The internet has been down for the last couple of weeks so I apologize for the delay in posting an update.
The first photo was taken during rush hour traffic on the road to the village. Mostly cows, bicycles, foot traffic and a few motorized vehicles. You can see the rain on the windshield which turned the road surface into a mud bath. We got stuck and had to stuff some branches under the wheels to get moving again.
The chickens are growing fast and are now 4 weeks old. Total count = 294/300, only 2% losses which is remarkable considering we have no experience in poultry farming. The food is being consumed faster than expected because the chickens are tipping over the food trays. I will have to figure out a way to solve this problem or we will not make any profits.
I decided to get a haircut(only about $2.50) and went into town looking for a men's barbershop. It seemed like a good idea until I learned that all of the customers get their head shaved. Alex was available to cut my hair so I asked for a regular haircut. He immediately took out the hair clippers and began buzzing my head. He didn't have a comb for straight hair so he used his fingers instead. You can see the results of his work since we took each other's picture. It'll grow out...
I found some chicken feeders at a local metal shop made out of recycled beer cans. They were durable, cheap and reduced my feed costs by limiting spillage. I put them on my desk until I could take them to the chicken coop. The handcraft market is a dizzying array of vendors who can fabricate just about anything out of recycled metal, wood and plastic. Amazingly talented and eco-friendly since nothing goes to waste.
And we said goodbye to Paola, our GSK colleague from Italy, who finished her three month tour of duty and returned home. Pictured from left to right: Nerissa, me, Melody, Paola, Janet. The OGRA Foundation gave her a little farewell pizza party and we danced to the rhythm of African music (well not all of us have rhythm). She will be missed.
No comments:
Post a Comment