Andalucian Blue Natural Behaviour

An Andalucian Blue hen

At Semilla Besada it has been fascinating watching the natural behaviour of the chickens.    There is the social order, the language, and the differences between the sexes.

For instance, most of us are used to the phrase ‘pecking order’, which originated from observations made about the way in which chickens organise their community.   Those with the most confidence become dominant in the flock, and they maintain their position by pecking any other chicken of lower status.   The older chickens will dominate until younger ones gain in confidence and start to move up in status through challenging the dominance of the others.   Sometimes a hen never seems to move off the ‘bottom rung’, as was the case with our first ever mother.   Although she was the largest bird in the flock, she had a sedate personality, except when it came to protecting her young, and always seemed to be pecked into the lowest status.   When a hen becomes ill, she will also lose her status and may never regain it, even if she recovers.

The cockerel is the most dominant member of the flock, and will use the action of mounting (mating) the hens, to enforce this dominance.   He can protect about 10 hens effectively, and will be constantly rounding them up, and mounting them to re-establish their membership of his flock.   A cockerel can mate up to 30 times a day, which has implications for flock size and management.   If a cockerel mounts a hen too often, he can cause feather damage which results in the hen having bald patches on her back and sides.

Chicken language is also complex.   The cockerel will have a range of sounds which mean anything from “I’ve found a tasty tidbit” to “Be on the alert”.   He also uses a different sound when approaching a hen to mount (mate) her.    The hens have a general language, and sometimes will develop their own signature which enables me to recognise the different hens.

However, when they rear their young, they make a regular, single note call to ensure that the chicks always know where they are.   The chicks, similarly, are always ‘cheeping’ for the same reason.   When the mother finds some tasty piece of food, she will make a excited, repetitive single note call and all the chicks will hurry to where she is.

As the chicks grow up, the conventional way to determine the sexes is by the size of the comb that develops on the ‘forehead’ of the bird.    The larger the comb, the greater the likelihood it will be a cockerel.   However, after about 10 weeks, the cockerels develop a ‘trilling’ call which is very appealing and quite song-like.   It is only after they are 6 months old, that they begin to crow.

Of course, this behaviour relates to the Andalucian Blue chicken, and there maybe variations between the breeds.   A useful book about the domestic behaviour of domestic animals is entitled simply that:  The Behaviour of Domestic Animals by Baillière Tindall and Cox.

Aspen signing off from Semilla Besada, on a sunny winter day

Cotinus coggyria (Venetian sumach, Smoke Bush)

Smoke Bush flowers

The perennial nursery at Semilla Besada, has trialled many hundreds of dryland plants over the years.   One, which has established well is Cotinus coggyria, otherwise known as Smoke Bush or Venetian Sumach.   It is a large deciduous shrub from southern Europe and Asia.   It’s mature height is normally 5m, and here it has reached 3.5m in 9 years.   It produces pink, plume-like flowers in the summer, and red leaves in the autumn.   Traditionally it has been used in the tanning industry and a yellow dye can be obtained from the shoots.   It is a good bee and hedging plant, and likes full-sun and a well-drained soil.   It is hardy to -23C.   We have found with deep watering over the winter/spring months, it needs no futher water during the summer drought.

Drying Mushrooms

One of the benefits of having grazing animals is the edible field mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) that

Preparing mushrooms for drying

appear in the grassland in the Olive grove.   Grasslands evolved with grazing animals, as did many other diverse plant and animal life, and field mushrooms like the conditions supplied by grassland and grazing animals.

Eating a freshly picked, naturally grown, organic mushroom pretty is a gourmet experience which we relish in the autumn.   However, an important part of living sustainably at Semilla Besada is preserving produce for winter use.   Selecting the best specimens, we simply wipe the cap and remove only that part of the stalk that cannot be cleaned.   The mushroom is cut into slices about 5mm thick and placed on a drying tray, which is then placed in the outside drying frame, or on top of the dutch airer in the kitchen.   Once dried they are stored in glass jars.   They will last throughout the winter and are a wonderful addition to soups and stews during the winter.

Aspen signing off on a misty autumn day in the Alpujarras

Dryland Sunflower Harvest

An impressive seed head, but un-impressive harvest

It’s harvest time at Semilla Besada and one of the annual plants we have been trialling is Sunflowers.   The plants were grown by a neighbour of ours and were impressive in both height of plant and size of seed head.   However, when we came to harvest the seeds, we were surprised by the actual quantity of viable seed that we were able to collect.   From a 24cm diameter sunflower seed head we collected 35g of seed.   The quantity of seed diminished from the outer rim to the centre, with almost 100% at the perimeter, and nothing at the centre.

