TOGETHERNESS

The Mallards are back! 
Each year they return to our pond in mid April and stay for a week. We noticed them yesterday, a male and female, swimming together. The other day a drake sat alone on our bridge. 

We stopped the car and just watched. Their arrival heralds spring and each year we eagerly await their visit. 


 I got out, to get a closer look with my camera, and they swam faster in the opposite direction. . .

not knowing if I was friend or foe. 

He seemed to hurry her along . . . 

                 faster and faster . . . 

until he felt she was safe. 

Can you see her?


You can tell he was comfortable because he started to preen his feathers. . . 

He swam just past her, but every now and then would stop and look around.

He knew she was close by, safe and sound, camouflaged in the cattail reeds

It's the little things in life, and the unending joys of nature, that make our hearts sing and enrich our lives. Being rich has nothing to do with money.

happy day. . . happy spring!

BEAUTY IN THE MAKING

It is often bath time, right below our kitchen window, and it's fun to peek .

Did you know that Ducks don't need to have a pond to swim in? 
  But they must have water to drink, water to preen their feathers, and water deep enough to submerge their whole bill. They need to clear their nostrils which can clog with feathers.


We moved the duck's tub near the garden for the winter months so it can receive the sunshine and be easily filled from the faucet.


They climb in the tub and start by swirling the water with their bill.

and kick with their feet to coat their whole body with water.

They preen their feathers . . .

here and there.

They flap their wings a few times to rinse.

Then they hop out and finish the rest out of the water.

They go over every inch of their body with their bill

They spread their wings . . . 

and preen all their feathers

The duck uses its bill to rub oil all over their feathers, to waterproof themselves. . .

 It comes from a gland in the base of its tail.

It's true *ducks don't get wet*. The water beads up and slides right off them. Perhaps that's why our ducks love being in the rain.


They finish up by scratching and finding any spots they missed

 Then they flap their wings a few times and they are done.

Just beautiful!

Do you know how to tell a boy from a girl? The boy has a soft *quack*, and has a tail feather that curls up at its hind end . Can you see it?

       Our ducks are boys. . . George and Gilligan.        

happy day!  

Linking up to Farm Friday . . . 

and Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop

and Farm Friend Friday

             .

BYE BYE FLIES- BARN HOP #3

Warm weather approaches and with that comes other challenges, mud from the melting of the ground, and flies, who can now exist in the spring temperatures.

The mud is short lived as the ground firms up and dries out, but the flies are here to stay until the first frost, which is the end of October around here.


If you own animals, or have wet areas on your homestead, you will have flies. Even if you don't but a neighbor does, you will, because flies can travel over a fourth of a mile.

We have wet areas and animals, Horses, Rabbits, Chickens ,and Ducks, and have kept the flies under control for the six years using Fly Predators, a natural way of fly control.

Fly Predators are parasitic wasps, a beneficial insect, that eat the larvae of flies, keeping fly reproduction under control. They don't harm people or animals, are minute in size, and  come out at night to do their job. We order our fly predators from here.


They won't kill the adult flies though. We just have to wait out the 30 day life span of the adult fly, and in the meantime, we hang fly sticky tape in the barn and in the chicken coop, replacing them quite often. It works well and they are very inexpensive.


Of course, we also have to do our part by keeping animal habitats clean, by removing manure and any damp shavings or hay to the compost pile.


The fly predators come in a clear sealed bag in larva form. They are not released until some have emerged and are moving around in the bag. Then you simply sprinkle them near animal areas. They can travel about 150 feet.

We put them in our horse manure compost pile. We make a small hole, just a few inches deep and gently cover it up. They will emerge when they are ready and come out at night .


We also have to be careful where we put them and try to hide them because they are delicious treats for birds, hens and ants. We also hang the bag on a nail behind the barn and outside the chicken coop and they can fly out when they are ready.


It's an easy and natural way to keep the fly population under control.


Check out the others at the Barn Hop #3 .

happy day!

FARM FRIDAY

Peek a boo!  

Gilligan and George, our male Pekin ducks, have taken to exploring the yard these days. With most of the area buried under two feet of snow, they make their way down the different paths. 

It's fun to watch them waddle their way down to see the horses or go to the snow piles to see the children playing, or to join the hens who are just chilling out.

And if there is any water or mud, those areas that have been warmed by the sun, they will be sure to find them.

Of course, they are always looking for treats of romaine lettuce, peas or corn. But luckily they are being very polite these days. . .  mating season hasn't begun quite yet  :)

    I'm taking part in Farm Friday hosted by Wabi-Sabi Wanderings.

                 happy day!

FARM FRIDAY

 

We have visitors who arrive at our various doors throughout the day, especially in winter when the ground is frozen and heavily laden with snow making it impossible to scratch the earth to find added foodstuff.


 Notice how they are grouped together on the path from the back door? We, as people, tend to do the same. We stay with those we are most comfortable with, those most like us.


A few times a day you will see them arriving at the front door, the back door and the kitchen sliders. They know they can rely on the extra treats we toss to them; organic peas, corn, cut grapes, and sunflower seeds.

They make their way through the snow and up the deck steps for the tasty morsels they know they will receive. And who can resist them? . The children love them and so do the kittens!

And I feel blessed from the gifts they give to us, to know we are eating wholesome, nutritious eggs from chickens who are allowed to roam and forage freely throughout our twelve acres and who are fed organic ingredients.


I never considered myself a bird person until we got chickens and now I couldn't live without them !


I've decided to post weekly about our farm life, and join Farm Friday hosted by Wabi-Sabi Wanderings.


happy day!

DO YOU FEED THE DUCKS?

The boys are behaving themselves these days. . . 

which means they are not biting us. 

Mating season has ended until March, and sad to say, our female passed away a month ago. Therefore, the boys are less *rambunctious* these days.


We let them free range when we are outside and they follow us. It's quite a sight to see them waddle side by side down the narrow path to the horse barn. The horses come to the fence and two horses and two ducks stare at each other for quite some time and none of them utter a sound.


The ducks like eating snow, but especially love the thawed organic frozen corn and peas I toss to them .

You do know ducks should NOT be fed bread, right?  Unfortunately, we see people do it all the time at ponds and parks.

Bread is not good for their digestive system and it is not nutritious enough. It's basically JUNK FOOD for a duck.


You shouldn't feed ducks in the wild at all, but if you must, choose healthy alternatives such as cut up grapes, oats, birdseed, frozen peas and corn (thawed ) or waterfowl pellets. 
Read more HERE  
                                              
  and Please pass the word

happy day!