Spotty - the daughter of the White Leghorn "Elke" and the New Hampshire rooster "Jo Cocker", hatched by the Bantam Leghorn "Anna Teresa" in January started to lay eggs. The colours are a mixture between brown (New Hampshire) and white (Leghorn) and the sizes are like the eggs of the foster mum!

On the left the eggs of my Isa Brown hen (above average, I acknowledge), on the right the eggs of Spotty. She really has to improve to keep up with the other ladies.

... the next day sick! Miss Piggy refused to eat - this has never happened before. Diarrhea and vomiting. Poor thing. It started on Sunday and on Monday I decided to call the Mobile Veterinary Service of the University (http://dlyons01.web-prod.development.adelaide.edu.au/vetsci/centres/pahc/pahc_staff/). Thankfully Mandi and a bunch of students were able to examine her properly (after she stopped screaming for her life) and left some medication. Now the pig is healthy again, talking to me when I bring the food and is eating, eating, eating ....



Thank you, Mandi. Good job.

former known as 'Snouty' shares our place since 3 weeks. I was asked to look after her until she has gained some weight. She has had 9.5 kg and was 4.5 months old. I'm not sure how much she is weighing now but she is eating (and pooing) 24/7. It's nearly impossible to lift her up. I think she may have doubled her weight. Time to ask the bringer to pick her up otherwise they have to rent a truck to transport her.

Every 6 weeks her hooves have to be done.



Honey 'cool as a cucumber'.



She nearly seems to enjoy the procedure.



But it means hard work for the farrier (today full of back pain!).

May I introduce 'Honey' a nice Arab filly. She will be a guest until the owner has moved interstate.



My birds are very curious about all the new stuff that came together with the horse.



Autumn has arrived



but bad weather cann't keep the Gumtrees from blooming.

Rabbits are not very welcome (like the foxes) in Australia. They are competing with native animals and causing lots of damage. No wonder that they are not admired as Easter symbol. The Bilby is going to take on the job. Here some facts about this little marsupial:
http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/bilby.html

**********HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE*********

Three bloody scratches on my right forearm - the result of administering the monthly flea drops to Kitty. I assume she doesn't like it.

This reminds me of the following valuable tips:

HOW TO GIVE YOUR CAT A PILL IN TWENTY EASY STEPS

1. Sit on sofa. Pick up cat and cradle it in the crook of your elbow as though you were going to give a bottle to a baby. Talk softly to it.
2. With right hand, position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. (be patient) As cat opens mouth pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow. Drop pill into mouth. Let go of cat, noticing the direction it runs.
3. Pick the pill up off the floor and go get the cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process. Sit on floor in kitchen, wrap arm around cat as before, drop pill in mouth. Let go of cat, noticing the direction it runs.
4. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away. Scoot across floor to pick up pill, and go find the cat. Bring it back into the kitchen. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten. Drop pill into mouth.
5. Pry claws from back legs out of your arm. Go get the cat, pick up half-dissolved pill from floor and drop it into garbage can.
6. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of closet. Call spouse from backyard. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.
7. Retrieve cat from curtain rod, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered Doulton figures from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.
8. Get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.
9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.
10. Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with rubber band.
11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Throw T-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.
12. Call fire department to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take another pill from foil wrap.
13. Tie cat's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed, force cat's mouth open with small spanner. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet steak. Hold head vertically and pour one cup of water down throat to wash pill down.
14. Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Call at furniture shop on way home to order new table.
15. Get last pill from bottle. Go into bathroom and get a fluffy towel. Stay in the bathroom with the cat, and close the door.
16. Sit on bathroom floor, wrap towel around kitty, leaving only his head exposed. Cradle kitty in the crook of your arm, and pick up pill off of counter.
17. Retrieve cat from top of shower door (you didn't know that cats can jump 5 feet straight up in the air, did you?), and wrap towel around it a little tighter, making sure its paws can't come out this time. With fingers at either side of its jaw, pry it open and pop pill into mouth. Quickly close mouth (his, not yours).
18. Sit on floor with cat in your lap, stroking it under the chin and talking gently to it for at least a half hour, while the pill dissolves.
19. Unwrap towel, open bathroom door. Wash off scratches in warm soapy water, comb your hair, and go find something to occupy your time for 7-1/2 hours.
20. Arrange for SPCA to get cat and call local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.

are not compatible. Especially if the practice manager is calling late in the afternoon. When I get a call in the morning, no problem - the chicken will stay in their pen the whole day (and certainly during the night). But as soon as they are allowed to leave their stable it is not possible to chase them back into it as long as it's still bright outside. And at 6 p.m. when I'm leaving the premises it is still bright. Last time I tried 2 hours to chase 10 hens and 1 rooster back into their enclosure. I was angry, exhausted, breathless - name it. At last 7 animals were inside - the other somewhere on the property. Luckily all survived the night (this time). Now I discovered a "foxlight" www.foxlights.com . 80 bucks + 13 bucks for the battery. It's working like a small lighthouse and sends random flashes through the night.

I found this complete snake skin on the property: 1.4 m
But I'm honest - I don't want to meet the owner in person.

The neighbour's horse 'Tilt' is a really nice guy - and pretty lonely too. So he comes along as soon as he discovers Clare.



What might be underneath the rug?



Life is soo boring!