I have to admit, the ducks have grown on me. So much so that now I feel compelled to write about the superiority of ducks over other barnyard fowl. I suppose most of it has to do with the fact that we now have Silver Appleyards rather than Cayugas. Silver Appleyards lay more, and they’re far quieter than the Cayugas were. They’re just as messy, but that’s forgivable considering the number of eggs they supply us with and that they’re…
This weather has been terrible for our garden! We’ve had rain (and lots of it) virtually every day, which has precluded planting, tilling, digging, etc. Fortunately, this weather IS good for another kind of cultivation: pomology. The blueberry bushes are bursting at the seams with little green berries that will be ready come July. Excessive spring rains are great for all sorts of fruiting plants. If I’d had any way of predicting what the weather would have been like this…
There have been several animal departures over the last few months. With the sale of all of our Cayuga ducks, Marianne’s death, Mowgli & Maxwell’s decision to take off, and the fact that three of our four wethered bucks already have homes, we had room for a few more additions! Steve already let you all know about Peony, but we have a few others that have joined us recently. First came Gabe’s ducklings. Gabe earned $50 for participating in a…
I read a lot, almost to a fault, on raising animals. Yet somehow in all my reading I’ve found that a lot of information that would have been good to know just isn’t there. Much of it is vital and would have saved the loss of our first few litters if we had known then what we know now. So, here’s my two cents on what anyone looking to raise litters of rabbits (whether for show, meat or fiber) should know: 1. Start…
“Farm truck or minivan?” the stockyard guy quipped as he helped load the back of our caravan with woven wire fencing and 8-foot posts. “Both,” I had to admit. Thank goodness for the minivan – without it, projects like fencing would be a whole lot more difficult! That said, the fencing is up. What with bringing Peony home, we now have 3 permanent residents and 4 ‘visitors’ – a total of 7 goats. And if we’re being honest, the pen for Pepper and…