Sighting a bird nest

Since we received a couple of good rains, thought of clearing some bushes in the farm. My farm helper was employed for this task and I was also helping in this task. When I was cutting some subabul bushes, two birds came and sat some what closer to me, it was little bit unusual. I just looked around to see if there are some nests around, but could not see anything. I continued my work and could see one bird sitting on a branch close to me and pulling out some thing, I could sense it was not eating any insect at that close distance from me. I just looked,and found a small nest with two eggs. The birds were trying to protect it, and since there were many red ants around, they were pulling out from the nest. I felt happy that I could see it before cutting that branch, I just stopped the work and moved back. They were guarding the nest and one was sitting inside the nest. The bird population in the farm has increased quite a lot since there are wild growth throughout the farm.

15-May-2019

Saw the nest yesterday, only remains of eggs are there, it looks like eggs hatched and young birds have left the place.

Abandoned puppies in the farm

Since it is mango season, I was checking if there are mangoes ready for harvesting in one far end of the farm, and could hear cry of some puppies at a distance as I walked. On hearing my footstep, they stopped crying for some time and again started.This area is little deserted and could see three puppies, one was lying and was in unconscious state, one was struggling from red ant bytes. There are red ants every where in summer, especially in mango trees. They were a week old and had opened their eyes.

Didn't feel like leaving them there, since they will all starve to death, carried them to my farm house and kept them in a basket. Went and bought some milk and gave them in a bowl, they were not knowing how to drink milk, may be they are just used to drink their mother's milk only. Then kept their head near the milk and they started drinking, the one in unconscious state also finally woke up and drank milk. All had red ants on them, I cleaned them up and all had some kind of insects moving in their skin. One was male and two was females and there was no demand for them. I kept some milk and water and left for the day and asked my farm helper to give them milk.

Next day when I came, they were not seen at all, since opposite farm had some people, they sensed it and started going towards them.They didn't want puppies and they were busy with their work. I brought two of them back and one was not seen, they told one was seen at one end of their farm. I gave the two some milk and was busy with the work so thought will go and search for the third one after some time. By the lunch time, I searched for the 3rd one and she was in one corner of the farm. She had gone following a person, and later didn't know how to come back. On seeing me, she came running behind me and she walked back to my farm house following me.

Next 2 days, I didn't visit farm and when I visited farm, none were there. Later learnt that, my farm helper had taken them to his home, felt happy about it. If he takes care of them till some stage, thought of giving some money for that work. That day there was a small festival there and when I went there, the kids there told the actual story. One was male puppy so they kept them home and abandoned 2 puppies in a nearby farm where nobody comes usually. I just took the kids with me and we had to walk some distance and finally 2 were there in the middle of another farm and they were starving for 2 days. I just took them back and kept them in my farm house and gave them milk. I used to tell all these stories with my family and my wife and kids are really interested in puppies. My daughter was here for her vacation from hostel, she and son accompanied me to the farm on the next. Finally we decided to take both the puppies back home and look after for some time and decide later what to do with them. It looked like both puppies had some wounds and worms were there, applied some spray but one was in bad conditioned it died. She felt lonely when her companion had gone, but soon recovered. It also had wound, but it recovered and finally we built one cage and she is happy now.

03-May-2019

Rice farming - First Season - 2019

19-April-2019

Received couple of good rains, broadcasted around 7 Kgs of cowpea and blackgram seeds. This time couldn't get sunhemp seeds. Plan is to grow this cowpea for 6 weeks and then plough and add to soil and start rice cultivation. Cowpea and blackgram was over taken by weeds, what can grow with weeds for green manuring is just sunhemp, has to go for it next time. Sunhemp seeds are hard to get, has to check at Pollachi.

14-June-2019

Palani was employed to clear the boundaries and cut the shaded trees, work was not completed, so extended for tomorrow. Finally he didn't turn up and I completed it.

19-June-2019

Rain was not very strong hence pumped water from well for 3 hours and puddled using cage wheel. There was not enough water for the small field next to this, first time leaving that because of lack of water.

20-June-2019

Same Kunjukunju seed is used this time also. At home all love its taste and now a days, we just mill it directly without boiling it. Soaked the seeds in water for 24 hours and then kept in jute sack for 12 hours and seed gets germinating. Sivettan (helper) suggested to use some cowdung while soaking the seeds and it was done.

23-June-2019

Water stagnated in some parts, some mud had to be piled up which was missed this time

30-June-2019

Finally when the field was made dry, young seedlings came up, now it looks reasonable. 

I put some more seeds, this was done by ladies, they piled up the soil and put the seeds and above that news paper was spread, it was removed on 2nd day.

12-July-2019
Transplanting completed on July 12th. This time, totally 9 labour was used.

19-Aug-2019
One weeding was done...and applied 20 kotta of cow dung mixing with water.

19-September-2019

Flowering completed...there was lack of water since motor was in repair...can see some weeds growing, may affect my next growing plan

22-Sept-2019
Since there is water shortage 2nd crop is not possible after this harvest. So planning to try no-till this time,got around 12Kgs of Jyothi seeds with duration of 120 days. They say, this is taller variety of Jyothi, put it for soaking, will sow it in 2 days time. Right now the ground is relatively clean, but since motor wasn't working,there wasn't water for 1 week and hence there are some weed growth under.

26-Sept-2019

Kept the seeds soaked in water for 24 hours and kept in the jute sack for 2 days..still couldn't seen all the seeds germinated...

My farm helper Palani broadcasting the seeds..

06-October-2019

started turning yellow...another 1 week for harvest

12-October-2019

Harvesting completed..this time it took 2 days..Total laborers used - 10 women laborers (2 days) 1 men...Rains were there in the evenings, but till 3 PM there was sun. Got around 53 para. Germinated seeds sown before didn't come up uniformly.