 GMT 8
just got shot of around 800 lambs almost done got a mate that had quads this year but with no feed its costing still not a drop makes you want to drink good luck Trev
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