Pig Prices

I like to keep tabs of livestock prices at auction. These piglets sold at R400 each at Fishers Corner this morning.

Backyard veggies

The garlic I planted in early April is coming up well. I bought cloves from livingseeds.co.za. If you plant the stuff you get in the shop it is not likely to grow. Much if it is imported from China and irradiated for "health" reasons thus killing the life that makes mine sprout.

I expect to harvest in December and will keep you posted. These I have planted in my backyard in Walmer.

Goats

I enjoy going to the Fishers Corner livestock auctions. They are held on the last Saturday of every month. The auction site is about 30 Km out of Port Elizabeth at the intersection of Old Cape Road and the Rocklands road to Uitenhage.

Other people like going to the mall to browse and window shop, I prefer the farmers auction.

There are three sections to the auction. There is a "small goods" section where anything from fencing wire, to pumps to lampshades are auctioned off (all usually at very low prices)

Then there is the small stock auction, which includes, chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, dogs, parrots, you name it.

Then the larger live stock, including, cattle, sheep goats and sometimes horses.. Great outing.

I had my eye out for Goats this month. I would like to use them to do some bush clearing at Goedmoedsfontein.

Beautiful Boer Goats were selling at around R700 each at an average weight of 27 Kg.

If I can get to buy some by next month auction I will be a very happy man

some interesting websites that may be useful:

Backyard Herds
indigenous breeds.co.za

themodernhomesteader.comhttp://www.themodernhomestead.com/

Goedmoedsfontein

I have been looking around with the idea of building a working farm of indigenous breeds of sheep. goats, pig, poultry and and cattle . Windsnyer pigs are an indigenous breed. they are reportedly very good foragers, good mothers and have a good feed conversion rate.I would like to see if I can find some to work with.

I found an interesting write up about them here.

Goedmoedsfontein

A view from the top.Went out to the farm with Litha.

Goedmoedsfontein

Sent from my iPhoneThe uppermost spring was almost lost in the overgrowth of the alien invasive trees. We have cleared it now.