I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!!!

[nachoqtpie]

Hey guys!!! I know... it's been forever since I've been here! Does anybody even remember me??



Quite a few things have changed since the last time I was on here!!

Zoey started laying eggs.... I'm still not sure if the other duck I got with her is a duck or a drake. Quacks like a duck, doesn't have a curl (yet) but also doesn't lay eggs!! I think I missed a spot with Zoeys bumblefoot tho, because I was checking her over last night and there was a spot on her foot. She doesn't act like it bothers her tho. Zoey laid quite a few eggs in a spot that I couldn't reach them. I gave 6 of them to a friend to hatch, ALL were fertile, but an accident happened, the bator got bumped and only 1 survived. Her name is Lucky and she hatched yesterday! Since she would be completely alone, another friend from my local barnyard group offered her week old Muscovy as a companion! From the looks of it, she will be blue! (I've only ever seen pictures tho... I pick them both up on Sunday)

Here is the picture I got of the Scovy duckling:

I was told the mom was black and the dad is lavender or chocolate.

Anyways!! The super hot heat on the coast did my garden in for the most part... the other part was that by the time it was light enough outside to GO outside it was either pouring down rain, too hot to go out, or you would get carried away by giant mosquitos!! Needless to say the garden kinda got overgrown a bit. We did get some things tho. I'm really hoping that it's not too late to start planting some things for fall here. (Onions, garlic, lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots... hopefully!!)

All the chickens are outside!! They've been out there for a while now. Robbie, the Buckeye rooster, is just starting to crow in the mornings. Still no eggs from the chickens, but, I'm hoping that we do get some soon!! I let them out in the evenings to free range in the back yard. They all seem to really enjoy that!

Hoe the heck is everybody?!?!

 

[catjac1975]

Adorable.

 

[lesa]

Glad to see you back! We remember you! That duck is absolutely adorable... can't wait for my "someday" farm, so I can have a few. Have you tried baking with the eggs? I understand they are very rich, and make a wonderful addition to baking? Sorry your summer garden was so disappointing. The weather really didn't cooperate this year. Get planting that fall garden- hopefully mother nature is in a better mood. Keep us posted on the ducklings... can't wait to see pics of them together! Welcome back!

 

[nachoqtpie]

I LOVE baking with the eggs!! Every weekend I make a big batch of pancakes with them, and up until recently, I used goats milk as well. Since we don't have a goat, I have to get it from others. Buying goats milk for human consumption is illegal in NC, so I have to buy it "for my puppies" *wink wink nudge nudge*

I didn't really have any issues with the chickens and ducks getting along... altho, one of my ducks will waddle after the chickens if they get too close while free ranging.. it's quite comical!!

I've been working on getting all the weeds and such out of my beds. I have a TON of radishes coming up!! I tried to use them to keep away the bean leaf beetles... and apparently it worked, but the beans I planted them with never really came up, so I don't know if I'll be repeating that! LOL I also have cucumbers coming up! I asked them if they knew it was a little late in the season to be sprouting, but my husband told me that cucumbers were cool weather crops?! That really confused me! One of the tomato plants is still trying to grow back... I might just bring it inside this winter and see what it does.

 

[lesa]

Hey, with the crazy weather we have been having- you may have a garden right through "winter". At this point, nothing would surprise me! How funny that you had success with the radish. I planted eggplant to catch the flea beetles. Wouldn't you know that they grew great- and I have had to figure out what to do with them. Mother nature has an interesting sense of humor!

 

[897tgigvib]

Sure am glad you are back. That little duck is cute.

We have a good number of Moorehen wild ducks at the lake this year. Even though some folks call them mud brown, up closer they are very pretty ducks. Their shades of brown feathers create a kind of tabby look, a rich chocolaty brown, and they have a white part on the top of their bill. I think their eyes are also deep brown. I always rapidly correct anyone who calls them mudhens.

:rainbow-sun

 

[journey11]

Awww...ducklings are so cute!

I think you should still have time to put your cold weather veggies in. I planted mine in mid/late August and with your temp difference I'd think you still have time. Garlic definitely...we can plant it here Oct/Nov.

Do they not allow people to buy goat's milk at all (pasteurized) or just the raw version? We have a grade A goat milk dairy here in our county that sells cheeses, milk, and ice cream at the farmer's market.

Glad you are back!

 

[nachoqtpie]

I love me some ducks!! Those moorhens are really beautiful with their dark plumage splash of white!! Heck... they even have a baseball team named after them!! (Toledo Mudhens... LOL)

I'm going to try and get the last of everything in this weekend. Since my days are spent babysitting a 6 month old these days, I don't have as much time to get out there and plant as I did this summer when it was roasting hot! LOL

I'm not sure about the pasteurized goats milk, I just know that it's illegal to sell raw. I can get goat cheese at the farmers market, but when I asked them about milk they told me that it was illegal to sell it. So I just put an add on craigslist saying I wanted it for my puppies...