Adventuring

A few years ago my sister had two ducks, one named Snow. The bigger one (not Snow) would lead that foolish duck all over the yard, down the street, across the road, and into the trailer park; waddling and quacking as they went. We'd look out our window and sure enough there would be Snow dutifully following her leader across the neighbors yard, across the street, and back into our dooryard. Eventually the big duck was eaten by some wild thing and a few years later, Snow as well. My Dad did not wish to repeat our mistakes and so a plan was carried out to keep the ducks on our property. 

We fenced in a small area by the duck's house near the shallow end of the pond. The goal: ducks in the pond or in the fence; not in the yard, garden, or trailer park. For the first few weeks they refused to leave the fenced in area. Then last week the littles plopped down into the water and a day or two later the big ducks jumped down in too.

Today Mom was in the garden weeding the potatoes and I was in the daycare yard with the kiddos. I could hear the little ducks making all sorts of racket, but I ignored them, because ducks make noise. Then I noticed that they sounded louder than usual. They didn't sound like they were in the pond any more. In fact they sounded like they were out of the pond.

I stood up from where I was watching the kids and walked to the white fence that marked the end of daycare and the beginning of farm. The big ducks were very loud and making a noise that sounded like "come back here" to the little ducks. As I got to the fence I saw seven gray and white ducks happily wandering around nibbling at the grass.

Mom said to me from the row of potatoes, "I think the big ducks are calling the little ones back."

We watch the little ducks for a time. They circled back and headed back into the pond. I walked back to my spot on the swing, but not for long. About three minutes later I heard the ducks making a racket again and so I rose to my feet to take a peek. Sure enough the little ducks were out again foraging, and the big ones were calling them back. After a few minutes the little ducks obligingly went back into the pond.

I returned to my spot in the daycare yard, and picked up my knitting. Not even five minutes later I hear my Mom bellow, "Delia!" I come trotting over, camera in hand.

All eleven ducks were out of the pond and walking through the garden! They waddled over to the chickens nibbling and munching on tasty bits. I was able to snap a few close ups, previously they ran from me, so that you can see the beautiful coloring of our seven "little ducks'.

The question now remains: will they end up in the road?

Saturday Farm Journal

On Thursday, with the help of the son of a farmer from church, the broilers were slaughtered, processed, and placed in the freezer. The whole chickens varied in estimated weight from 5-7lbs. We decided to go ahead and stop growing them at 8weeks because the largest broiler died one evening and another good sized one became lame. We ended up with eleven chickens in the freezer for a total of (averaged and estimated) 55lbs of chicken. Not too bad for our first time. Next year we will be doing more, and possibly getting a few turkeys too.

The ducks have been moved to their permanent home. All eleven of them. At first we kept the two batches apart with fences until they were accustomed to each other. Now they get along just fine with only a little bit of dominating pinches now and again. 

We have been eating a lot of blueberries. Every two days we spend two hours picking everything that is tinged red. Once inside they are all blue within a few days and then we freeze them in gallon sized bags. I have already made Upside-down Blueberry Cake and will be making it again tonight to take to a family gathering. I will be sure to take a few photographs and put the recipe up on our other blog after this week-end.

The garden is doing great. Mom has been spending a lot of time each evening weeding, when she isn't picking blueberries. This past week she weeded some tomatoes and potatoes and Dad hilled them. I weeded some tomatoes and peppers, and staked a few tomato plants. We ate green beans out of the garden on Wednesday, they were so yummy. Next week I will be making Green Tomato Relish, since we ate up the last jar a month ago.

Last weeks lists:

• weed: cabbage and tomatoes
• water if it doesn't rain
• continue to watch for bugs
• replant cucumbers
• move layers outside and Peking ducks to house

Next weeks list:

• weed: cabbage and tomatoes
• stake tomatoes
• pick tomatoes
• make relish
• pick blueberries

Saturday Farm Journal

hot peppers, pears, blueberries, peas

Brussels spouts, red cabbage, beans, tomatoes

onions, squash, beets, carrots

It seems like the warmer it gets outside the more work that needs to be done. A lot of weeding was accomplished last Sunday with a promise that this vacation week we'll get more done. It looks like the peas are done and I'll be picking and pulling those up this week. I feel so foolish that I forgot about them! I allowed them to get too big for eating raw, but I think they will be just as tastey cooked. 

We received several mystery ducklings. They are some sort of laying breed. A cambell-mallard-runner cross maybe, who knows? The broilers have about 5 more weeks of life before Jason harvests them. We are hoping to get them outside for a bit of free ranging before that happens. Today a duck house is being built so the big ducks can go live outside in the pond and the little ducks can get out of the barn because they are stinky and messy. We did learn from our mistakes and they are where we could hose them down as needed.

