All the new chickens and ducks are in with the older ones now. They are doing great. It's like I have this new zen in there with them ever since Wynonna died. No one is bothering the little ones at all. The little ones are even allowed to roost with them which is a huge deal. Last year Bella wouldn't let any chicken roost until they were laying eggs but not this time. It's like they are one big happy family. I'm so surprised by this. Nonni said put them all together now. There won't be any issues with any of them. Boy was she right.
I'm not quite there yet. The older ducks are with the chickens, but they still haven't quite figured out that coop = food. In the morning before I let them out, I refill their water bowl just to encourage them to eat before they leave the coop, and I try to let the chickens out for their morning treat before that, so the ducks aren't intimidated away from eating. But when they notice the run door is open, they're sprinting out to jump in the water. And 2 hours later, they're crying for food. I place a bowl of Flock Raiser at the end of the pond so they can mostly eat in peace, but unless I sit there and hold it the whole time, the chickens or dogs try to get it. And there's probably a cereal bowl at the bottom of the pond, because I can't find it anywere. It'll be a lot easier when they finally figure out the purpose of that coop.
The babies go out with me for exercise when I'm feeding the big ones. I won't let them on the pond because I don't want to go swimming after them! They get to go in Oh'no's pool, and Oh'no crawls in with them. But Century (the month-old cayuga) will chase the babies if they come near her. That should stop when they're older, but there's no allowing those babies outside fulltime.
Ok I've planted over 100 ground feet of potatoes and 23 feed/shopping bags of them. I also gave at least 30 pieces away to friends and family members, trying to spread the madness. Mandy gave me 6 feed bags, just the kind I've been looking for, and I even tried out a Flock Raiser bag with holes punched in it, to see how they do. I have 3 seed potatoes left, and don't want to go searching for another bag just for those 3. So I posted on Facebook that they go to the first person who can come get them from me. And that order from Idaho hasn't even arrived yet.
Next year, I think I'll order 6lbs of seed potatoes, instead of 14.
Chickens: faverolles, australorps, Delaware, barred rock, welsummer, silver laced wyandotte, lavender and buff x wheaten ameraucanas, BLRW, blue and splash andalusian, cochin, exchequer leghorn, silkie, brabanter, minorca, turken, RIR, brahma, speckled sussex...Ducks: two welsh harlequins, two blue swedish... Two dogs, a snake, two parents and two kids... and food gardens everywhere else.
Chickens: faverolles, australorps, Delaware, barred rock, welsummer, silver laced wyandotte, lavender and buff x wheaten ameraucanas, BLRW, blue and splash andalusian, cochin, exchequer leghorn, silkie, brabanter, minorca, turken, RIR, brahma, speckled sussex...Ducks: two welsh harlequins, two blue swedish... Two dogs, a snake, two parents and two kids... and food gardens everywhere else.
