From page 43
before the onset of the dry,
fire-prone winter months.
Safeguarding your property
against wildfires now can
make the difference between
whether your house is saved
or consumed in a fire.
There are various things that
you can do to “firescape”
your house.
In the magazine we wrote
about creating different zones
of vegetation around your
house, giving examples of the
different plants for each zone.
We also referred to different
fencing material.
Lamb deaths
Most smallholders who keep
sheep have at one time or
another had a stillborn lamb
or one that has died within
days of being born. There are
a number of possible causes
of these fatalities.
In the magazine we consid-
ered nutrition of the mother,
worm infestations of the ewe
and ewes who are unable to
feed a lamb. We also noted
that overcrowding causes
stress to the ewe and the
lamb. Finally, vaccinating the
ewes against Chlamydia
psittaci should be done six
weeks before the breeding
season.
Grass clippings
Summer in most Highveld
gardens yields continuously
large quantities of lawn
clippings and there are
differing opinions on what to
do with them.
Experts seem to be divided
between on one hand using
the clippings as mulch for the
lawn or flower beds and on
the other composting the
clippings. In the magazine we
listed the pros and cons.
Egg incubation information
The object of successful
incubation is to match as
closely as possible the
conditions the egg would
experience under a broody
mother. This includes
constant temperature,
movement of the eggs, and
moisture. This varies amongst
the different species of
poultry.
In the magazine we listed the
information for chickens,
ducks, geese and turkeys.
Muscovy ducks
If you are looking for poultry
that is easy to care for, resists
disease and controls flies at
the same time, then Muscovy
ducks have a number of
advantages over other
poultry.
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The ducks are resistant to
most diseases, including
Newcastle disease, they are
hardy, they forage well for
their own food, and repro-
duce easily. Muscovy meat is
tasty and low in fat.
I n the magazine we men-
tioned how they help in
insect control and described
simple housing for them. We
briefly discussed feed and
their mothering abilities.
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