Rabbit enclosure update!

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Since being at McCarthy Park 2, our rabbits have been really impacted by Calicivirus, which is released by the council to eradicate the feral rabbit population. We are fully supportive of this program- feral rabbits and foxes do not belong in Australia, however it has taken its toll on our rabbits over the last two years despite our breeders being vaccinated last year.

So, this year we have decided to do as much as we possibly can to prevent the virus impacting our stock. In addition to vaccinating the breeders (at $120 per rabbit!), we have fully enclosed all mesh areas of the rabbit pen with fly/mosquito netting as this is the main mode of transmission. As the virus can also be spread by contact with contaminated objects and food, including faeces (of which there is a huge amount on our property), we also have a sanitation tray at the entry.

The entry now has a secure step-in area where we have a bleach tray (10% bleach recommended) to step into before we walk into the main area where the rabbits have a ‘day out’ and their pens. Given that we walk across the property to the rabbit pen and there is an abundance of feral rabbit faeces along the way, this was an easy and effective first step.

Enclosing the rabbit pen with fly/mosquito netting was quite a feat! We had originally designed the rabbit pen ourselves to allow for air flow, which was then perfect for letting in the mosquitoes! So, step one involved moving a 6meter by 2.4 metre pen away from the side of the shed so we could reach all around it.

We already had four of these furniture/large plant trolleys as we put our bins of food on them for ease of movement, and they were perfect. Using a lever, were managed to get the four trolleys (two on each length) in situ, enabling us to move the entire pen away from the shed wall.

We then covered the mesh side (visible in the photo), roof and opposite side with one length of insect netting to ensure there were no gaps or joins. We used kick boards at the bottom of reach side to hold the netting taut and to help protect and neaten the edges. That was no mean feat, and required considerable gymnastics to reach all the areas!

Then we still had to cover the mesh areas on each end of the pen, above the tine. For this we bought security fly screens from a salvage yard, cut them to size, and secured in place.

It wasn’t easy on the fingers, but was very effective. Then the final stage was using corrugated foam to fill the open areas that are created when using corrugated sheeting such as this.

So, we have vaccinated rabbits living in a fully mosquito protected enclosure with a bleach solution to step in at the entry. Fingers crossed!

Fruit and vegetables galore!

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It has been great to get more fruit this year, which hopefully indicates the fruit trees are now well established after the big relocation from McCarthy Park 1. Earlier this year we had mango and dragon fruit, and this month we have pomegranate and pears, both have been amazingly delicious! There really is nothing like picking and eating fruit straight from the tree!

We have also been harvesting lots of limes, pears, guava and lilly pilly, the passionfruit vines are laden, and there are 3 remaining avocados on the tree for the very first time!

The aquaponics system and pumpkin palace have also both been producing well, with plenty of cucumber, basil, tomatoes, carrots, parsnip and chillies in particular!

Of course, and the food we produce is shared amongst family and friends, as well as preserved for future enjoyment. There are jars of dairy free pesto in the freezer; green relish, sweet chilli sauce, lime chutney and kasundi in the produce room; and yet more pickled eggs in the fridge!

Delicious Dragonfruit!

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Wow! Success! We harvested 14 dragon fruit, and they were delicious! It was a bit of a waiting game to work out when to pick the first one, as we were unsure of the variety.

We eventually picked it on 12 April, 43 days from pollination, and although it was probably slightly over ripe it was amazing!

After that first one, we were more confident judging ripeness by colour, how ‘loose’ it was on the stem, and firmness which seemed to be around day 41 to 42. We enjoyed every single one!

We also enjoyed home grown mango! Unfortunately only 2 fruit made it to maturity, but they were amazing to eat! Protecting them from the frost over winter really helped the tree grow and produce fruit, so we shall certainly be doing that again this winter.

Quail again!

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We successfully incubated more quail earlier this month, and with 14 in the brooder box it was getting quite disgusting! We found a great guinea pig/rabbit cage in a roadside collection, strengthened it up and converted it to a great little brooder for the quail. Rather than keeping it inside (a brooder sure does get smelly with 14 quail in it) this one is kept outside in a protected area.

They were so excited to be able to run around, have a big stretch and especially have a dust bath!

Dragon fruit update!

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So far so good with a lot of the dragon fruit! We had one flower the first night, 8 the second night, 9 the third night, and one on the fourth and final night of flowering. A total of 19 flowers!

