The Old Folks Home

[drumstick diva]

we need to have concrete work done, so of course its been thunder storming etc. when the temps go up, and snowing when they go down , down,

 

[Arielle]

Haven't been on in a long, long time, but always read. You guys are all too funny, and bring a smile to my face with your stories. Things have been crazy around this homestead, thank goodness winter is slowly departing. Wasn't that bad really, right fellow Mainers? Just makes us all, north, south, east and west, appreciate spring all the more. Hub was recently diagnosed with diabetes, and he cannot tolerate the oral medication, so super diet revisions. We are trying the Paleo diet with changes to meet his other dietary restrictions. What a job it is to start a new way to eat, but it will be healthy for us both. No grains, no gluten, no sugar, no bad carbs,no chocolate, no caffeine, etc.,etc. Will say, he has lost 30 pounds over the past 6 weeks, and he needed to. More to go, but he is behaving and not cheating. Can't really, there's no bad stuff in the house. Just have to smell his breath when he comes back from the general, make sure there's no cookie odor LOL!

Anyway, I have a story to share with you all, especially the duck lovers out there. We have 5 Pekin ducks and a drake, and they live for now on the screened porch off our living room that has been wrapped in plastic for the winter. Very content there and we can watch them out our window. Have one that jumps up on a crate and pecks at the window when they want something, she will sometimes sit up there and watch TV. So one of my girls decided to go broody, and we all know Pekins are not good brooders. She had 15 eggs, all fertile, and knitted herself a beautiful nest in her box and tended to her eggs like a good broody chicken would, constantly tending to them. The others left her and her clutch alone, and were somewhat protective of her. If I went anywhere near her nest she would come flying out of there sprouting horns and spitting fire. Pretty much left her alone, and didn't even candle until after the second week. All were viable. I was so excited, and hoped nature would do a freak thing and make her take things to the hatch.

Yesterday, she was in there all morning, knitting away, tending to things. In the afternoon, she went out to the other end of the porch to have some social time with the others. It was pretty chilly yesterday. She spent all afternoon out there, they were all gathered together, talking amongst themselves. I was concerned she was away for so long, she never does that. At the end of the day, heard some commotion and watched out the window a few feet away as they all came marching in to their nesting area, she was in the lead. She plopped herself down in front of her nest and the others gathered around her. Suddenly she stood up and started rolling eggs out of the nest, and the others attacked them, carrying them off and eating them within seconds. I was so shocked and disgusted, went right out and shooed them away. Gathered up the surviving eggs and brought them in and candled them. Six were viable, but very, very cold. Put them in my sweatshirt pouch and wrapped a heating pad around. Took a good half hour to warm them up, they were that cold. Candled them again, and they were doing cartwheels in their shells. Probably close to 20 days, and appear to be very healthy. They are in a box with a heating pad under and wrapped in a warm fuzzy old blanket, and they all survived the night. Sprayed them with warm water this AM and turned them, but think they are pretty close to making their entrance, so will just handle them very sparingly and hope for the best.

So now have to get an incubator as I never want to see that mass murder ever again. Isn't it very bizarre tho, it's almost like they sat around all afternoon planning the whole thing, and it was perfectly executed. I was so angry with them they did not get their peas last night. Bad ducks, bad dogs, why can't we all just get along LOL!!!

Just wanted to share that with you and wonder if anyone has ever seen anything like this. I've let chickens hatch perfectly, but most hens are very good mothers. Poor pekins just have had it all bred out of them, what a shame. Have a good week everyone, and hope you can smell spring wherever you are!

Have you found the on line support group for paleo??? I do low carb ( carbaholic here) and find support is key to making long term changes stick. I have made the change BEFORE diabetes hits. THe SAD ( standard AMerican Diet) is killing us. WIth on line friends I have found recipes and products that are low carb and still allow me to have fun eating. Send me a PM if you are interested in the forum, it is all types of low carb diets including paleo.

 

[gryeyes]

I agree with Stumpy - instead of watching you could have been preserving this for posterity ,, is that the right word Linda?

gryeyes, I think you should set up a webcam so we could watch the entertainment. I enjoy your descriptions of the chicken activity

honestly, there would be a whole lotta nuthin' more than Punkin in her broody trance. The other stuff is subtle. Well, except when she makes her dash off the nest. Ya think I'm gonna expose y'all to visions of my house-keeping?!? Not a chance. I was debilitated by a migraine and bedridden most of the day. Sparkle brought her four chicks into the bedroom to perch on the end of the bed, which was -really - something i considered an advanced behavior of checking on me. She brrked at me briefly, then shepherded them away again. She often brings them to me wherever I am, just for short visits, but they will run to be around my feet or under the deck chair where i am sitting. This was the first time she sought me out when i was in bed. Later, she took her four chicks outside into the fenced garden area. Sometimes, her visits take the chicks past Punkin in her dog bed nest. Punkin dissuades the chicks from being too curious about her, but one chick did run right across her to follow the rest when they exited the living room. Punkin was not a happy camper about it - she had to recount and move her eggs around right afterwards. Beth has been faithfully laying her egg in the clean laundry bin before she goes outside. When she comes back inside for the night, she first has to chase and peck at Sparkle. Stoopid pecking order!

 

[Stumpy]

It snowed ~ ! But, tomorrow is supposed to be a nice day.

It's supposed to be 83 and windy here today, then storms tomorrow.

 

[chickadoodles]

Gryeyes, I think you could write a great book about Punkin and Sparkle. I read the cat who books and loved them. I have been reading the posts on here for some time enjoying them and laughing.
I could buy your book on your house chickens and read like crazy!

 

[wolftracks]

This is what my backyard looked like on Monday. Those darn tarps would catch the wind while I was trying to pull it off my neighbor's shop roof and I pulled my back out. Today is my first day out of bed since. Now we're going to be in the middle 80s and I get to go out and finish trying to repair everything. I'm slathered with Arnica gel and just took 2 Excedrine, so waiting for everything to kick in, so I can get out there. In the meantime, I have my Marans running loose in the yar and also so Games and my Purple egg project cockerel who is testosterone driven. Wish me luck!

 

[gryeyes]

Oh,Wolfie, that's horrible! . It would have driven me TO bed out of sheer frustration.

Wish I was a strapping, strong thing like I was a decade or so ago, so I could come help wrangle tarps with you.

 

[wolftracks]

Oh,Wolfie, that's horrible!

. It would have driven me TO bed out of sheer frustration.

Wish I was a strapping, strong thing like I was a decade or so ago, so I could come help wrangle tarps with you.

Wish I was too! I've gone out 3 times and just looked and came back in. I know I have to fix it all, but OMG!!!!! Took me forever to get to where I was almost done. Now I'm starting all over.

I'm to old for this...

 

[ChooksChick]

Quote:
You need to just post that link on here- I think all of us could use a primer on quitting the poisonous diet we have handed to us...of course I'm in the health-food business, so I can't help but be bitter about the crap out there.

Quote:
I really wish you were nearer. I'd be able to grab a group of scouts and come right that thing quickly!

 

[wolftracks]

You need to just post that link on here- I think all of us could use a primer on quitting the poisonous diet we have handed to us...of course I'm in the health-food business, so I can't help but be bitter about the crap out there.



I really wish you were nearer. I'd be able to grab a group of scouts and come right that thing quickly!

Man that would work. Fed the rabbits I could get to. Had to come in for a few. Now to pull that thing out and get to the others.