Ducks 4 in '24

[ducks4you]

I am reposting an email from Joy of Illinois Farm, for your pleasure.
March 31, 2024
A big white ewe delivered healthy triplets, two large and one tiny one, maybe 2 pounds. They all nursed the first milk, colostrum, but on the second day the tiny ewe lamb looked bad, just lying in a corner of the pen. She was not able to compete with her big siblings and without intervention would quickly starve to death.
Every spring we have a laundry basket or two in the kitchen with newspaper in the bottom, a heating pad or microwaveable beanbag, old towels, and a weak lamb or kid. 2024 was no exception...
I got the powdered lamb formula out of the freezer, brought the lamb in from the barn, warmed her up, and warmed up a bottle with 1/2 cup of formula. A lamb or kid can't begin to digest unless its body temperature is at normal (102F). She was still too weak to suck; death was near.
Decision time--should I keep trying with the bottle, or try to tube feed her? Tube feeding can have near-miraculous results if the tube empties correctly into the stomach, or it can be instant death if the tube mistakenly goes in the lungs. Well, what did I have to lose?? Since she kept breathing, the formula went the right way. By this time it was late at night after a v-e-r-y long day.
The next morning she was still alive! and able to suck on the bottle! That began a regimen of 1/2 cup formula 4X daily, which graduated to 3/4 cup 3X daily. As the formula supply dwindled, I introduced goat milk for part of her ration.

She began to gain weight after about 6 days and now hollers loudly for her bottle when she hears people coming.

She's back out with her mama and siblings and looking great!

Her name is Resurrection Lamb, or Easter for short!
Til next time, Penny

 

[ducks4you]

Went shopping yesterday, primarily bc my Treasurer needed countersignatures for checks, he is in the THICK of tax season, and I didn't need him to drive an hour (total), so I gave myself permission to go to town to spend money.
I bought one more 50 ft soaker hose at Harbor Freight (cheapest on the market at just under $10, less the 15% off coupon,) dropped my FedEx from the Saturday Loan Modification signings, had lunch with DH and Treasurer, picked up my Staples order, bought another pair of readers at Dollar Tree, and bought a 50 lb trace mineral salt block at Rural King, where I used my $5 rewards, so it was less than $4.
I also bought DH a new plastic Adirondack chair. Didn't have blue, so I bought red. He graciously told me that "red" was his favorite color. Holds up to 400 pounds.
When you are tall, and he isn't Close to that weight, you get really tired of hearing 2 things:
1) the sleeves on that shirt fit everybody else
and
2) why did you break my chair?!?!?
He tried it out in the garage and loves it. NOW, he can help me garden by keeping track of Eva.

 

[ducks4you]

A short peas journal
As you know I planted peas outside 3 weeks ago, five 12 ft rows, only 5 peas sprouted. I figured that the 2yo seed was past it, but I thought I would check. I was aMAZED to see that 21/24 seeds were still viable! That's about 80% germination rate. I didn't even take good care of them! I had left them in a reused glass jam jar and sitting on the ledge by the back window, exposed to cold and light for a good 9 months straight.
To test viability I used a grocery store plastic cookie clam shell, moistened 4 strips of paper towels and covered them top and bottom. and I would recommend the clam shell to use to check viability instead of a ziploc bag which will end up in a landfill much quicker. I have two of them now and I will be reusing them for this purpose until they break. The peas were transplanted yesterday into 3 pots, one which is hanging next to a basement window, the only one where I will really need to water. It has a hole at the bottom, but the pot is sitting in the hanging basket inside of a 2 gallon recycled ziploc bag, so no leaking. I figure that the top of the fridge provided lots of warmth for the pea seeds to sprout, along with the gro light, I can give myself a good week or two before I transplant them outside. I have now occupied all 3 of the hanging baskets that I own, the rest are in 2 tree pots, sitting in water in a fish tank on top of a heat mat and under a gro light. I still need to clean up my stuff, but they will probably take place all summer.

 

[ducks4you]

...did it again...good thing I have started planting...

Order summary​

Swiss Chard Bright Lights Seed × 1 RAW / 250 seeds / UNTREATED $1.99​

Pepper Mini Bell Red Organic Seed × 1 RAW / 50 seeds / ORGANIC $1.99​

Marigold Safari Mix Seed × 1 RAW / 50 seeds / UNTREATED $1.99​

Celosia Pampas Plume Mix Organic Seed × 1 RAW / 50 seeds / ORGANIC $1.99​

Carrot Royal Chantenay Seed × 2 FILM COATED / 1/2 oz. / TREATED $3.98​

Beet Touchstone Gold Seed × 1 RAW / 250 seeds / UNTREATED $1.99​

Amaranthus Mira Seed × 1 RAW / 250 seeds / UNTREATED $1.99​

Ornamental Kale Crane Red F1 Seed × 2 RAW / 50 seeds / UNTREATED $3.98​

Amaranthus Coral Fountains Seed × 1 RAW / 50 seeds / UNTREATED $1.99​

Discounts None​ Subtotal $21.89​ Shipping $8.99​ Taxes $1.90​ Total $32.78​

 

[digitS']

The Touchstone Gold beets are interesting. The roots are quite tasty. The thinnings are what I appreciate the most and the red varieties have more flavor. I can imagine myself growing one for thinnings and the other for the roots .

The amaranth ... oh no! You will probably be looking forward to them flowering so much that you won't be inclined to enjoy the small plants cooked with a little smokie or bacon ...

Steve

 

[ducks4you]

Got 5 types of pepper seeds started, red sweet, red marconi, something called, "Sweet Heat", "Fooled You" jalepanoes, and something else...pepper.
I will check on them this weekend. They are in a 72 cell with starter soil, a small dome, sitting in a tray that is 2 inches deep in water, on top of a heat mat and under a pink gro light.

 

[ducks4you]

THIS is what I saw through the glasses. The sun is SO powerful that only the moon or a dense shelf cloud can make it so dark that street lights will come on, still there was Plenty of sunlight.
Couldn't rotate this photo--not mine--but it looked like a black clock where somebody had used a yellow highlighter to go from 12 to 4.
98.4% partial eclipse. SO COOL!! Maybe in 20 years I will go and see the full eclipse!

 

[ducks4you]

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Product image	Description	Quantity	Price
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[ducks4you]

DH picks up my package at the post office. He dryly tells me that it says, "live plants."
I am thinking...Man, What did I order?
SO EXCITING!
I used to have the iris that smells like grapes, but it died out.
Now, I have it again!!!
Caprice Iris

Heirloom Bulb Search

oldhousegardens.com

And, I have Pink Perfection Lillium

Heirloom Bulb Search

oldhousegardens.com

(better description)

https://www.gardenia.net/plant/lilium-pink-perfection-lily

All will be planted this weekend.

 

[flowerbug]

i was so glad when we had some irises that would not cause me to react to their scent. not many flowers are safe for me (but i still love 'em anyways).

the purple ones have always reminded me of those candies we used to get that were little color blobs stuck to paper (they still make them - or at least they were still making them last i looked at the candy store).