In June 2019 we set up our home-on-wheels on a farm in the heart of the Fleurieu Peninsula of South Australia. Winbirra is a 200-acre farm nestled in the Willunga Ranges. They are running beef cattle and 3000 hens (chooks) in 5 mobile trailers, producing pastured free-range eggs under the brand ‘feather&PECK‘. The weather was a mixture of blue skies and sunshine, and heavy fog and mist. Some days it was almost impossible to see our van or the chook pens. (Update May 2022 – they now run 4200 hens in 7 mobile trailers.)

We volunteered for 2-3 hours per day (except Wednesdays) collecting eggs, entering egg collection data, checking the feed/water for the hens, feeding the Maremma guardian dogs and loading the egg crates into a refrigerated trailer ready for the farmer to take to the processing plant. By the end of our eight weeks, we reckon we collected approximately 10,000 eggs!

We fell in love with the Maremma dogs and their puppies. Beautiful, loyal, playful, aloof at times and fiercely protective of their flock. 6 adults and 3 puppies, all with different personalities.