Summer on the farm

Summer is over... I must say I am a bit relieved as with it goes the risk of fires, almost.

But in spite of the BIG DRY we had some really good times here at Tatum Hills, like several picnics with our curious llamas.

Dinner with the llamas

Our llama girls were given a break from breeding last year, so no new crias arrived this year, but plenty of cute chicks!

Including a batch that our cheeky Amy has decided to raise in the main pen with the adult flock.

Our flock is now nearly complete with a bunch of black, blue and splash Australorps for our black boy Roger. We hope to breed in the Spring and sell their fertile eggs.

Our mixed flock having a play

I also dream of a second flock laying rainbow eggs so I let my girls hatch some blue Araucana eggs. Unfortunately most were boys but I am thrilled to have found them all good SAFE homes!

Hopefully their sisters will lay some coloured eggs to add to the cream and deep brown ones I am already getting....

Our kittens are now almost all grown up and two of them will go to their new home when their owners return from overseas in June... Until then we are FULL of cats!

Meanwhile, I have been researching goats as I'd love a couple of dairy goats one day... I made mozzarella (http://www.cheesemaking.com/howtomakemozzarellacheese.html) as a practice round with supermarket cow's milk and it worked beautifully...

Shame it was a rather different result when I used goat's milk ...Goat's milk 1, me NIL... But the battle has just begun!