New, from the Far North

Hi everyone. We live near Kaitaia. We have fruit and native trees, vege and flower gardens, 42 ducks, 1 parradise duck, 20 chooks, 1 turkey, 1 goat, 3 dogs and 2 cats. I am currently responsable for looking after 1 of the biggest wetlands in the North. I am a possum hunter and also target other pests to help our native birds, waterfowl etc. I am interested in organic weed control, reparian planting on our riverbanks and waterways, monitoring freshwater fish species and working with nature to sustain a flourishing healthy environment that benefits everyone. Lately I have been burning privit, willow, tobacco weed etc on the riverbank, ready for replanting in native plants. I have had some area covered with iron to kill the grass ready for a new vege garden. Can't wait to have fresh tomatos again! I am looking at making a fence out of Manuka lengths to keep a couple of sheep from eating the veges and fruit trees. Can anyone please tell me what would be the best breed for up in the warm climate of the Far North? Also, is a goat able to eat onion-weed and wondering dew?

Welcome! Sounds idyllic in terms of lifestyle! One of our sons was doing possum monitoring on contract for about a year... v/dangerous work as the places he took a quad I hate to think about! Did some pest control at our place when we moved in - made $600.00 in fur sales in three days of trapping - one day to set the line and two mornings of collection. Has just taken up a fulltime job with a Regional Council in another city - so has 80 used leg traps 4 sale if you're in the market for any.

Meantime, have fun on the block!

Hi Vm, which wetland? Where have you come from?

Up here it's not the warmth per se which bothers the sheep, but the activity of the flies. You've got to be really onto flystrike management!

Tradescantia is a newish problem for us here too, since some fool dumped some upstream about four years ago. There's no way we can control that organically (although I await more news on the latest insect control possibility), and it will be a lifelong work however we do it. We'll keep it clear of areas we know to have significant plant populations (uncommon orchids and the like), and we're spraying it where it is creeping out to infest another waterway or where it might be picked up in cattle hooves and transported further into that clean area.

My chooks love tradescantia (wandering Jew). They actively seek it out wherever it grows and eat it down, then go digging for any bits they've missed.

Welcome Vindictivemob (?) it sounds like you're doing a brilliant job in the North.

Hi and Thanks everyone for the warm welcome to the site. Nice to meet you all.
Aria, What type of traps is your son selling? I'm presuming they are leg-holds? What brand? quantity and price please?
Ruth, You are just around the corner. I'm in Takahue and my partner is in Mangataiori, Ratea. The wetlands I was talking about is in Te Moeti, Te Paatu.
Lindeggs I have had chooks in wondering jew before and was amaized how they ate it down to the dirt! My wandering jew is in the flood level, so couldn't have a chooky house there. I am considering getting some Muskovi ducks tho and they may eat it. I was just looking at tethering my goat there each day, but wasn't sure how she would go on the wandering jew and onion weed. I tied her by some inkweed the other day and she got the shtz. Poor girl. She is back on Kaikuya now and she is fine. The overall answer is to shade it out with native plants and grasses. This will help the river in many ways.
When I talked about the best sheep for up here I was refering to problems with flys, rather than the actual heat effecting them. I have heard of a breed of sheep that is resistant to fly strike and is self malting, doesn't need shearing. Does anyone know the name of it? Thanks again, Vindictivemob.

The breed you are thinking of is Wiltshire, and there are many wiltshire fans on lsb.

Hi again! - the traps are Oneida Victor #1 leg hold - wants to sell x80. Advertised on here in the Classified section. He paid $18.00 as purchased X100 in quantity. He's negotiable dep on quantity down to a minimum price of $11.00 per trap for the lot. But of course, unless you know someone heading up your way from the Manawatu - don't forget you would also have to factor in shipping. I have no idea what that might cost. Thanks for asking!

Tradescancia might be ok for goats, but ensure they have plenty of grass too, or that their only value is to deal with weeds so it won't matter too much if they die. I suspect that it is not good for them.
The stuff that I know as inkweed is a solanum, so is extremely poisonous to animals, as are the plants of all the solanums (potato, tomato, peppers, cape gooseberry and others).
Because the shedding breeds of sheep drop their wool in spring and autumn does not protect them from flystrike. They will still need regular checking that they have not got struck, and immediate treatment when they do.

