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Going back to the blog of the 20/4/17 when ‘Nam’, our new baby buffalo, was born to Nohn, well here’s a recent snap of her; quite the ‘teenager’ now with long gangly legs but the unsteady gait and shyness has long since passed. She is still very close to her mother but is a particular friend of Natalie, our resident deer; they stay close all day and snuggle up together at night!
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Do you remember the blog on the 12/2/17? Which showed a couple of snaps of some ‘fluffy’ white baby chickens that we found in the market in town? They are in fact Chinese ‘Silkie’ chickens. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silkie )
Well they started to lay eggs so we collected them and put them into one of our incubators and now we have 12 of these very cute and very friendly balls of fluff! Here’s a snap of four poults at 5 weeks since hatching. They have 5 toes as opposed to the usually 4 on a regular chicken and their skin is black! Our ‘Silkies’ are white but they apparently come in a range of colours. It seems that you can tell the difference between the boys and girls by a small red or blue marking below the cheek. We would like to have a brood of about 50 ‘Silkies’ before we let them free range on the farm but even then it will seem like the farm will have experienced a flurry of snow!
Well they started to lay eggs so we collected them and put them into one of our incubators and now we have 12 of these very cute and very friendly balls of fluff! Here’s a snap of four poults at 5 weeks since hatching. They have 5 toes as opposed to the usually 4 on a regular chicken and their skin is black! Our ‘Silkies’ are white but they apparently come in a range of colours. It seems that you can tell the difference between the boys and girls by a small red or blue marking below the cheek. We would like to have a brood of about 50 ‘Silkies’ before we let them free range on the farm but even then it will seem like the farm will have experienced a flurry of snow!
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This blog is really for folks and guests who have stayed with us before and know Khun Nack. Nack is Ae’s right-hand man and together they manage the farm and ensure that all of their guests have an enjoyable stay on Thung Dong!
Nack recently went to his home several kilometers outside of Mae Chaem (about a 3 hour drive away by motorbike south of Chiang Mai) where spectacular waterfalls and stunning country-side abound. Mae Chaem sits on the western slopes of Doi Inthanon, Thailands’ highest mountain and Nack biked it there to visit his young son, two and a half year old, Ben. Thanks Nack, great snaps!
An obvious case of Like father, like son!
An obvious case of Like father, like son!
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Almost 3 months ago we started to collect Guinea Fowl eggs from around the farm to incubate ourselves as Guineas are usually the most absent minded parents, forget where they have laid their eggs and then they get spoilt. We place the eggs in incubators in town as we sometimes experience power-cuts here in the jungle during the rainy season. Although we have a generator, trying to keep the perfect temperature and humidity in the incubators is problematic.
So the very first batch of 20 eggs this season were placed in the large incubator; Guinea eggs take 28 days to hatch so it was with amazement that we actually saw the first egg hatch after just 21 days! When the chick emerged ( see snap 2) and dried-off it was easily recognized as a baby chicken! Chicken eggs take 21 days to hatch (but with the same temperature and humidity requirements to that of Guinea Fowl eggs).
We can only imagine that a passing chicken (i.e. Henry’s mother!) saw the Guinea Fowl nest and decided to add one of her own and so laid an egg in amongst the Guinea eggs. (They are actually a slightly different shape and size but this wasn’t noticed when the eggs went into the incubator. See snap 1).
So now we had a solitary baby chick and we called him Henry! Henry was joined a week later by 19 baby Guinea Fowl ‘Keets’ and happily spent the first 3 weeks in a warm brooder gaining strength and putting on weight. He was a very spoiled chick usually playing on the computer desk with pens, glasses and anything else he could get his beak into! (see snap 3!) Henry and his friends then progressed to an outside coup to acclimatize them to cooler temperature conditions that they would experience on the farm. Then last week this first batch of Guineas, including Henry, went ’home’ to Thung Dong, where they were laid, to a large, safe, dry, indoor enclosure where they will remain until the end of the rainy season in October growing bigger and bolder every day. Then we will open the door to allow them to roam free throughout the farm (Henry already has have a special ring on his leg to identify him amongst all the other chickens!)….but we will keep close to Henry who remains very tame, comes when called, follows around after you and enjoys human company far more than all those noisy Guinea Fowl who he grew-up with! Henry is special as are all of our animals on Thung Dong Farm!
The finished Henry will follow but this is the story of Henry the chicken…so far!
So the very first batch of 20 eggs this season were placed in the large incubator; Guinea eggs take 28 days to hatch so it was with amazement that we actually saw the first egg hatch after just 21 days! When the chick emerged ( see snap 2) and dried-off it was easily recognized as a baby chicken! Chicken eggs take 21 days to hatch (but with the same temperature and humidity requirements to that of Guinea Fowl eggs).
