Below is my latest article in the local paper, The Chautauqua
Today's
the first day of spring and there is definitely a touch of the fever
around here.
As
we move back into farming - we are trying to learn the skills related
to each enterprise that would allow us to be able to be
self-sustaining, if we need to be. This means learning how to start
seeds and how to save them so that we are not dependent on other
growers. It doesn't mean that we won't buy seeds or plants from
others, but at least we know how to do these things if we want or
need to. This is a principle we are also applying to our animal
enterprises.
Last
year we had very little involvement in the hatching of our ducklings.
We had two females and when we were offered a drake - we added him
to the clutch. A few weeks later the two girls were gone. As we had
recently witnessed one of them learning to fly, we thought they must
have taken a trip. After they had been gone for over a month - we
began to think that we would not see them again. However a few weeks
later they returned with 9 ducklings and took up home in our coop.
Natural birthing indeed!
Of
those nine - 5 were male, so late October saw us learning to butcher
and we've enjoyed a dinner of roast duck a few times this winter.
The 4 females joined Naomi and Wynonna (our two original ducks,
mother and daughter) in the coop all winter.
This
past weekend we brought home a new drake. He's come from a home that
included lots of males competing for female attention so we figure
that the 6:1 female to male ratio is in his favour and we're hoping
nature will work in our favour again.
A
few weeks ago we also introduced a rooster into our henhouse, hoping
to get some fertile eggs to incubate in the upcoming weeks. We are
not counting on our whole flock to come from eggs we are incubating
ourselves. This year is about learning and experimenting with the
new-to-us incubator we just bought.
What
all this means is that I now feel a bit like a madam running a
brothel. Two of our windows look directly across the yard to the
coop so I can watch the goings ons during the day. I find myself
observing the actions of our ducks and, as it seems they are getting
along well, trying to rig up nest boxes that our ducks will like as
it is still too cold for them to be taking off into the woods to
nest.
I
am also wondering what to do about the fact that our rooster is
hanging out with the 'wrong' chickens: we would prefer he mated with
our 4 heritage hens and not our Isa Browns. I am pondering locking
him and his four girlfriends in a separate pen to ensure he pays
proper attention to them but I don't know what may be going on inside
the coop and perhaps this is unnecessary.
I
know I shouldn't count my chickens before they hatch but I feel like
I should do what I can to ensure the eggs are fertilised. So in the
spirit of the spring equinox, this weekend I may just crank up the
stereo, put on Louis Prima's “Just a Gigolo” and get to work on
those nesting boxes.
 |
| The gent arrives |
 |
| Our gals seem to be welcoming him |
 |
| The first family photo |
