Intro and help!!!

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by Sly712, Sep 12, 2005.

  1. Sly712

    Sly712 Junior Member

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    I have been a "long time reader, first time writer here" and finally made the step and signed to this forum. I have recently completed a PDC at Ryde TAFE (in Sydney) and I just started converting the in-laws backyard from a sterile brown piece of grass to something just a tad more productive :)

    Unfortunately, due to current work commitments I can't make it to my local Permaculture group to ask some questions.

    The first one, is there somewhere on Sydney's North Shore where I can get strawbales, does anybody here know? I can not find them for love or money!!!

    The second is will chickens (4) and ducks (2) live happily in the same enclosure (approx 7m x 4m)? Or will I have to put on a blue hat and play UN?
     
  2. Tamandco

    Tamandco Junior Member

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    Hi Sly712,

    Welcome to the forum.

    In respect to your first question re a straw bale supplier around Sydney's north shore, I can't answer for sure as I'm from the Yarra Valley near Melbourne.

    However, there are racecourses around Sydney, Randwick to name one, and the trainers and strappers would definitely be able to tell you where they get their straw from.

    It'll be from some produce store not too far away. When you find out, contact them and (I'm assuming you want them to build) find out who their supplier is. This is where you'll probably find they're shipped in from somewhere. What you need to do is work out with them, if you buy so many, you want to pay $x, not their retail price of $y. See how much you'd need to pay buying it that way.

    Also, buy your equivalent of our Weekly Times and look up the bulk sellers. They will ofter arrange transport and this is calculated per bale depending on how many you order.

    Before we started cutting our own hay, I'd always buy mine in bulk in this way. My horses were very fussy and wouldn't eat sort of grass hay I grow to feed my cows. Our area doesn't grow the sort of hay I needed so I'd get it shipped down from Shepparton or somewhere similar.

    Anyway, racehorse people use straw as stable bedding. Admittedly some use sawdust or shavings, I did because I can get it for free, but straw is healthier for the horses (less dust, etc) and when you've got trainers in the care of animals worth tens of thousands of dollars, most won't take any risks. Respiratory diseases will also affect their performance. So if you can find racehorses, you'll find straw.

    The only thing is, when you order straw for the purpose of building, you need to stipulate what it's to be used for so they can select even sized, well constructed bales, or arrange for this to be noted at the time of baling if they've got a substantial order to be filled. Also, you'd probably have a better chance at buying premium bales at a good price AFTER spring. But do your research now so you can get your order in.

    Just one last note. The price of diesel being what it is, is going to have an impact on hay and straw this year. (my prediction) So it'd be good if you can negotiate a price in advance and secure an order, based on last years prices. I'm a bit off the point here, just trying to provide any info I can.

    Re chooks and ducks, I'm afraid I'll have to leave that one up to someone else as I know nothing about ducks.

    Tam
     
  3. Tamandco

    Tamandco Junior Member

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    All of these are somewhere around Sydney, however the only one remotely to the north is All Stockfeeds in Box Hill which is more or less north west.

    Tam

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Kensington Produce Pty Ltd
    Quality Feed. Superior Results. Since 1955.
    2/ 19a Baker St Banksmeadow NSW 2019
    ph: (02) 9666 7755

    Dural Stockfeeds
    Rear 9 Kenthurst Rd Round Corner NSW 2158
    ph: (02) 9651 1046

    Garrard's Horse and Hound
    Harold Park Paceway Ross St Glebe NSW 2037
    ph: (02) 9571 6144

    All Stockfeeds
    9 Edwards Rd Box Hill NSW 2765
    ph: (02) 9679 1894

    Better Produce
    287 Mona Vale Rd Terrey Hills NSW 2084
    ph: (02) 9986 3400

    Condell Park Produce
    Rear 44 Simmat Ave Condell Park NSW 2200
    ph: (02) 9790 6231

    Cumberland Produce
    55 Blaxland Rd Campbelltown NSW 2560
    ph: (02) 4628 1330

    Dural Stockfeeds
    Rear 9 Kenthurst Rd Round Corner NSW 2158
    ph: (02) 9651 1046

    East Coast Stockfeeds Pty Ltd
    105 Miranda Rd Miranda NSW 2228
    ph: (02) 9525 2522

    Eli's Produce & Pet Supplies
    Cnr Bringelly Rd & North Ave Rossmore NSW 2171
    ph: (02) 9606 7477

    Fodder King Ltd
    Marrickville NSW 2204
    ph: (02) 9558 4988

    Gatenby Feeds Pty Ltd
    Lot 104 Dampier Pl Hoxton Park NSW 2171
    ph: (02) 9608 9100
     
