We’ve been trying to figure out which of the Muscovy ducks is laying, and we know Coraline is for certain. The other morning, we found 3 eggs in the duck coop. Based on history, we concluded that one was laid by Coraline, but who laid the other two was a mystery.
Without seeing who’d laid the eggs, we speculated that Phoebe (Ty’s girl) would likely be one of the layers, as would Pru. Piper is the fourth duck, and she has the brown head with little caruncling. She just seems a bit less mature than her sisters.
The “waterbugs” are a week old today. They’re starting to get some real feathers on their wings and tiny tailfeathers. They do lots of scratching in their brooder, which has a layer of large pine shavings on the floor (large shavings are used to minimize the risk of chicks ingesting it). The scratching means that their waterer, which sat on the floor, was continuously filling up with shavings. It was time for them to graduate to the nipple waterer.
It snowed today. Everything is wearing a soft, lovely white coat. All the hard edges of the landscape have been softened. The snow muffles most noises, and few cars have been on the road. It’s a good day to watch the snow fall, and the birds mill around the feeders. The cardinals are bright splashes of crimson on the white background. A Northern Flicker, with its signature reddish-orange head, is busily working at the feeder. 
Our Muscovy drake, Tiberius, is a handsome fellow. He has a crest on his head that he raises, and it looks like a pompadour (we joke that we should have called him “Elvis”). His caruncles are vibrant. He’s roughly twice the size of the ducks, and while he looks slow, he can really move when he’s motivated. His hissing and head-bobbing are charming. 
It’s frigid here today. With wind chill, it’s in the single digits. The ground is rock hard, water frozen solid. Appropriate shelter for outdoor animals is a must on these winter days, and warm food and water help add some comfort. We pull on our balaclavas, like ninjas, and do the farm chores.