List two weeks ago:

• Keep an eye on the bugs
• Re-plant potato, cucumber (looks like they are actually up so we didn't do this)
• Fertilize onions, tomatoes, peppers
• Weed

This week(s) list:

• weed
• watch for bugs
• weed
• water when needed
• weed
• move layers to a tractor outside

Saturday Journal

 

It's been a busy few weeks. First we were drenched with rain which halted everything in the garden and then the ducks and chicks needed to be moved so that took up all our time. Hopefully now that the rain has stopped and the weather man has said we will have a few days in a row of sunshine, things will get done in the garden.

The one very exciting thing, we ate a handful of pea pods! They were a bit bitter, but tasted sweet to us! 

Went to our green thumbed friend to ask a few questions about pesticide and bugs and he suggested Garden Dust from Bonide he claimed it was more natural than most pesticides, we'll give it a go and see how it goes. As it was by the time I got out there the bugs had chewed through every leaf (in a day). 

I'm not sure how the cabbages/Brussels Sprouts are going to do, they don't look well. I think it was too late in the season to plant them, or maybe it's the pine shavings? 

The potatoes aren't up. Dad dug up some of the potatoes and a few are rotten, some are growing, we are going to give it another week to see what happens.

Mom and Dad planted another garden to use some of the seeds before they went bad: carrots, squash, turnips and onions so now we have to gardens to watch. 

List from two weeks ago:

• Weed tomatoes
• Hoe between the rows
• Mulch Brussels Sprouts
• Thin the beans

What actually happened:

• Watched Brussels Sprouts, cabbages, and potatoes drown.
• Thinned beans
• Roto-tilled or hoed a couple of rows
• Trimmed tomato
• Strung peas
• Ate peas
• Planted more: carrots, blue hubbard squash, butternut squash, turnip, onions
• Weeded strawberries

This weeks list:

• Keep an eye on the bugs
• Re-plant potato, cucumber
• Fertilize onions, tomatoes, peppers

How is your garden growing?

Stomper (age 1.5) munching on pea pods

Chickens on the Move

First a bit of cuteness, well I think she's cute.

Where'd they go?

What's that in the garage?

Oh, there they are! Layers are on one side of the brood box, broilers on the other, and ducks on the other side of the fence. Everyone has room to move and grow.

Duck Moving Day

The ducks keep growing and making messes and unpleasant smells. We have been waiting and waiting for the weather to finally turn to summer so that we can kick them out of the barn and outside. Well, today was the day. Last night Dad announced that he was moving the ducks out of the barn. It took most of the morning and some small hands, but they are moved and happy! 

Learning Curve

What a few weeks it has been. We have learned a lot in the past few weeks and, so we don't forget, I'm writing it all down.

• Ducks are messy and smelly. What this means for the porch: the porch will be wet and smell funny if they are out there. Why they are messy and smelly: Ducks poop, a lot, all over the place. Ducks spread water, a lot, all over the place. Wet poop smells bad. Spread water drips out of dog kennel and on to porch making the porch wet on stocking feet. What to do next time: put ducks someplace where smell and wetness will not be a problem. Current solution: ducks live in barn basement.
• Ducks grow fast. What this means: They will not last long in any enclosure. What to do next time: don't bother trying to house ducks and chicks together in current brood box. Current solution: ducks live in barn basement.
• Ducks will be stupid with their food and water. What this means: They will get it wet and will lay in it. They will poop in it. Current solution: keep food far away from water. 

• Broilers and Layers should not be house together. Why is this a problem? Layers jump, flutter, and perch, but broilers should never do these things. Hard lesson learned: I believe a broiler died due to jumping (but it could have been another ailment?) Current solution: broilers now live in the barn basement.
• Broilers get big fast. Really, really, fast. They weigh quite a lot, a lot more than the layers
• Layers can "fly". They can "fly" out of their brood box and perch on the edge. 
• Chickens get shavings into their water. What this means: the waterer will fill up with shavings and they won't be able to drink anymore. What to do next time: get the hanging waterer in there ASAP
• Chickens huddle for warmth and will squish each other to death. Hard lesson learned: chicks pig-piled and one got smothered. What to do next time: put something in corners so that no one gets stuck and make sure brood box temp is checked more often.
• Chickens are distracting. What this means: chicken loving people may get "stuck" out on porch watching chickens a lot. Current solution: none, I enjoy it quite a lot!

This is the broilers and ducks new home. Actually, right now the fence is going in the other direction due to the torrential amount of rain we've had the past few days. The basement flooded much to the delight of the ducks and the dismay of the chickens.