The harvest from this one seed head would be a tasty addition for a salad for three but no more.   When we are trialling dryland annual vegetables at Semilla Besada, it is important to consider a number of factors:

• how much water they will use during their growth
• whether that water is supplied by irrigation or annual rainfall
• how much labour will be involved in growing, tending and harvesting the plant
• how much fertility will the plant need and how will it be provided
• how much food will be produced per plant
• whether the food will serve both animals and humans
• whether the plant is an important food source for wildlife

Overall, we subject the plant to a ‘marginal reaction’ test, or what might also be called a ‘cost/benefit analysis’.   This year, with this variety, there has been more cost than benefit.   It has failed the marginal reaction test.   Next year, we will trial another variety and see whether we have the same return under the same conditions … nevertheless, the bees do love this summer food, and of course, finches love the seed!

Aspen signing off from Semilla Besada on a beautiful autumn evening

Dryland Permaculture Design

At Semilla Besada one of our most useful design tools is Permaculture.   However, it is vital to understand

Grazing animals as part of a natural system

 the principles behind many of the widely accepted and applied practices.   The reason is that every environment will respond differently.   For example, mulching in a northern temperate or tropical environment is likely to break down in a season providing fertility and structure to the soil:  in a dryland environment mulching will oxidise on the soil surface and may even create a fire risk.   One of the principles that underpins Permaculture design is natural patterns.   We are encouraged to look at how our local environment evolved:  to discover the complex relationships that existed between the plants, insects, animals, birds, soil microbiology and so on.   When we discover the dynamics in any original natural system, we can learn to integrate our needs without unbalancing that system.

In dryland environments, more accurately described as brittle landscapes, grazing animals evolved harmoniously with all the other elements of that natural system.   In fact, they were a key-player in keeping the landscape healthy and fertile.   In brittle landscapes there is not the consistent year-round moisture to break down dead plants, so grazing animals cycle this material through their digestive systems and obligingly it on the soil surface.   This is then taken into the ground by such creatures as dung beetles, enriching the soil and providing fertility for next season’s growth.

It is insights such as these that are pivotal to Dryland Permaculture Design, and they form part of both the skill-building workshop and week-long residential seminar held at Semilla Besada.

Aspen looking forward to the next skill-building workshop entitled Introduction to Dryland Permaculture.

Prickly Pear (Opuntia nopales)

At Semilla Besada this is the first time we have harvested and prepared the paddles or ‘leaves’  of the Prickly Pear (Opuntia nopales).   There were three distinct phases to this process.   First, selection of the appropriate paddles.   Second, safe harvesting.   Third, preparation of the paddles for eating.

Based on the research we did, we selected only young paddles (about 16cm in length from this year’s growth).   Both the paddles and the fruit are covered with tiny spines which easily pierce the skin and cause irritation.   They are easily disturbed and float in the air where they can be inhaled or enter the eyes.   We protected ourselves from these affects by wearing long-sleeved shirts, trousers, a bandana over the nose and mouth and leather working gloves.   We did not wear anything over the eyes, but sunglasses should provide some protection.   That said, we still got the spines in our hands and clothes, but the irritation only lasted a day.   A shower and clean clothes are a must after harvesting!

Again, based on research, we processed the paddles as follows.   Wearing leather or thick rubber gloves, we

Preparation of Prickly Pear paddles

 held the paddle at the end which was originally attached to the plant.   Using a sharp paring knife we removed the skin and spines along the edge of the paddle.   We then removed the spine nodules on both sides of the paddle.   Beneath the skin is the gelatinous looking flesh.   The paddle was then rinsed under cold running water with the knife, then placed on a clean plate, where it was sliced into small pieces.

Finally, the diced paddle was added to a pot of boiling water and cooked until tender, about 20 mins.   When it was cooked, we rinsed it under cold running water again and served it as part of a salad.   We also read that the rinsing process was to remove the surplus mucilagenous sap, which was an acquired taste.   We did not find any surplus sap …. perhaps it depends upon the age of the paddle.

And, of course, last but not least … the taste?   Initially, they taste like a French bean, but then a slightly acidic taste follows rather reminiscent of sorrel, for those who are familiar with wild-crafting salads.   For those not, it tastes slightly vinegary.   I think these are a ‘last resort’ vegetable as they are time intensive in harvesting and particularly, preparation.   But if time is not of the essence, then enjoy!

Aspen, still itching, signing off from Semilla Besada.

Dryland Permaculture

Semilla Besada is the first location in Europe that is developing Dryland Permaculture designs that are

Sheep turning grass into fertility

appropriate to brittle landscapes.   As Permaculture enters the mainstream thinking it is becoming increasingly important that aspiring designers understand the implications of brittleness on their designs.   Unfortunately, no Permaculture Design training includes this important environmental insight or understanding of the Savory Brittleness Scale.  

