Em Nau Farm BLOG

A typical week at Em Nau

I was asked recently what a typical week was like for Heather and myself.  The answer to this question was “there is no such thing as a typical week for us as things can change without notice – and often do”.

Pressed further I came up with the following answer.

During Monday to Friday I wake at about 0345 and go through the morning routine of shaving and preparing to head off to my “day job”.  I normally leave between 0410 and 0420 to travel the 60 odd km into my place of work – at this time of the morning it normally takes about an hour to an hour and a quarter.

Heather normally rises about 0500 to prepare for the morning routine around the farm.  The tasks Heather undertakes (in no particular order) are:

·         Feed and water the cows and older calves;

·         Give the poddy calves their bottles;

·         Milking the two house cows;

·         Feed and water the chickens;

·         Collecting any “night” eggs

·         Feed and water the ducks;

·         Let the ducks out into their enclosure;

·         Fill the ducks swimming pond/pool;

·         Feed and water the pigs;

·         Feed and water the goats; and

·         Feed and water the sheep.

After the morning routine is completed Heather prepares to head off to her “day job” in the city.

At the completion of my “work day” at about 1500 I head off on the 90 minute trip home and prepare for the afternoon shift at the farm which entails (in no particular order):

·         Letting the chickens out for their afternoon free range;

·         Collecting any “day” eggs;

·         Putting the chickens back into their pens on dusk;

·         Filling the chook, goat and cow water troughs;

·         Feed the cows and older calves;

·         Give the poddies their bottles;

·         Feed and water the goats;

·         Milking goats,

·         Putting the ducks back into their night enclosure;

·         Feed and water the pigs;

·         Two or three times a week I also fill any empty food containers/mix a batch of stockfeed; and

·         Feed the cats.

With my afternoon task done and if there is still any daylight available I normally undertake any “quick” maintenance tasks that need doing (an endless list is always beckoning).

Heather normally arrives home between 1845 and 1900 and we sit down and catch-up on how our day went.  In the summer this is normally done sitting out on one of the verandas looking over part of the farm.

After dinner we watch a little TV before heading off to the land of nod at about 2030.

On weekends we get to “sleep in” until 0600 before rising, having a cuppa and sharing the morning tasks.  On Saturdays, after the morning tasks are complete, we normally head into the local rural supplies store and purchase the animals food for the week. 

The rest of the weekend is normally filled with building or repairing something around the farm and/or making cheese, sauces and chutneys.  In the afternoons we let the goats and chickens out for a free range and then go about the normal afternoon tasks of feeding and watering all the animals before we sit and admire how lucky we are to be doing what we are doing.

All this “routine’ is inter-dispersed with the odd emergency of having to birth or bury an animal, catch an escaped animal, wrangle a snake, repair a leaky roof in an enclosure, stopping rain water from washing away the driveway, repairing an animal enclosure or laying down some solid footing for the goats (they hate getting their little tootsies wet).  The routine is sometimes also broken by attending goat, duck or chicken presentations and forums, attending cattle sales, disbudding a goat, dehorning a calf, getting the home butcher in or attending an agricultural show.

For all this “routine” neither Heather and I would want it any other way.