This weekend Leopold has started to try to crow. I say "try" because it is really ridiculous! George will crow and crow and crow, which gets Leopold going...and it sounds like a long croak. It makes me laugh.
We had some sadness this week, as our incubated duck eggs didn't make it. One made it all the way to hatching and then survived three days out of the egg, before passing. Her egg yolk never absorbed all of the way, and she never thrived. We call her a she, because Clara named her Eponine (from Les Miserables). There could be a variety of reasons, but I think the main culprit is that I didn't get the humidity just right.
Our next ducklings are due to hatch in August, praying for better results.
Our garden has blessed us with GREAT results. I've made 3 jars of salsa, 3 jars of tomato sauce, 9 jars of blackberry jelly, 6 jars of blackberry syrup, about a half dozen green peppers, a jar of pickles, and about 2 dozen ears of corn! I'm chopping down the corn stalks and going to try for more green beans-the only veggie that didn't thrive. I think I will still have time to get a batch in before winter, but we shall see.
Our chickens continue to grow and fill out, and we are awaiting our first egg.
Until next time...
Monday, July 15, 2013
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Duckling Emergency
I know this blog is about chicken raising, but thought I'd share our ducking story, since they are very similar.
We started with two eggs. The "due date" came and went, and one of the eggs turned black, and after candeling it, we knew the chick had died.
The other egg reached 2 days past the due date, when the chick starting pipping the shell. After several hours of no progress, I made a slight hole so the chick could breathe.
Well after along time, the duckling emerged, but with the yolk sack protruding out...so ER situation.
I've been keeping the sac moist, and I've put antibiotic on it, hoping to keep infection away.
Giving the chick very little hope of making it, he/she is surprising me. The yolk seems to be absorbing, although there is still a large bulge. The duckling is starting to stand today, drink some sugar water, and POOPED! So, I'm upping it's chances a bit.
We are still touch and go at this point, but have high hopes of a full recovery!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZRTAzCPSzs&feature=youtu.be
My garden is producing MUCH veggies!
So far I've canned 9 jars of seedless blackberry jam, 6 jars of seedless syrup, 1 jar of pickles, and 8 jars of green pepper jelly. I'm starting on the tomato products, making sauce, salsa, BBQ, etc.
The chickens are all doing well. Gimpy (our little crippled chick) is holding her own. She and George are best mates, and hang out together. Neither is quite as fast as the other chickens, and neither likes to roost very high.
The chickens are all starting to size each other up now, going chest to chest and make a pecking order. It is really comical to watch...like "wanna-be" gangsters acting all tough.
Leopold is really starting to get some color in his feathers.
Until next time...
We started with two eggs. The "due date" came and went, and one of the eggs turned black, and after candeling it, we knew the chick had died.
The other egg reached 2 days past the due date, when the chick starting pipping the shell. After several hours of no progress, I made a slight hole so the chick could breathe.
Well after along time, the duckling emerged, but with the yolk sack protruding out...so ER situation.
I've been keeping the sac moist, and I've put antibiotic on it, hoping to keep infection away.
Giving the chick very little hope of making it, he/she is surprising me. The yolk seems to be absorbing, although there is still a large bulge. The duckling is starting to stand today, drink some sugar water, and POOPED! So, I'm upping it's chances a bit.
We are still touch and go at this point, but have high hopes of a full recovery!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZRTAzCPSzs&feature=youtu.be
My garden is producing MUCH veggies!
So far I've canned 9 jars of seedless blackberry jam, 6 jars of seedless syrup, 1 jar of pickles, and 8 jars of green pepper jelly. I'm starting on the tomato products, making sauce, salsa, BBQ, etc.
The chickens are all doing well. Gimpy (our little crippled chick) is holding her own. She and George are best mates, and hang out together. Neither is quite as fast as the other chickens, and neither likes to roost very high.
The chickens are all starting to size each other up now, going chest to chest and make a pecking order. It is really comical to watch...like "wanna-be" gangsters acting all tough.
Leopold is really starting to get some color in his feathers.
Until next time...
Monday, July 1, 2013
Waiting...
I've been pretty quiet on here, because not much is happening...but growing.
The girls, and Leopold, have all of their adult features, and they are now "just" getting bigger.
People keep asking about those eggs. Not yet, but soon. Right now they are just getting bigger.
We have incubated two of our duck eggs, and they will be hatching this week! It's been so cool watching them grow and move around inside their shells (through candling). A month of waiting is about to pay off!
Our garden is growing too! I've already harvested some green peppers, tomatoes, pickles, squash, peas, and strawberries. MANY more tomatoes, corn, green beans, black berries, and cucumbers are still growing, but SOON!
I am planning on making my own tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, and berry jams. We have purchased 1/4 of a cow (which is in our freezer), and have half a pig coming soon...then we should not have to visit a grocery store for quite a while!
I made my very first batch of goat cheese last month! I bought the milk at a local grocery, and then proceeded to make the cheese. It was a HUGE success. We used it, mostly, to top off steaks/chops/burgers to add a touch of Heaven to the meat!
I think I'll do it again very soon!
Check back often! I'll update when the blackberries are ready for picking!
The girls, and Leopold, have all of their adult features, and they are now "just" getting bigger.
People keep asking about those eggs. Not yet, but soon. Right now they are just getting bigger.
We have incubated two of our duck eggs, and they will be hatching this week! It's been so cool watching them grow and move around inside their shells (through candling). A month of waiting is about to pay off!
Our garden is growing too! I've already harvested some green peppers, tomatoes, pickles, squash, peas, and strawberries. MANY more tomatoes, corn, green beans, black berries, and cucumbers are still growing, but SOON!
I am planning on making my own tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, and berry jams. We have purchased 1/4 of a cow (which is in our freezer), and have half a pig coming soon...then we should not have to visit a grocery store for quite a while!
I made my very first batch of goat cheese last month! I bought the milk at a local grocery, and then proceeded to make the cheese. It was a HUGE success. We used it, mostly, to top off steaks/chops/burgers to add a touch of Heaven to the meat!
I think I'll do it again very soon!
Check back often! I'll update when the blackberries are ready for picking!
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