Wednesday, September 11, 2013

moving the chooks along





This Friday the Blackwood flock of chickens, above, will leave our farm and make their home on another organic farm a couple of hours away.

I'm guessing that apart from the drive, the Blackwoods wont notice much of a difference between their old and their new homes at all. They'll travel along as usual dust bathing, eating, drinking, scratching for bugs, laying eggs, hanging out with their hen buddies and when dark comes, they'll even go to roost in the same houses they have since they came to live with us a year ago when they were one day old.

Our lives on the other hand will be very different indeed. 

The Blackwoods are the last flock to leave our farm and for the first time in years we will be down from 2,000 chooks to just 200. From 10 Maremma dogs to two. From two wonderful farmer boys to none.

This Friday marks the next stage in our organic farming adventure.

We're excited (and a little bit scared), we're happy (and a little bit sad), but we're really ready.

Hopefully our extra time will be spent trying to find a bit more of a self sufficient balance. Making, growing and doing more, and buying less. Hopefully scaling down the business will mean we'll have more time for other plans. And hopefully someday soon, the places we deliver to will stop calling us the egg man and lady.

So it is with much happiness for them and for ourselves that we farewell the Blackwoods.

Stay tuned for the next adventures.

xx


30 comments:

  1. like a chicken heaven:)
    my kiddo get so excited when saw these lots of chickens together.

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  2. Exciting times for you ahead Kate! I look forward to hearing more about your other plans. xxx

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  3. what lovely chicken photos. Wishing you all the best for your new adventures. xx

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  4. How wonderful for new adventures! Those photos are stunning... the colours! I received my copy of your book in the mail today and as soon as my hand touched the gorgeous cover I was in love! Such a wonderful book which will help us immensely when we embark on our own caravanning adventures! xx

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  5. Egg man & lady.. thats v cute.. enjoy the serenity Kate x

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  6. Beautiful photos! All the best with the new journey.

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  7. Big exciting changes afoot Kate! Can't wait to hear about the new adventures xx

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  8. All the best of luck on your new adventures xxx

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  9. What a lovely sight. All the best!!

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  10. I will miss eating your fabulous eggs, and will really have to get cracking (pardon the pun) on building our own coop now. Best of luck with your new adventure!

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  11. Those chooks are beautiful Kate. May the chooks and your family have many new exciting adventures! x

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  12. They look so beautiful, lots of new adventures ahead!

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  13. The end of one era - the start of a new one - good luck with your adventures. I have just got Vantastic from my local library - a lovely book, beautiful photos and still very much your voice in the writing. Very inspirational to pack up and travel.

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  14. We love our chookies so I'm glad you guys are keeping some. It's a big change for you, but I think you'll be happy. x

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  15. Staying tuned....enjoying all your news very much.....wishing you the best of luck in adventures ahead, Niki.

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  16. Wow 2000 chooks !! Best of luck with all the changes and looking forward to your blogs about how it all goes :)
    Lauren

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  17. Oh, I just found your blog and I love it! I am a bit of an Australia-phile as well as a frustrated farmer. Your pictures are beautiful and I love the way you write. Your book is going on my list of "to buy" books! Thanks for sharing your life with us! (PS - I love your younger daughter's style! Very awesome!)

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  18. these photos are fab. i'm so glad i found you just as these changes are happening - it's really interesting to see your smallholding develop.

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  19. Lightening the load must feel a bit refreshing, as well as scary! Letting go of something that you've been doing for so long and making a life change leads to lots of mixed emotions.

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  20. I thought of this post when i bought a new book of stamps today. Do you know that chooks feature on the book? I sent a letter with an Australorp stamp on it.

    All the best for the times ahead.

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  21. Hello
    I was looking at your book on amazon.co.uk
    I am pleased to say it is very expensive if we want to buy it used... : 998.89... and don't forget the postage : 2.80 waouh !!!!

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/1741174236/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

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  22. What a beautiful flock of chooks....so excited to see where you go with all your new adventures. xxxx

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  23. New beginnings are always so exciting. Wishing you all the best.

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  24. Hi Kate,
    I'm a little bit sad that we will miss your chooks.
    But I am really excited to see the new adventures..
    May God shower his blessings on your family always.

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  25. Those busy little bods look like the luckiest chooks in the world!
    good luck from the uk on your new adventure
    (The memory of your daffodil photos are still making me smile as the nights draw in here and the temperatures drop!)x

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  26. oh how i loved this post, the love and care for your hens shone through every single word..
    we are at the other end of this chicken tale as we have just rescued 1200 that were due to be gassed so have gone from 30 yard hens to a whole lot more!

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  27. Oooh - you know what they say about change... as good as a ... (♥) ... and of course we await the changes with baited breath!

    Also must add that I spotted your gorgeous book mentioned by the lovely Lucy at Attic 24 - a wonderful hooky loving mama such as yourself (http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2013/09/tales-from-connievan-late-summer.html) You reach far and wide lovely lady! ♥♥♥

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  28. Hi lovely :-) big days for you guys! we'll be mooovin most of our cows along soon…for many similar reasons im guessing. good luck to you and to us!... heres to bright and beautiful new beginnings :-) x x x

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  29. Hi Kate, I saw you mentioned on Rhonda's blog, Down to Earth, so I came to visit. I am curious about your maremmas....what is happening with the ones you're not keeping, will they go with the chooks? How will you decide who will stay? Are there any pics on your blog of the 10 of them.........I'd love to see them. I have a friend with a marremma, we lived next door to each other and unplanned, each got our new puppies at the same time....mine's not a maremma. He's just such a big, sweet, goofy boy and I just love him, and have an interest now in them. Hope you'll reply just this once :)

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Thanks so much for stopping by...

I do read every single comment you leave and appreciate it very much, but I should let you know that I can be a wee bit on the useless side when replying to comments, that's just me, everyday life sometimes gets in the way....so I'll apologise now, just in case.

Kate XX

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