Hi. Thanks Thevarneys. Wiltshire. That's the 1. Any breeders up North?
Hi again Aria. Thanks anyway, but I'm not a great fan of the Victor traps as I have found they rust quickly and the springs loose their tention after about a year. I am able to buy them new up here for under $10. Thankyou tho. I do appreciate the offer.
Hi Longride. I am wondering if you may be confusing inkweed with deadly nightshade? Both very toxic and didn't think she would eat it. Now I know about it, I make sure she can't reach. I do care about my goat and make sure she gets a good variety to eat. She is a rescue goat. She has her own car bed and I am her best friend. I do understand that any breed of sheep needs regular checking for flys. That's why I am researching about sheep before I go ahead and get some.
Today I found a nest of pukeko eggs in the orchard. My turkey has just started sitting on her unfertile eggs (as she has no gobbler), so I'm going to put the puke eggs under her tomorrow. Should be fun.
Thanks everyone for your help and advice. Very cool. VM

Vindictivemob;393526 wrote:
Today I found a nest of pukeko eggs in the orchard. My turkey has just started sitting on her unfertile eggs (as she has no gobbler), so I'm going to put the puke eggs under her tomorrow. Should be fun.
Thanks everyone for your help and advice. Very cool. VM

Your turkey hen will not know what she's in for. Be aware that pukeko chicks are hideously ugly when hatched and they emit a terrible noise which people who have hatched them under hens, have found that causes the hen to totally reject them. You may find the same with the turkey!

Anyway, welcome to the LSB family

Hi Stikkibeek. I am aware of puke's making wierd noises, but my turkey is unsure what she is herself. hahaha. Personally, I think ugly puke babies are cute. I have had my turkey for about 4 or 5 years. Her mum had a broken leg and she didn't make it so my turkey was a rescue baby. I love her very much. She is very friendly. She has been trying to make babies herself on her own since she was old enuf to lay an egg and every time they were unfertile, so I think (I am hoping) she will be stoked to have any kind of babies. They also have similar behauioural mothering to pukekos so I'm prepared to give it a go. I have had success putting abandond pheasant eggs under a chook before. I am experienced in baby waterfowl rescue etc and am willing to raise them myself if need be. Does anyone in my area have any Guiniefowl? I am looking to buy a breeding pair.
Hi Ruth. Congradulations on your new calfys. I enjoyed reading your website. You and Stephan are most welcome to call into my place for a cuppa any time. My place is the one with bamboo gates with bromilliads growing on it, on Takahue Rd just before Diggers turn off. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Yikes, vindictivemob, - $10.00 new for the Oneida Victor #1 leg trap - I'd better check I understood the original price paid correctly - as our son was contracting to one of the larger operators in the LNI and was under the impression he got the bosses price!

Can I ask which supplier it is that sells them for $10.00 per trap new?

Thanks.

The fur broker I have mostly been dealing with works for Basically Bush and he had Victor no 1s for $10.00 each. I would be interested in buying more BB traps. (Bushmans Best) Cheers. VM

Hi and welcome to the Far North and to the site.

However, one thing intrigues me. You found a Pukeko nest in your orchard and are going to put the eggs under your turkey. Was the Pukeko nest abandoned or are you thieving the eggs? If you are thieving the eggs, I would rather wish you hadn't. Turkey and Pukeko do not have similar behavioural mothering abilities at all and in fact the turkey mother would have to be one of the most stupid, followed closely by ducks with the exception of the Paradise. If the nest had been abanonded worth giving it a go, if the Pukes were still sitting I would be frowning.

Cheers,
Ronnie

Hi Ronney. The puke nest isn't abandond as far as I can tell and the mum isn't sitting on them yet. I have decided to only take 2 eggs to put under honey turkey. My turkey is desperately trying to be a mum and I would like to do that for her. She thinks she is a chook and doesn't wonder anywhere. I know wild turkeys are terrible mums. They often go off leaving their babies stuck in the long grass to let the rats get them. I have killed all the rats here so shouldn't be a problem. That way the pukeko can hatch some too but hopefully less to eat the peaches and grapes. That's the theory anyway. I do care for wild pukeko etc and I do waterfowl rescue with my partner too. Great to have people like you who care for the little creatures of this world as much as me. VM