When Destinasi TV Came to the Homestead

Last August Destinasi TV came to our homestead to film a story about how we raise chickens and grow food on a small piece of land. They spent the day walking through the coops, orchard, and hatchery, asking questions and observing how everything connects.

We didn’t change anything that day. Feeding started at the same time, the compost still needed turning, and there were chicks hatching in the incubator. It was nice to see people take interest in the systems we’ve been building — how the chickens, trees, and soil all work together.

 

How Grove Homestead Started

Grove Homestead began in 2020 on two acres beside the Buloh River. At first, it was just a small orchard. The chickens came later, when we learned how valuable they were for soil health. Their manure turned out to be one of the best fertilizers for fruit trees.

Over time, we found ways to connect everything — chickens feeding the trees, trees shading the chickens, and compost going back into the soil. When the system works properly, there’s less waste and less labour. That’s what we wanted Destinasi TV to show — that good farming doesn’t need to be complicated, just consistent.

The Chickens and the Orchard

Under the Madre de Agua trees, the chickens roam during the day. These fast-growing trees provide shade, leaf fodder, and a steady source of natural feed. The droppings mix with pine shavings — our choice of bedding because it stays dry, smells clean, and later turns into good compost for the orchard. We add sawdust and a bit of ceramic powder to help absorb moisture.

The leaves from the Madre de Agua trees are dried and crushed into extra feed, rich in protein and fibre. Keeping everything dry is important. In our humid climate, moisture easily causes disease, so we check bedding, feed, and compost every day.

It’s a simple routine on the surface, but it runs on timing, observation, and consistency, small habits that keep the whole system balanced.

 

Breeding Work

Our main breed is the Rhode Island Red — strong, consistent layers that also make good meat birds. We record every pairing and select for structure, colour, and temperament. Each generation improves slightly from the last.

We also raise Light Sussex, Australorps, and Plymouth Rocks, along with some Silkies, Satins, and Bantams. The ornamental breeds are part of our education work — to show people the diversity and beauty that exist in poultry.

The system takes care of itself if the routine stays consistent. Farming isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing the same things properly, every day.

Hatching and Chick Care

In the hatchery, temperature stays at 37.9°C and humidity at 65%. Eggs move from the setter to the hatcher on the 18th day. When the chicks hatch, we wait until their feathers are dry before moving them to the brooder.

For the first two weeks, the brooder stays at about 35°C. Chicks eat high-protein feed and are sorted once they’re strong enough. Some are sold, some kept for breeding. We record everything. It’s simple work, but it has to be precise.

 

Small, Steady Scale

We keep fewer than 500 birds on the farm, which fits local regulations. We sell chicks through licensed transporters and send mature birds to certified slaughterhouses. It’s not a big operation, but it’s clean and manageable.

Staying small helps us pay attention. We notice when something changes — the sound of a bird, the colour of the litter, how the trees respond to compost. Those details are what really guide improvement.

When I watched the finished Destinasi TV episode, it reminded me that most of what makes a farm work doesn’t look exciting. It’s the small routines — feeding, cleaning, recording, observing — that hold everything together.

That’s what small-scale farming is really about. It’s not about having more land or more birds. It’s about creating systems that repeat well and give back over time.

Destinasi TV captured a small moment in our journey. The rest continues here every day — one feeding, one hatch, one compost turn at a time.

 

🎥 Watch the episode here