Fugly Farm

[N F C]

Well there’s not much in there lol. Just litter, duck house, coop and a shade structure. You haven’t seen my patio

I bet your patio looks fine! Do you still have succulents on it?

 

[igorsMistress]

I bet your patio looks fine! Do you still have succulents on it?

No most of them died over the summer so I give up. Both patios are a serious mess though. There’s a bag of pine pellets I accidentally left out to get wet in the rain, it needs to be swept, pots emptied and put away, I noticed some small trash had blown off the table into the grass at least a week ago, there are bowls and hay and the wading pool for the chickens on the other patio and paver pieces and...so it’s not as neat and tidy as you think. It has moments of chaos and moments of tidy. Sometimes those areas rotate around the yard

 

[N F C]

No most of them died over the summer so I give up. Both patios are a serious mess though. There’s a bag of pine pellets I accidentally left out to get wet in the rain, it needs to be swept, pots emptied and put away, I noticed some small trash had blown off the table into the grass at least a week ago, there are bowls and hay and the wading pool for the chickens on the other patio and paver pieces and...so it’s not as neat and tidy as you think. It has moments of chaos and moments of tidy. Sometimes those areas rotate around the yard

Moments of chaos and moments of tidy sounds like my house.

 

[igorsMistress]

Just opened the door for the girls and they came out right away. I gave them clean water for the pool and they’re having a swim. They’re upset that the coop is closed but the water seems a good distraction.

 

[N F C]

Just opened the door for the girls and they came out right away. I have them clean water for the pool and they’re having a swim. They’re upset that the coop is closed but the water seems a good distraction.

What's your temperatures this time of year IM? Does it ever get so cold the ducks wouldn't want to go in the water (that shows how much I know about them)?

 

[igorsMistress]

What's your temperatures this time of year IM? Does it ever get so cold the ducks wouldn't want to go in the water (that shows how much I know about them)?

I see them in the water all the time at the park so no, I don’t think so. When I fill up the pool the water is warmer than the air. From threads I’ve read they’ll go in ponds that have chunks of ice floating in them.

 

[N F C]

I see them in the water all the time at the park so no, I don’t think so. When I fill up the pool the water is warmer than the air. From threads I’ve read they’ll go in ponds that have chunks of ice floating in them.

They're braver than I am then

 

[igorsMistress]

Major yard clean up today. The patio is clean and swept, I moved a bunch of stuff to the bulk trash pile and the wheelbarrow is full of the broken pavers I’m going to have to sneak into the trash. I feel bad about it but it’s gotta go. I took all of the pieces out I had protecting plant roots from the chickens, replaced the blocks I have holding up the lattice for my shed door because one was broken and the other is like the ones I have for the garden which I’m in the process of expanding. Moved some mulch also but the rest will have to wait until after bulk trash is gone. I’m planning to remove one of the walls around the xeriscape area, I’ll reuse the blocks to build a small bed in the garden where I can only plant stuff with shallow roots. I might commit a terrible act and start feeding artichoke leaves to the bunnies from the one I planted near the wall and then quit watering that one. I need more space for other things and I have a better spot to try planting one from seed once the garden expansion is done. I think areas like that would be better suited to short term crops because of the heat from the wall. I have a plan to help with that though, we have some metal stakes I can drive into the ground and then attach shade cloth to.
With regard to chickens, I am canceling the order for the Fayoumis. I’ve planned the garden with ducks in mind and possibly large chickens that won’t be inclined to fly over the yard or garden walls. Fayoumi would require wing clipping or a major revamping of the garden plan. I also feel like it’s just too soon and I want to give the yard and coop a break. The pigeons haven’t been gone long and if they’re going to be a problem it’ll start soon. Plus, I’m really enjoying the ducks and I just want to have that experience without chickens in the mix for a while.
The girls came out to the patio and watched me work in the yard today. I filled a bowl with water and somehow all three of them managed to squeeze in there and lay in it while they watched. I think they’ve pretty much been outside all day today so things are really changing. They all have little areas of down still sticking out and Pip has a mohawk right now. Bean is getting a bit of color on the top of her head.

 

[igorsMistress]

They're braver than I am then

The water does this thing where the warm water rises and the cold water drops so it’s possibly warmer in the water at the surface where they swim than out in those conditions.

 

[N F C]

The water does this thing where the warm water rises and the cold water drops so it’s possibly warmer in the water at the surface where they swim than out in those conditions.

All I can think of is those crazy polar bear plunges (but that's probably because I've been cold for months now).