Here you can see one flower bud that will not be viable, the the others look good!

We hand pollinated each night, using a soft paintbrush by brushing the pollen off the stamens and the petals where it had dropped to, and then brushing it into the stigma. In our enthusiasm, we went out too early the second night and the pollen hadn’t yet been released, but when we went out a couple of hours later there was plenty of pollen on the lower petals we could brush up into a container.

From early in the mornings after flowering, the flowers were covered in bees! this must have helped the pollination process too!

Now, nearly two weeks later, three unviable fruit have fallen off, but the remainder are swelling very nicely!

Dragon fruit….again!

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Last year we were very disappointed to loose the few dragon fruit flowers that had grown for the first time, but are really hopeful for this year! After annual setbacks due to frost, we had to move them again from the raised beds and planted them in large pots just on the edge of the verandah, and they are thriving! They have grown so much, and several now have multiple buds…watch this space!

Even if some of them fruit, we will be thrilled! Especially as we have lost a few things towards the end of this hot Perth summer…..

January heat

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The hot weather has continued, with several days above 40- the hottest so far being 44.5! We have a few allocated ‘sanctuaries’ where the wildlife can have some respite from the heat- one being the ‘billabong’ which we established not long after we moved in.

With that level of heat, we have lost a few plants and others are struggling, but there are a remarkable amount that are coping well, including veggies that keep on producing- zucchini, tomatoes, pumpkin, chilli, scalloped squash and beans- we have had heaps of these!

We have made a few batches of sweet chilli sauce and kasundi- both family favourites!

tomatoes and chilli prepped for kasundi
yummy tomatoes, chillies and spices bubbling away
– we have had plenty of home grown veggies for dinner! Some of the squash get overlooked and are then big enough to stuff and bake

The hot weather has brought out some rarely seen animals – like a Boxer Bark Mantid, one we have never seen before, and a very large trapdoor spider which unfortunately drowned in the pool on its evening explore.

Fire unit!

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Well, we have had a few hot days at our place in December, with today topping at 44.3 degrees Celcius!

With the hot weather comes a much increased risk of bushfire, something we are very aware of and plan for accordingly. Previously, we used an old McCormick tractor and towed a water tank and pump on a trailer. The problem with this was that it was difficult to start, and difficult to manoeuvre on McCarthy Park 2 with it being so long and heavy.

So, we have a new fire fighting unit! We bought a 1970 FJ45, which now has the water tank (an IBC), pump and generator on the tray, so it is much easier to start and drive around on our property.

This has given us a much safer and more manageable way of fighting small spot fires that may occur on our property.

Busy Spring!

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It has been a busy, though strange, spring. Perth has seem hot days, windy days, cold days, rainy days…. and sometimes all four in one day! The gardens and the bees have sometimes struggled with the changing conditions, but overall are going well.

We had lost a queen in one hive a while ago, and the newly purchased queen did not survive or stay for some reason. This is where it is very useful having two hives, as we were able to transfer a frame or two of brood from the strong one to the weak one. We had to do this a couple of times, but eventually they did produce a queen, who is now laying prolifically!

We haven’t had a honey harvest so far this season, but it won’t be long before we do!

The orchard has gone well generally, with some good harvests of nectarines, peaches, loquats and plums, though unfortunately one of the nectarines we transferred from McCarthy Park 1 (see There is never nothing to do!) suddenly split and was rotten inside.

This, plus a plum and an apricot going the same way, are disappointing nearly four years after transplanting! The rest are going well though….

a few avocados, hopefully will develop beyond pea size!
Hopefully a few develop into fruit!

The dragon fruit are loving their new home too, after some trials and tribulations- fingers crossed we finally get some fruit develop this year. Moving them to the verandah certainly helped to protect them from the frost, so this spring they have taken off!

Despite the variable weather, there has been plenty to harvest from the pumpkin palace as well as the aquaponics.

Pumpkin Palace early November…. now harvesting heaps!
plenty of things to eat and preserve!

Eggs!

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The chooks are laying well, and despite giving plenty of eggs away to family and friends, we have still had an excess….so…. pickled eggs!

Pickled eggs is a great, delicious way to preserve for a short while, though they do take up a lot of space in the fridge!

Beetroot pickled eggs and turmeric pickled eggs

We cook the quail eggs and hen eggs separately, but then pickle them together. They are delicious!