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Re: Gardening - Aussie style!
Originally Posted by paulry
(Post 10925643)
. The house we moved into is closer to 500sqm with 95% lawns. Much easier and the chickens still get their greens because I mow a small portion every couple of days or so and give them the cuttings. :thumbsup: Plus, the house is smaller so less housework to do. :cool:
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Re: Gardening - Aussie style!
Originally Posted by spouse of scouse
(Post 10925678)
All very good things to aim for. We can't wait to ditch the stupidly big house and garden, and move into our flat in the UK :D Your chooks are lucky to get fresh greens, I hope they're repaying you with lots of eggs!
Yup, one egg per hen per day and the eggs seem to taste better with the extra greens too :cool: Are you moving back to the UK? |
Re: Gardening - Aussie style!
Originally Posted by paulry
(Post 10926384)
Agreed about stupidly big houses. Also, the savings we're making by downsizing is paying for eldest son's uni fees ...and some more :thumbsup:
Yup, one egg per hen per day and the eggs seem to taste better with the extra greens too :cool: Are you moving back to the UK? |
Re: Gardening - Aussie style!
Originally Posted by paulry
(Post 10926384)
Agreed about stupidly big houses. Also, the savings we're making by downsizing is paying for eldest son's uni fees ...and some more :thumbsup:
Yup, one egg per hen per day and the eggs seem to taste better with the extra greens too :cool: Are you moving back to the UK? |
Re: Gardening - Aussie style!
Originally Posted by BadgeIsBack
(Post 10931140)
We have a very small house (easy to maintain) and an acre - but only about 2/3rds needs maintaining. Mowing with rideon not too bad.
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Re: Gardening - Aussie style!
Originally Posted by Alfresco
(Post 10931159)
Do you have a rideon recommendation as I'm thinking about getting one at some point?
a) A second hand one - Ebay. 1000 dollars or below. Several hundred gets you a mess, ~700 gets you something working..? b) A cheap, new one from a big store (even Bunnings) at a few thousand. If your grass and area is easy then this might be the go. c) A more expensive one from a 'sexier' manufacturer. d) An Aussie made one for local conditions. Greenfields are popular and look simple. People like to scoff at claims about Aussie conditions but there is a lot of tough stuff out there. Not sure about prices. Some are geared forward and back (like mine) others have clutches which allow you to move back and forward with a pedal. Others are designed to turn in tight corners like in orchards but sort of look arse about face. My son like the 'tractor' looking ones. The best mower might even be one from a neighbour where you know the history and has been running and the owner is upgrading or one sold with a house. They are fairly easy to fix. I suspect that older ones might be better built. Some have twin cylinder? designs, twin blades, and a fair bit of power. Mine is only 13bhp, single blade and 38inches in cut. Good enough for me. Newer ones have more power and bigger cuts. After hand-mowing for 3 summers, I got one eventually from a friend upgrading - and moving to a bigger property. It's a 15 year old MTD - a basic 'modern generation' tractor-looking design you see a lot around the traps. It's described as a US lawn manicurer but mine does well on our 'paddock' area up and down slopes. I actually mow the yard area by hand (pushing) still once a week as the grass grows so fast I need to mow it short and to catch the clippings - and my rideon does not have a catcher. This is the only thing I wish I had. My wife maintains I could mow by pushing but this is over 60minutes worth of work every weekend and she does not have to do it. She maintains it will keep me from gaining weight! Take the battery off in the winter and keep it charged. I am a big lazy See You Next Tuesday and I go through a fair few. |
Re: Gardening - Aussie style!
Originally Posted by BadgeIsBack
(Post 10931189)
hmmmm....No. What I can do is tell you what's out there and what we did. The choice is..
