Van Der Vale Homestead

21/05/2024

Did you know pigs don't just oink

This is them "barking"
They do this every time I open up both sides (the boy is kept separate usually)

12/04/2024

Piggies checking out some new bedding (lawn clippings that have been drying out for a few weeks).

It's getting cold at night so they need deeper bedding to bury themselves in it to help stay warm

19/02/2024

13/02/2024

Bit of fun down the beach this morning

10/02/2024

Breeding season is coming up and p*eing on himself has started

Sad the beard is gone (it will grow back) 😭

But having a buck in rut with a beard to smear on you (urine soaked as they p*e on their face) is not pleasant and warrants this clip

10/02/2024

Need a clean goat before putting the clippers to him!

21/12/2023

Silver beet LEAVES

Harvested 95% if the silverbeet yesterday as it was all going to seed

The trays went into the dehydrator, I shall put this green powder in lots of our cooking!
Those two trays is all in the jar!

The stuff in the pot was vaccume packed and into the freezer for something like spinach and ricotta pie 🥧

The stems filled a 20L bucket for all our animals to enjoy

18/12/2023

Just too cute!

02/12/2023

2 Girls
Bubbles and Bagel 🥯

Being raised on goat milk

2days old

29/11/2023

Yayyyyyy!!

1st time attempting this, why didn't I try sooner. Soo easy

Raw Goat Milk Yoghurt and it's smooth,creamy and thick!

Flavoured this morning with honey 🍯

Full of good bacteria, beneficial enzymes, and multiple strains of probiotics which help to maintain well-balanced gut health 💓

07/11/2023

🤦

01/11/2023

33 Pork and Beetroot Pies into the freezer! 👌

We had a bulk 4.5kg of pork chunks in our freezer Which was cooked in the slow cooker 8hrs for fall apart meat chunks 🤤

1.5kg of beetroots and 900g of spinich/silverbeet leaves and the stems from the garden were also used up

Tallow Pastry!! Yep. Sheep fat.
Used half butter half tallow for the pastry and it tasted just fabulous

22/10/2023

Finally got to making bone broth from the roosters necks and spines we dispatched about a month ago

Put the big stock pot in the oven for about 24hrs
Put into fridge
Removed the fat
And put the jelly like broth onto dehydrator trays

19/10/2023

Late yesterday afternoon Sweetie Gave birth to Twins at 145days
She is a 1st time mum and although was a bit unsure/shocked
She is doing really well mothering them

17/10/2023

Mel Barwick the ones that are bouncing off the walls are yours 😜

Kids just had their last bottle of the day.
Zoomies before bed

08/10/2023

https://www.backwoodshome.com/dehydrating-eggs-at-home/

Did the wet-dry method with another 40 in now.
80eggs will more than do us for baking over winter... not planning to open and try to cook with it beforehand. If it isn't good....the animals will appreciate it I'm sure 😝

06/10/2023

Yesterday Fai gave birth
2 girls and a boy ❤️

06/10/2023

150days is the average goat gestation (145 to 155days)

Today is 150days!

2nd freshening for Faiselle

09/09/2023

I'm amazed at the space saving!

A whole sink full of celery dehydrated into a little over 2 cups

01/09/2023

Hubby said I don't smell like a lamb 🐑

31/08/2023

I did plan on going for a ride but a training opportunity presented itself

Darcy in no way is comfortable around the pigs, and their pen today moved right next to the round yard

Meaning when asked Darcy to go around, he avoided the pen by cutting half the round yard off

Perfect opportunity to get him to want to go be by the pen instead of away from it

How?
BY using the same concept that is taught through the down under horseman method
timing of the release of pressure

I used a few different applications

Made him change direction on the opposite side of the pen; harder work changing direction

Applied more pressure when he was away from the pen, pointing & clucking to sp*ed those feet up and removing that pressure when he came around to the side the pen was on

Where does he get to rest? By the pen
It took no longer than 7 minutes for Darcy to stop by the pen ❤️

Repetitions each time I do something with him of work away and rest near will change is mind about being near the pig pen

He did so so good that each time he came straight back to the pen that I untacked him next to to them and he has stayed their catching his breath while posting this 😁

28/08/2023

Very happy with Darcy's Dental progression from when I brought him home

March 2021 he had severe decay, caused fairly quickly (not noted on previous dental) from oaten hay!

I have not been the best lately with flushing...I do good for a bit 😉 but then...I don't

so this mouth would have healed sooner if I did flush more regularly this past year with an antibacterial wash like hexarinse

Thankyou Pimbury Equine for your amazing service

How much healthier does his mouth look now!

I couldn't recommend the team highly enough. Jonny is my local provider and is always great at his job and excellent communication

26/08/2023

Prune the pepper corn tree for Darcy the horses head height; goats eat it's leaves then it's ready to go on burn pile 😝

22/08/2023

Possibly the prettiest thing I have made?!

It tasted amazing and I of course made alot of extra ravioli to be frozen for quick meals

Beetroots from the garden, roasted and pureed for the pasta dough
Spinach and Broccoli Leaves and Parsley all from the garden
Pork; home raised and Butchered
Eggs used to both bind the mince mixture and the dough...laid by ours hens ❤️

12/08/2023

Someones 1st little omelet 😍 so cute

11/08/2023

Tallow; 1st batch done.

So easy with a slow cooker

Jarred with an expected shelf life of 12months in the cupboard

This was from those 4x sheep we recently butchered

Looking forward to trying out a soap recipe 😉

We also cook with this, using it as regular oil in some recipes

And....
Tallow skin care..yep. Going to try make a recipe..why?

Just check out all the benefits for yourself!

https://bumblebeeapothecary.com/how-to-make-tallow-balm/

24/07/2023

Happy composting chickens

Raked up a few wheelbarrow loads of leaf matter for them which acts as a dry base in this wet weather

They will help turn this into mulch