The first batch of chicks we hatched in January are now fully feathered and ready to join their parents as part of the main flock. Adding juvenile chickens to an established group of adults is an unpredictable event: the adults and teens may fight as the new pecking order is established, and there are about 11 young roosters joining the adult flock, where LaRue currently reigns supreme.
To try to minimize conflict, the youngsters have been in the outdoor tractor during the day where the adults could see and visit them. The adults really only showed mild curiosity – the teens seemed more intrigued by the bigger chickens. The ducks actually seemed more excited that there were new neighbors, and tried to “talk” to the teens. Continue reading “The Teens Join The Flock”
Living in the “country” as we do, we look forward to seeing wild visitors. We see deer frequently and are amazed at how well-camouflaged they are: they typically appear at the back of our field at dusk, and in the low light, they blend right into the dry grass. In fact, it’s usually the movement of the white tail that draws the eye, at which time you realize there are three or four of them, a couple bedded down, watching us perform the evening chores. They’re not really afraid, even as our activities create noise and we chat. They live here, too. 
The kits are a month old today. All 20 (!) survived, even though it was touch and go early on with the little white one we call “Waldo” (for his penchant for hiding among his dark-colored cousins). Loretta did a great job fostering Waldo, and now he’s nearly the same size as the others, though he does seem to have a problem with getting poop stuck in his fur…just guessing that’s what happens when you’re frequently at the bottom of a pile of kits. We’re not sure what Waldo’s gender is at this point, so he’s a “he” by default for now 
The Pacific Northwest is slug central. Ever seen a banana slug? They must be seen to be believed. We’ve spotted tiny slugs (baby slugs?) on the farm, but no monsters…which is a shame because ducks will eat slugs like they’re going out of style. Yeah – something actually does like to eat slugs!
The grass has really greened up, and it seems only right to take advantage of it as forage. We haven’t built the rabbit tractors for the kits, who are nearly a month old now, but we repurposed a couple of large dog crates as temporary outdoor enclosures for the does.