Coronavirus, Covid 19 Discussion and How It Has Affected Your Daily Life Chat Thread

[sdm111]

My Amazing Graduate. I am SOOOOO Proud of this young lady!

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It's a great feeling knowing your kid "gets it" and knows you only get one shot, make it count. Congrats to her

 

[NWHeather]

Used to because my turkeys lived out their lives to 8 (very old for turkeys) and after selling that farm and moving here (recent change) I haven't got the same set up, or good fencing for a large mixed flock. Yet.
I'd love to have them again! If you get the right breed they are like big feathered puppies. One of my hens would follow me all over the place whenever I was working around the barnyard and steal stuff out of my pockets. I really miss her and my tom who was wonderful!

The ducks would probably take off down the creek here. I have a year round creek but no way to fence it off well (bird proof) because the water levels are constantly changing with the weather.

I do think it could work fine, honestly. Having said that though, mine were muscovies, which are usually pretty laid back kind of ducks. My first coop was 8 x 8 and the second, more often used coop, was 14 x 8 maybe. There was also the main barn which is where the moms would go broody.

Good to know, thank you! I'd probably keep the Cayuga drake, and rehome the two Blue Swedish. Although I don't know what a BS/Cayuga mix would be like. I'm on the fence about mixing them. I know I will have barnyard mixes with the chickens, because I have so many different breeds, but I understand why people want to keep some lines "pure".

I could go either way, on which breed to keep of the drakes.

 

[NWHeather]

Good to know, thank you! I'd probably keep the Cayuga drake, and rehome the two Blue Swedish. Although I don't know what a BS/Cayuga mix would be like. I'm on the fence about mixing them. I know I will have barnyard mixes with the chickens, because I have so many different breeds, but I understand why people want to keep some lines "pure".

I could go either way, on which breed to keep of the drakes.

It would make it easier to spot the drake right away if I kept a BS though LOL

 

[MROO]

Even though I'm not on here often, I do think of you all. I hope all are well!
I can never fully catch up on all of the posts. LOL I try, but I miss so many pages of convos.

...one of my three Cayuga's is a drake.
''' I have been wondering if I could keep one of the drakes. Do any of you successfully keep a drake with a large chicken flock? Do the roosters keep the drake in line and away from the hens, or is it a bad idea to even consider?
I'd love the idea of hatching some ducklings with my two hens. If it's not a good idea, I won't, but if it's possible, I'd be happy to keep one of the drakes. So far everyone is doing pretty good together, but I know for sure I won't be keeping all three drakes.

I suppose I should do something productive. This week is split days off, so I have a lot to do in one day.

Welcome Back!
I don't know what the secrets are, but quite a few people here on BYC keep mixed flocks. If you're going to keep a drake & raise ducklings, consider keeping the Cayuga male. Cayugas are on The Livestock Conservancy's Conservation Priority list, so you'd be helping a struggling breed come back.
https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/cayuga

 

[NWHeather]

Welcome Back!
I don't know what the secrets are, but quite a few people here on BYC keep mixed flocks. If you're going to keep a drake & raise ducklings, consider keeping the Cayuga male. Cayugas are on The Livestock Conservancy's Conservation Priority list, so you'd be helping a struggling breed come back.
https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/cayuga

Thank you for that input! That helps with my decision making

 

[MROO]

Yeah, migraines just suck. Period.

We've had to be gluten free since buck was a calf. My kiddo is a celiac. Back when we started (I'm also gluten free) there were no products, like you said...I might have been lucky to find one frozen bread. But as you know one might as well have been eating cardboard. Awful stuff! Just nasty.
Because my kiddo also has life threatening allergies I decided to just start from scratch and learn how to make everything. Like literally. And grow/raise nearly everything too.
Now I can claim to be a (self appointed) gluten free baking goddess, but it's taken me a while to get there. I can make stuff that will fool anyone who doesn't know it's gluten free.

Yes. Those.


You should be proud, what a beautiful young woman!!
May to go Momma, you did a great job.

Thanks! She's a GREAT kid ... errrr ... young woman, so grown up all of a sudden!
And as the resident Gluten Free Baking Goddess, I think you should start a thread of your best recipes and tricks of the trade. Although not everybody has an issue with gluten, pretty much all of us know someone who would benefit. Personally, I have several friends at church who can't have gluten - which makes Coffee Hours and picnics a challenge for them. I always try to bring something gluten-free, even if it's just fruit. I could use some tried and true recipes, so I don't come up with any of that cardboard stuff. ... like the reeeeeeally nasty brownie recipe I tried, last summer!

 

[MROO]

Thank you for that input! That helps with my decision making

You're welcome ... and besides ... how cute are those Cayuga babies, huh? And the green top-color is to die for. I WISH I had room for ducks!

 

[MROO]

Obviously haven't started being productive yet LOL

I did strict Paleo for several years back when I was active in CrossFit (yes, I drank the koolaide, until I injured my shoulder). I still think CF is a good program, if done smart. Many don't make sure to take rest days, they push themselves too much, to the point of injury. I learned that the hard way.
I have not been so good in the past few years.
I felt so much better being GF. I could tell whenever I ate anything with gluten in it. I do not have celiacs, but it does have a negative affect on me. I later came back as having a gluten sensitivity when I did one of the DNA tests.

Some of my coworkers have decided to do a 30 day challenge at work, and I am going to join in. We're going to each put into a pool, and the person who loses the most weight after 30 days wins the pool. We start on Wednesday.
I turn 50 July 8th, and this is good motivation for me to try and drop some weight before that milestone.
I was in such good shape 10 years ago! After I hurt my shoulder in CF, I couldn't do most of the CF workouts, so I got into TKD for a couple years, until I injured my knee. A little while later, I herniated 2 discs, lifting stuff without having the core strength I used to have.
One of the Drs I went to put me on high dose gabapentin for over a year, and I gained 60 lbs, and on top of that, I was still in a high stress sedentary job (emergency dispatch), so I continued to gain weight.

After I moved to eastern WA, and changed careers, I now walk around all day, and dropped 15lbs the first month. Then my body plateaued and I haven't lost any more.
I'm pretty active both at work and with all the work on my new farm, but I need to get back to clean eating and start using weights again. I want to start doing yoga/stretching, but I have to finish unpacking/organizing the boxes in my living room so I have space to do it. LOL
My goal is to lose 50-60 lbs ideally.

Approaching my 50th birthday has weighed on my mind recently, especially being so overweight. My Dad's side of the family has a history of heart problems, and I know I need to take charge of my health soon. My sister got tested, and I need to, once I can get into a Dr.
It did give me a spark of happiness when I was carded for alcohol last night though

It's just a number, Darlin'! Focus on your health, not the count and you'll do fine. Good luck with that plateau ... sounds like you're on the right track to best it!

 

[NWHeather]

You're welcome ... and besides ... how cute are those Cayuga babies, huh? And the green top-color is to die for. I WISH I had room for ducks!

I LOVE their coloring!
I wasn't originally planning on getting ducks, but I could not pass them up when I saw the Cayuga babies. I had to buy all three of the remaining babies. LOL

 

[MROO]

It would make it easier to spot the drake right away if I kept a BS though LOL

That's what foot tags are for ... or even a slightly loose zip tie!