my very own micro farm

[darina]

That's so cool that the babies get to get in the water right away. I'm so jealous, I have always wanted a duckling. They are sooooo fluffy! Okay, enough of my schoolgirl gushings...

 

[ctfd85157]

Amazing thread!!!!

 

[attimus]

Amazing thread!!!!

Thankyou

Good and bad news yesterday. Two of the ducklings are gone. Not sure how no signs that I can see of anything. Hate to think that it was one of our own cats, happened during the day while we were at work. Regardless doing a thorough assessment of their current housing and gonna try finishing up the new pen today as well. On my way to pick up the lumber for that shortly. Some errands first.
Good new was I have another broody hen, dolly the BO. She's got quite a few eggs under her, I was really hoping she was going to start so been letting them sit in the box instead of collecting. 6 kelso eggs 2 of burglers eggs( really hoping these hatch) and I think 10 of the rest of the mix flock. Should be interesting. Built a brooder for her out of pallets. I'll post it when I'm back at the house. Off to get lumber and stuff.
Onward and upward
Attimus

Did you see the size of that chicken

 

[attimus]

Here's the pallet brooder.

 

[attimus]

Run is finished and ducklings are in.

Safe and secure at this point. More to add to the run they are in eventually for the layer flock to come.
Off for now more tomorrow. Conquer the world one bird at a time.

 

[attimus]

With the run finished I have some room to take a step back and look at what's next. Which inevitably is the pond. I've been setting it aside so to speak while i was doing other more immediate things. But now the time has come to bring it back into focus. Have some little ideas floating around but this will be the next major build. Need to take it slow, it is concrete after all.
@birdman55 I know you won't be able to make it but I'll still be running a lot by you. A lot going on in my head I'm not certain is going to make it to ground. Time will tell.
My bestfriend moved back up from southern California this last week. He's the one who came up for a visit, we played some discgolf. He'd always been a help around here and was actually a big part of me finishing that recent run so fast. He'll be here for a lot of the work that's ahead. We are very like minded and always try to look at the bigger picture together. Just glad he's around again. Now if I can just convince him to get his own chickens. Lol.
Just been cleaning up around here the last couple days. Always a mess after a project, though not as much waste this time around. That and the weather was supposed to be bad but so far its just sprinkled.
They really never get it right.
The Lady got some raspberries planted over our weekend as well. A few tomatoes her mother brought up from the valley too. Though not needed, I have to transplant a large assortment of mystery tomatoes and squash that have come up where I've spread compost. Enough to not buy any from the nursery this year, although at this point most of the garden has taken a back seat to getting everything inline with all the birds first.
Pretty sure at this point the neighbors can call me crazy maybe even my own family, haha. Not sure there's not much I can say to the contrary, I love my birds like I love my family. I just want the best for them.
Anyways enough of this late rambling, we all have people to meet and time to kill.
Take aim and fire.

 

[attimus]

Ive been at a sizable loss of words here the last few days. A lot going on, a lot to take in but here it goes.
We lost oreo( one of the swedes) the other day and it has been very demoralizing to my focus here. Becoming attached to them was a given from the start and watching how they joined the mallards only strengthened that bond. It took me until today to really put this all straight in my head, its so hard to direct the anger when there's nothing there for me to point a finger at. Would have been easier I think if it was a neighbors dog, at least then there's a responsible culprit. Instead I shake my fist at the wind and throw a rock at anything moving the grass. Truly it is my own fault for not taking better measures to secure my animals.
It seems I cant take two steps in the right direction without finding some sort of resistance. But I need to keep moving onward and upward. And as devastating as the loss of one more close animal is to my psyche I can only imagine what the rest of the ducks are going though.
I've been staying as busy as I can on the property, mostly just sorting things out. Redug more of the pond out and got the trench dug for drain. Got a cement mixer enroute from home depot to help finish up the job, will be here at the beginning of the month. Going to be looking to some close friends for a quick finish to that project. It seems ever more neccessary as the days pass. The ducklings get big fast and still waiting to see what comes of the second mallards nest, I'm hoping not all duds. Cookie the other swede is even building a strong nest in the mallards old spot. I added a few of oreos eggs to it as well. Will be her first time going broody if she eventually sits so I will keep my fingers crossed.
Speaking of mothers, dolly is a week and a half out from her due date. Really keeping my hopes up for a better hatch rate this time around.
And speaking of babies, to cheer me and the ducks up the Misses came home with 4 little ducklings yesterday. 2 Cayuga and 2 welsh harlequin. Both breeding pairs. Tried blending them in, about a week behind, but momma wasn't having any of that so they are in the house. Forgot how messy baby ducklings can be. Lol. But so cute and fun. And the baby enjoys the cage being used inside again.
Got an early b day present from my mom considering all the commotion and its very fitting,
Story's guide to raising ducks, been browsing through and have already found some great stuff. Great buy mom if you read this.
Gonna leave it here for now. Getting late but there's always more. Thanks for watching and I hope you allstill enjoy.
Onward and upward
Attimus

 

[birdman55]

keep your head up partner...as you should expect losses...when least expected...i had a golden pheasant female get stuck in the plastic n die over the winter...bummed out on that ...then a cinnamon golden i payed close to a hundred dollars died when another female kept picking at her bottom side when she would try to lay...she did lay some eggs and now have some babies from that...the only thing you can do is make sure it wasnt something internally...and expand and breed...i watched a 200 dollar bird fly straight up and break its neck from one of my breeders and he was like oh well that happens....i was like wo...if i just got a expensive bird and it flew up and died i would be so upset...we also had our male turkey die randomly before thanksgiving...this was a 40 pound turkey...we took the bird apart and no signs of infection or worms...but what we did find was that he was full of rocks...silly turkey ate to many and couldnt digest it....so we processed it and the dogs had a lot of turkey for a while....well hope all is going well...sorry couldnt make the trip...in due time we shall meet....keep up the good work....later

 

[attimus]

Thanks for the encouragement birdman and the real truth straight factual talk on bird life and death. I know im not the only one to lose a bird and certainly there are some crazy stories, the reminders help.

Fun facts for the day. Been watching the wild turkeys traveling just outside the property with a bunch of chicks. Always ever hopeful the big tom comes around fall and glad to see the next generation.
Also got to watch the neighborhood kids chasing a full grown Guinea fowl, the first I've seen here and happy, don't care for ticks And hear they are good for it. Was fun to watch happened to be drivejng down the road as they were chasing it. Stopped to hop out for a picture but man are this suckers fast.
Busy weekend coming, lots to do. Picking up more supplies for the new pond, more weed eating, the rain has really been messing with that. And I still need to build the grav feeders for both broody pens.
Enough to do to keep me busy.
Until then
Attimus

 

[attimus]

One of the lorp roos started crowing today and it sounds like he'd been smoking a pack a day since he hatched. Its so raspy, makes me laugh every time. If that's how it stays I won't have any problems keeping him around as long as he follows the order of things. The other is slow to catch up.
Back to the grind