We can only imagine that a passing chicken (i.e. Henry’s mother!) saw the Guinea Fowl nest and decided to add one of her own and so laid an egg in amongst the Guinea eggs. (They are actually a slightly different shape and size but this wasn’t noticed when the eggs went into the incubator. See snap 1).
So now we had a solitary baby chick and we called him Henry! Henry was joined a week later by 19 baby Guinea Fowl ‘Keets’ and happily spent the first 3 weeks in a warm brooder gaining strength and putting on weight. He was a very spoiled chick usually playing on the computer desk with pens, glasses and anything else he could get his beak into! (see snap 3!) Henry and his friends then progressed to an outside coup to acclimatize them to cooler temperature conditions that they would experience on the farm. Then last week this first batch of Guineas, including Henry, went ’home’ to Thung Dong, where they were laid, to a large, safe, dry, indoor enclosure where they will remain until the end of the rainy season in October growing bigger and bolder every day. Then we will open the door to allow them to roam free throughout the farm (Henry already has have a special ring on his leg to identify him amongst all the other chickens!)….but we will keep close to Henry who remains very tame, comes when called, follows around after you and enjoys human company far more than all those noisy Guinea Fowl who he grew-up with! Henry is special as are all of our animals on Thung Dong Farm!
The finished Henry will follow but this is the story of Henry the chicken…so far!
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Here’s a few snaps of our new bridge over our river that runs through the farm; not quite up to the grandeur of the Bridge on the River Kwai fame but still a feat of hard work from Khun Liam who takes care of our larger animals but who took time out to refurbish the old bridge which had almost collapsed! It’s makes for a short-cut from the buffalo and cow sheds to the new land and our jungle valley. We are sure that Sir Alec Guinness would have been impressed!
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Here above is a work of art by young Noah, a recent guest on Thung Dong, from his early learning class back in Australia depicting the farm, animals and we think that's the farm truck! An obvious ‘Constable ‘ in the making if you ask us (or maybe a Pablo Picasso!) and a Master-Piece if ever we saw one!!
Thanks Noah!
Thanks Noah!
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At first glance a typical farm scene then spot Natalie, our resident deer!
A little difficult to see straight away as she is well camouflaged but if you see the buffaloes you know Natalie will be close by! We are trying to find her a partner but being a wild animal we need special permission from The National Parks and he needs to have and be a very special 'hart' for our Natalie!
A little difficult to see straight away as she is well camouflaged but if you see the buffaloes you know Natalie will be close by! We are trying to find her a partner but being a wild animal we need special permission from The National Parks and he needs to have and be a very special 'hart' for our Natalie!
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This little girl is 10 minutes old and was born this afternoon to Bridgette. She stood immediately and is very strong for a new-born….and born into a life of lazy grazing! Our herd is getting bigger by the month and with two more deliveries expected within the next few weeks. Oh to be a cow on Thung Dong Farm where the grass is certainly that much greener!
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We were so pleased that The YCF, The Houses of Hope and Grace, located in our province, could accept our invitation to spend some time with us on the farm. The kids, some 40 of them, come from parentless and broken-home situations and predicaments where, if they survived, their futures were bleak indeed. They are now very fortunate to be found in such a loving and caring environment…and you could never wish to meet a more a polite and well mannered gathering! Many of the kids speak some English and are taken from a life of destitution to one of hope and a bright future. We cannot commend enough the amazing love, dedication and care that these kids are given by a such a devoted team of Samaritans! TDF is humbled by playing even such a small part in their happiness and we hope that we can continue to contribute to this remarkable story in the future!
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Some of the bees built a couple of hives between the walls in The Farm House. They really didn’t cause any problem or inconvenience but their ‘Buzzzzzing’ sometimes gets a little annoying when you’re try to relax!
So we thought no option but to move them on. We have several hives around the gardens which are quite luxurious for bees and so it wasn’t like we were making them homeless!
So we called in the experts (a couple of guys from the village!) to remove their comb, which is made of bees wax and pollen, and extract the honey.
So we thought no option but to move them on. We have several hives around the gardens which are quite luxurious for bees and so it wasn’t like we were making them homeless!
So we called in the experts (a couple of guys from the village!) to remove their comb, which is made of bees wax and pollen, and extract the honey.
For sure the bees were a bit annoyed but after a few hours settled down in heir new homes.
We usually collect ‘Pure Jungle Honey’ but this batch is true to its’ word in being honest in goodness
‘Thung Dong Farm-House Honey’!......
We usually collect ‘Pure Jungle Honey’ but this batch is true to its’ word in being honest in goodness
‘Thung Dong Farm-House Honey’!......
...and the honey-comb is so delicious especially on hot buttered English crumpets!