Author: Carrie

Brr…Still Cold Out There

~ Carrie

Everyone_Barn_WinterIt’s snowing – lightly now, but it’s supposed to pick up this evening. There’s a very chilly breeze, which is the really unpleasant part; spend any time out there without a balaclava, and you’ll be sorry.

We had noticed that the duck coop was looking poopy, so we took advantage of the weather to clean out old straw bedding and replace it. Helpfully, the wet duck poop had frozen into solid chunks that were easy to identify and pull out. While raking around in the bedding, we found a frozen duck egg that had been buried. Bummer. We left a nice, thick, dry layer of bedding so the ducks would be comfortable tonight, even if the temperatures dip. Continue reading “Brr…Still Cold Out There” →

Sunny And Cold – Better Than Cloudy And Cold

~ Carrie

Ducks_on_Log_PileIt’s in the teens here today, with a chilly wind – it feels about 10 degrees out there. It is winter, so this isn’t unexpected. What’s different about today is the sunshine…it’s bright, almost glaringly so, outside. What a nice break from the cloud cover and light snow of recent past.

On days like this, we gravitate to the sunlight. You want to stretch your face up to it and let your chloroplasts begin photosynthesis – no, wait, that’s plants. Ok, maybe we produce some vitamin D, instead. The dogs and cats will find a sunny spot inside and bask in it. The rabbits’ tractors are warmed by the sun and they soak it up. The ducks, despite the cold breeze, sat in the sun, too, on the woodpile near the barn. They took a break from their foraging to gather there (just Piper, Pru, and Phoebe – Ty and Coraline were napping in the barn).

Continue reading “Sunny And Cold – Better Than Cloudy And Cold” →

Duck Egg Incubation Update

~ Carrie

It’s day 14 for the Muscovy eggs, so we candled them this morning to check development. Of the remaining 6, one was clear (the one repaired with nail polish), but the remaining 5 had wiggly duck embryos in them. They have about 3 more weeks to go, but we’re optimistic about a good hatch, despite the odds.

Ducklings are arguably some of the cutest baby animals…they’re soft and fluffy, and just generally adorable. They are very messy, though (and are prodigious poopers), and pretty much everything they come into contact with will get wet because they love water. Muscovies, unlike Mallard-derived breeds, supposedly don’t need a pond, but the sheer delight our ducks display when splashing around in their wading pool (or even the rubber tub) suggests they’re happiest when they can swim and splash.

Death Is A Part Of Life

~ Carrie

Warning: this post is depressing. Don’t read if you’re already feeling blue because it definitely won’t make you feel better.

We’re sad to report that the black chick we assisted out of its shell yesterday had to be euthanized. Its legs didn’t work properly and it couldn’t stand or walk normally. We tried putting a “boot” fashioned from a plastic bandage on one foot that was twisted to the side to try to straighten the curled toes, but the chick’s joint in that leg was seemed to be frozen (unable to extend), so the problem could not be corrected. Maybe this is at least partly why the chick couldn’t get out of its shell. The frustrating part is that the chick was active and clearly had a strong will to live, but this type of problem would likely only become worse with age – as the chick grew and gained weight, the strain on the weak legs would have become even greater, so we would have been delaying the inevitable. Knowing this, however, doesn’t relieve you of the weight of having to end its life. Continue reading “Death Is A Part Of Life” →