  4. Steve J.

    Steve J. Junior Member

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    My chickens and the ducks, for the most part, live in peace and harmony. Sadly though it has not always been so..... You see we had this duck-Snowy, that tried to undermine the political hierarchy of the yard and overthrow the head chicken-Dave the Anarchist. Dave the Anarchist was not well pleased about this and in a show of unsurpassed leadership led all the chickens and ducks across the road to my neighbors house (a free-range frenzy). In the tragic but true conclusion to this senseless poultry war, Snowy never returned from the trip across the road. I ain't a Cluedo Master but I’m thinking it went something like- Dave the Anarchist, with a peck to the head, at the neighbors house. Anyway, Dave the Anarchist has never been challenged again by duck nor chicken and my other creatures seem to have a healthy respect for the Queen of the roost- Dave the Anarchist. On a positive note though this episode answered the age old question "why did the chicken cross the road".... so she could be ruler of the world (albeit her own tiny little egg strewn smelly one).

    Steve
     
  5. christopher

    christopher Junior Member

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    Sly,

    Ducks and chooks get on well with one another generaly as long as they have sufficient food rescources. Otherwise thay can get mean with one another. Our chooks will eat woodlice, and our ducks will eat more banana. They both likemcorn and breadnuct, and we try to keep them happy with enough food.

    Steve, LOL about the Dave The Anarchist, peck to the head at the neighbors, etc... I enjoyed your story very much! Like you, I get lots of satifaction from my birds, and really enjoy watching them interact. A secret, though, I like my ducks more as they are smarter and nicer. Don't tell the chooks, tho, as they actually lay much more eggs....

    Christopher
     
  6. Franceyne

    Franceyne Junior Member

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    Hey there Steve & Christopher,

    Do you have any problems with drinking water dirtied by the ducks upsetting the health of the chooks?

    A chicken named Dave The Anarchist would have to be tough, she'd have to live up to that name! :lol:

    Cheers,
    Fran.
     
  7. baringapark

    baringapark Junior Member

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    Hi

    I have had waterfowl and chooks together and they get on fine. However, the ducks do foul the water and mess up the pen, and this can cause disease in the chooks. If you are careful about changing the water and cleaning out the pen all should be well.

    Elizabeth
     
  8. Steve J.

    Steve J. Junior Member

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    I must also confess a leaning towards the ducks Christopher, they are really quite lovely birds the way they waddle around behind me in the garden quaking away, (sometimes, after a few wines, I understand them :oops: ) they are more pet like really.

    I have a big tub of water for the ducks to mess up and I hang a waterer in the pen (straw floor) off the ground a bit higher up for the chickens, it stays fairly clean.

    Dave the Anarchist is a tough chook Fran, strangly lays tiny ie 30 gram eggs, she really will not conform.

    Steve
     
  9. Franceyne

    Franceyne Junior Member

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    Hmmm - perhaps I will rethink the whole ducks and chooks thing - thanks :D

    Sly712, do you have your ducks and chooks yet?

    Steve, Dave could never conform - she is the The Anarchist! :twisted: :lol: I'll have to take your story home to my partner - the heavy metal muso in him will have to make a song out of the antics of Dave the Anarchist and poor Snowy :D

    Cheers,
    Fran.
     
  10. Steve J.

    Steve J. Junior Member

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    Fran

    I'm very pleased that some good can come of poor Snowy's suspicious demise. I am not convinced that the true magnitude of the tragedy can be portrayed in a sensitive manner through a stack of Marshall amps on 11 belting out the distorted grunge of a screaming metal dirge. But then who am I to stifle creative expression, Free Range Metal could just go off?? Would need Banjo or a Zither or something I suspect. :?

    Steve
     
  11. christopher

    christopher Junior Member

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    Hi Fanceyne,

    No, we raise the water for the chooks up high, in a piece of bamboo with 1/3 of it spit off, with two thirds of it hung horizntally against the chook wire, to hold water, so no birds can poop in there. The ducks all go to the river when we let them out of the pen in the dry season, and in the rainy season, they seek out puddles to wash themselves in.

    We do have a mean Drake, named "Danny the Drake". He is so mean we were going to feed him to the 17 Peace Cors trainees we had in July, but the morning he was to be killed, we found a large boa in the chookery ( I know, I know, not a word, yet, but I am working on it..) with one large duck and two smaller ducklings in its belly, and we killed him. We then decided to skin, gut and cook the boa, which the Peace Copr trainees ate. (They tell me it tastes like a cross between fish and chicken, in a rubbery, reptilian way, if you were going to ask).

