…because we just can’t be sure!

The chickens have been a bit sporadic in their attention to egg laying as I guess I have already alluded to…and yes it is Winter, so I guess that’s part of the deal. But (!) our featured image poses the question: “Are the girls under performing OR are they subletting to the local pigeons?”

Their tenancy agreement (as signed) clearly states that:

1. they should not sub-let their space
2. they should do their best to produce one lovely egg each a day
3. they should endeavour not to stand in their own poop.

OK, so it seems like they have already reneged on points 2 and 3, so maybe they have invited the locals in for little extra pocket money…

In other news:

We finally lost our last Barramundi last week. They had been hard to keep, they were picky eaters except when it came to eating each other and then there seemed to be few rules that applied. So we have restocked with a new batch (around 50) Jade Perch fingerlings and they seem to have settled in quite well. What we did notice, however, is that the temperature probe we had been using was faulty and the water was a lot colder than we had thought. Our remedy was to go and buy some suitable aquarium heaters and some air stones, which have been installed (albeit with the requisite tangle of cords and piping). The system now has timers attached to stop the flow of water between beds and tanks overnight in an attempt to maximise the heat build up in the tanks with the heaters on overnight (our heaters are suited for 200 litres and each is in an 800 litre tank).

As with all things aquaponic it is still a bit of an experiment, but I think we are finding our way and making new discoveries each day. Currently we have a healthy crop of herbs (parsley, coriander and chives), lots of chard, an endless supply of lettuce and lots of little pots of onions and spring onions coming along nicely. What I am looking forward to is nurturing the now sprouted-from-seed spaghetti squash plant and the dozen or so strawberry plants that seem to be putting on LOTS of flower right now!