a) A second hand one - Ebay. 1000 dollars or below. Several hundred gets you a mess, ~700 gets you something working..? b) A cheap, new one from a big store (even Bunnings) at a few thousand. If your grass and area is easy then this might be the go. c) A more expensive one from a 'sexier' manufacturer. d) An Aussie made one for local conditions. Greenfields are popular and look simple. People like to scoff at claims about Aussie conditions but there is a lot of tough stuff out there. Not sure about prices. Some are geared forward and back (like mine) others have clutches which allow you to move back and forward with a pedal. Others are designed to turn in tight corners like in orchards but sort of look arse about face. My son like the 'tractor' looking ones. The best mower might even be one from a neighbour where you know the history and has been running and the owner is upgrading or one sold with a house. They are fairly easy to fix. I suspect that older ones might be better built. Some have twin cylinder? designs, twin blades, and a fair bit of power. Mine is only 13bhp, single blade and 38inches in cut. Good enough for me. Newer ones have more power and bigger cuts. After hand-mowing for 3 summers, I got one eventually from a friend upgrading - and moving to a bigger property. It's a 15 year old MTD - a basic 'modern generation' tractor-looking design you see a lot around the traps. It's described as a US lawn manicurer but mine does well on our 'paddock' area up and down slopes. I actually mow the yard area by hand (pushing) still once a week as the grass grows so fast I need to mow it short and to catch the clippings - and my rideon does not have a catcher. This is the only thing I wish I had. My wife maintains I could mow by pushing but this is over 60minutes worth of work every weekend and she does not have to do it. She maintains it will keep me from gaining weight! Take the battery off in the winter and keep it charged. I am a big lazy See You Next Tuesday and I go through a fair few. Grass catcher would be ideal to have. Most don't seem to have. Will think more when back in Oz. Thanks again. |
Re: Gardening - Aussie style!
Originally Posted by Alfresco
(Post 10931215)
Thanks for the awesome info!!! :thumbup:
Grass catcher would be ideal to have. Most don't seem to have. Will think more when back in Oz. Thanks again. |
Re: Gardening - Aussie style!
Originally Posted by cresta57
(Post 10931354)
John Deere are doing a nice ride-on brand new out of the box for 2.5k :thumbup:
That is surely a very good price. |
Re: Gardening - Aussie style!
We have a 54" Toro zero-turn for the big areas (really fast and manoeuvrable) and a 36" tractor style with a catcher for the lawns.
Toro are good and have smaller models. Get one with a local supplier/repair shop for convenience. Ask for a discount or a free mini-trailer. |
Re: Gardening - Aussie style!
Thanks All. :thumbup:
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Re: Gardening - Aussie style!
Originally Posted by lesleys
(Post 10931497)
We have a 54" Toro zero-turn for the big areas (really fast and manoeuvrable) and a 36" tractor style with a catcher for the lawns.
Toro are good and have smaller models. Get one with a local supplier/repair shop for convenience. Ask for a discount or a free mini-trailer. sort of the 'Top Trump' in the corners.....:) I envy your catcher. Apparently you can't just get a catcher, you need a corresponding deck with a device that shoots out the grass...:( |
Re: Gardening - Aussie style!
Originally Posted by spouse of scouse
(Post 10929114)
Good chookies, nothing better than fresh eggs. Yes, Brit husband and I will move to his hometown of Liverpool. We've bought an offplan apartment that's due for completion in June 2015, although between the lack of info from the developer and the solicitor not returning emails or calls for weeks, that could go pear shaped yet!
All a bit of a laugh, really. :D Meanwhile, the darkies are producing double yolked eggs :blink: |
Re: Gardening - Aussie style!
Originally Posted by paulry
(Post 10942098)
They're not such good chookies lately. :thumbdown: I added 4 dark coloured sisters to the flock on Thursday. The light coloured ones were not at all impressed and wasted no time at all in laying into the shocked darkies. Extremely ruthless girl-gang behaviour too: All of them often attacking a lone darkie at once. I hate bullying and found it simply too painful to watch so frequently had to go in and separate the feuding females. The poor young darkie sisters were terrified, refusing to go down to ground level where the light old girls were aggressively strutting around the roost in combatative mood, squealing like seagulls and scratching the ground with increased vigour. Eventually I had to build a boardwalk mezzanine around the chicken run and provide two sets of food and water feeders and egg laying areas one on each level. I do notice today that the darkies are growing increasingly defiant - aiming their bowel movements at the unsuspecting lighties below as they go about their daily business. :sneaky:
All a bit of a laugh, really. :D Meanwhile, the darkies are producing double yolked eggs :blink: |
Re: Gardening - Aussie style!
Originally Posted by spouse of scouse
(Post 10942371)
Nothing worse than a gang of racist chickens. Congrats for sorting it so well :D
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