    Anyway, we have a PDC here in february, so Danny will get eaten then... His date with the sharp side of the machete has merely been postponed.

    Steve, I can't play guitar, so think some guttural three cords strum on an painfully out of tune cheap electric guitar sort of sound, with the aid of a lot of booze..... This is a punk rock song, by that up and coming Permie punk band, Dave the Anarchist Chook and the Pig Yard Worms, with the lead singer being your demon chook from hell, Dave the Anarchist:

    (Dave the anarchist is sporting her trademark nose ring through the beak with her tattoo on her wing exposed saying "Born to Lay Eggs". She prances around the stage, like Mick Jagger, singing, singing that new hit song, "Snowy, you should have been Wonton Soup".......)

    Snowy, she wanted to push her way around... '
    Snowy, she tried to hold her ground,
    Snowy she chose the wrong bird to pick on,
    Snowy, fu**ed with Dave the Anarchist Chicken!

    Dave the Anarchist took the flock across the tarmac,
    Dave the Anarchist planned and schemed and she made her attack,
    Dave the Anrchist was cutting no slack,
    And Snowy, she wasn't coming baaaa-a-a-ack!

    Snowy wanted to be queen of the coop,
    But you really should have been Wonton Soup!

    Snowy, is never coming back,
    Because Snowy, was so fu**ing wack!
    Snowy, you'll never eat snails or grass,
    "Cuz Snowy, you were a pain in the @$$!!!!

    Snowy, she got a peck to the head,
    Now SNOWY, you stupid duck,
    your DEAD! DEAD! DEAD! DEAD! DEAD!

    (this last followed by a grounding out ending of a guitar screech. A pig stage dives and takes out a flock of chickens..., a duck poops in the punch bowl...)

    Christopher
     
  12. Sly712

    Sly712 Junior Member

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    Not yet, we are still in the process of building the vegie patch and living quarters for the chooks and ducks. We launch into major construction this weekend when the in-laws complete moving out. We have also just remembered we are going to get the "family" cat, so cat proofing is needed.

    We are in the process of deciding whether to use passive methods, Mum's homemade mix of chilli, garlic, vinegar and some other things, I swear it could either power the space shuttle or be declared a bioweapon!!! Or, more active means, such us, cat spikes, booby traps etc.
     
  13. Sly712

    Sly712 Junior Member

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    Tam,

    Your Google-Fu is powerful!!! The mob in Terrey Hills look like they might be the go, they are relatively close to us.
     
  14. Sly712

    Sly712 Junior Member

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    Ummm....you aren't chewing the leave of the coca plant are you??? :)

    Mind you the image of a stage diving pig is wonderful!!! :lol: :lol:
     
  15. iulian

    iulian New Member

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  16. earthbound

    earthbound Junior Member

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    I've got to admit, that is funny story Steve... And an even crazier song to go along with it Christopher... :D
     
  17. ~Tullymoor~

    ~Tullymoor~ Junior Member

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    LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

    You are a funny pair of buggers!!
     
  18. christopher

    christopher Junior Member

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    This message edited for innappropriate content.

    Permaculture discussion forum board of morality in public discourse
     
  19. christopher

    christopher Junior Member

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    Sly,

    No coca leaves, just plain coffee (stop me before I have another one..) "I'm seriously worried that Christopher youthful expirimentation with coffee has grown into a full fledged habit. He has simply lost control of his life..." :coffee:

    "My name is Christopher, and I am a coffee addict..." : (In unison: ) "Hello Christopher....

    Just some late night java juice, the essence of awakeness, coffee. No drugs. Perhaps the beautiful moonlight I poled up river under this evening inspired me.

    Steve, your poor dead duck has given a gift she could not understand. Thank you Snowy, for making our evening here so eventful.

    Tullymoor (dearest) you know I only post to make you smile...... :love7:

    Cwistofa
     
  20. Steve J.

    Steve J. Junior Member

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    Christopher,

    You are to songwriting what plastic is to compost, never before have I seen such a delightfully inappropriate synergy of Punk, poultry and “poo in punch”. That song is cats and dogs living together, paint peeling of the house, instant Afro - total Anarchy. The ears in my brain ache from the assault, it’s like listening to a 24 hour chorus of worn brake pads in the Cairo traffic, like running naked through a field of chest high stinging nettle, like bull ant’s nesting in my underpants, like, like…. like a punk concert with poultry. Snowy would be proud (if she understood English and wasn’t dead or at the very least missing in action).

    Steve
     

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