So, why is it so important?   Setting land aside or leaving things to nature or completely resting land in a non-brittle environment is likely to lead to the development of a forest.   In a brittle landscape, it is likely to lead to the generation of a desert!   This is because there is not the consistent year-round moisture in brittle landscapes to break down dead vegetation and make it available for soil dwellers to take it below the surface to nurture plant life and support soil microbiology.   In the natural systems of old, grazing animals would eat dead vegetation and the microbiology of their digestion would deposit fertility on the soil surface, to be taken underground by creatures such as dung beetles.

If grazing animals are not allowed to play their part in a brittle landscape, then dead vegetation builds up,

Spread of shrubs and bare soil

 suffocating new growth in perennial grasses, allowing perennial shrubs to spread.   As their are no browsing animals to prune the shrubs and keep them in good health, they do not live for long.   Unfortunately, due to the lack of consistent year-round moisture there is no decaying dead vegetation on the soil surface to nurture plants above and microbes below, there is simply oxidising material, which is blow away by the wind or burnt by fire, leaving bare soil in their wake.   Bare soil is dead soil, and ultimately with erosion by sun, wind and rain, becomes a desert.

At Semilla Besada though, we have been using grazing animals in a holistically planned way, as part of our Dryland Permaculture design, and the difference between the land we manage and that we do not is striking.   The comparative locations are in the same area, with the same soil, same climate and even the same season, but the difference is startling, as witnessed by the photo below.

Foreground Semilla Besada, background neighbouring land

This photo was taken in May, and as the summer set in, the perennial grasses in between the grape vines went dormant (biscuit coloured) but the vines continued to thrive and bring life to the soil.   The landscape beyond, however, became more and more bare, with not even dead plant litter on the soil surface to mitigate the affect of the sun.   All simply because grazing animals were not being managed holistically, resulting in overall degradation of the landscape.

Aspen  heaving a sigh of relief at the arrival of the first rains last night.

Pasteurisation / Sterilisation of Milk

We normally buy, or swap, fresh goats milk from our spanish neighbour, Paco. This we usually boil for 20 minutes to sterilise it completely.  This we believed necessary to eliminate the risk of Brucellosis, TB, Listeria etc. However at this time of the year when the goats are reaching the end of their milking cycle, very often when we boil it it curdles. All is not wasted since we turn it into soft cheeses but a cup of tea using  UHT milk is almost undrinkable!.  So with that in mind I’ve been on the internet and found from various sites that pasteurisation is sufficient to clean the milk of  the above ‘nasties’ and it affects much less the nutritional quality of the milk. The possible methods for pasteurisation are as follows:

Temperature of 66C ( 150F ) for 30 minutes, or

temperature of 72C ( 161F ) for 15 seconds, or

temperature of  89C ( 191F ) for 1 second, or

temperature of 100C ( 212F ) for 0.01 second.

With this new information we can save us and our planet a lot of butane gas,  and a large amount of our time.

I’m off for a cup of tea!

David

Millet (Pennisetum glaucum)

mature Millet seed head

As part of our overall holisticgoal for the conservation farm, Semilla Besada, we consistently manage for ongoing sustainability.   This means not only ‘cutting our coat according to our cloth’ but contributing to our consumption.   Although we are probably 80% self-sufficient in food, we generate very little of what we probably eat 60% of …. grain!    To move us towards greater self-sufficiency, we have been growing Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum) for the past two years.  

We began with a small packet of seed from Nicky’s Nursery, variety Lime Green from which we were able to germinate 10 plants in modules.    These were planted out after all danger of frost had past. (at Semilla Besada this is about the middle of May)  They performed well and generated enough seed to enable us to plant 300 plants this year.   They grew very well, and produced mature seed heads by the middle of August.   This makes them a star performer in a short-season, dryland environment.

On the 13th August, we noticed that about 20% of the seed heads had been eaten.   So, we harvested all the seed, and some we put into our outdoor produce dryer and the remainder we placed on a mesh bed to dry indoors.   In the dryer, the seed matured more quickly, and is now ready to strip off the plant stalks and store.   The rest is quite dry, but some of the seeds are still green.  

Aspen signing off from Semilla Besada, the first farmstead in Europe under Holistic Management.

Andalusian Blue Chickens

Prudence with her chicks

Andalusian Blue hens are good mothers, and this year this has been especially so.   We have had 9 ‘broody’ hens (ones that are willing and eager to sit on a nest of eggs for the prescribed 21 days!) at Semilla Besada which has meant that we currently have 12 pullets (young chickens) from the Spring hatching, and 11 chicks from the late summer hatching, with one broody hen still sitting on a clutch of 5 eggs.   This means that we have tripled our flock in one season, so for anyone who lives in southern Spain and is interested in a rare breed which has been naturally reared, then we have birds for sale.   However, it is important that you have a secure chicken house and free-ranging area before you consider taking on chickens.   We are also not prepared to sell to anyone who intends to keep the chickens permanently penned.   Anyone interested can email me on aspen@holisticdecisions.com.

Aspen signing off on a humid day in August on the farm.