Comings
Several weeks ago another Aylesbury duck, Diana, was traded
for some excess Barred Rock roosters.
The Aylesbury trio - Charles, Camilla and now Diana - live with 7 Mallards and 3 Pekins in the duck
run. Unlike the chickens who return to
their roost every night on their own, the Aylesbury ducks have to be wrangled
into their hut at night and they make quite a fuss about it. The Mallards and Pekins will eventually go
into the hut on their own once it is dark.
Charles, Diana and Camilla in the "Royal Spa"
Several litters of baby rabbits have been born over the last
couple of weeks. All of the other kits
were sold during the Easter period. The plan
for the current crop is to place them in a tractor once weaned and periodically
move them around the garden. This will
provide a natural diet and allow them to be raised outside.
Trudy, the American Guinea Hog sow finally farrowed her
piglets. It was an intense experience, to
say the least. Looking very pregnant
with her belly touching the floor she went into labor last Saturday. We discovered the first piglet already
running around in the barn. Trudy was
having a difficult time with the second and after an hour or so we ended up
having to do some impromptu pigwifery.
This second piglet died during the labor. It was much larger than the
first. The third piglet was born fairly
quickly after the second unassisted and was alive. The fourth was a breech and another exceptionally
large piglet. After another difficult
labor requiring assistance, it too was stillborn. We were not sure if there were more piglets but
that was it. The vet’s advice on the
phone was simple – Let nature take its course.
We believe the problems were due to the rich diet and only four piglets
resulting in some really large piglets that got stuck in the birth canal. These were approximately twice the size
expected. The next time the diet of any
of the AGH pregnant sows will be better managed.
The face only a mother could love!
Is all this for me?
Trudy was in labor for approx 6 hours and then went to
sleep. The next morning she trotted out
for food as normal. The two live piglets
are still doing fine. These AGH are
amazingly docile. During the labor the
boar came into the stable and laid down next to us and fell asleep. I would not sit down in the stable with the commercial
feeder pigs. Even though Thing 2 is now
essentially free-ranged since she escapes the paddock everyday whenever she
pleases and then runs up to you when she sees you coming, I still would not
trust this pig. To this pig everything
is food including the cats and the Canada geese.
Thing 2 on the loose.
The chicken population is about as dynamic as the population of a border town
in South Texas. In the minus column, excess
roosters were traded and then the dog attack reported earlier removed a dozen
or so. In the plus column, two “waves” of chicks are
currently running about the place. The
earlier wave was our first hatching and consisted of a number of Buff Orpingtons
and Buff crosses. The Rhode Island Reds
and White Leghorns (I say, I say, boy….) are now out with the mixed flock in
the orchard (behind more of a sturdy fence) and the chicks of the second hatching of Buffs
are now out in the Buff coop. A small corner was fenced off for them during the day but these little shape shifters somehow manage to fit through the fencing and escape out of their corner and out of the run itself.
Doesn't take long for them to find the tomatoes!
Thirty guinea fowl arrived a couple of weeks ago from the hatchery. These are known for their ability to eat ticks and other bugs while leaving your plants alone. With the mild winter the bugs are terrible so a flock guinea fowl makes a lot of sense. At 6:45 AM the post office called the house and insisted I come and pick up a package. When I arrived at the post office it was still early and quiet. I could hear these fowl chirping from outside the building. They were loud. When I knocked on the door the post master asked who I was then opened the door and thrust the box into my hands without checking my ID. She said, They are as happy to see you as we are to get rid of them. They are definitely loud!
Goings
Two of the second hatch of Buff chicks succumbed to what we
believe was a snake while out in the brood coop. One was missing and one was found dead. Similarly, a rat snake got into one of the
rabbit cages and killed one of the kits and ate another. I was startled to say the least when I opened
up the cage tonight and saw a large coiled snake staring back at me. The doe was in the cage and the snake kept
trying to bite her every time she came near it.
Having recovered from the shock I noticed this was a rat snake. Not poisonous but gives a painful bite. These are useful to have around for rodent
control (particularly since the cats appear to be taking the summer off from mousing)
and I have typically left these alone. This
one was actually in the rabbit cage and could not get out due to the bulge of a
recently ingested baby rabbit. I tried
to skewer it with a sharp stick but this only made it mad. I opened the door of the cage and it slid out
towards me only to get hacked to pieces by the trusty tomahawk (Warning: Gruesome pics).
Rat snake in the rabbit cage.
This pic shows the dead baby rabbit along with a partially-digested baby rabbit inside the snake.
Circle of Life
After a short business trip last week I was amazed at how
much the garden had grown and how the animals, particularly the ducklings, had
grown in the few days I was away. While
growth abounds, death is never far away. As
much as we have tried to protect our animals some have died. Some from predation, some from natural
causes, and some intentionally slaughtered.
On the farm, new life and death are a natural part of it all. In many ways our modern life is sanitized
from this natural order yet for every generation of humans with the exception
of the last few in parts of the West, this is normal. This
circle of life made the 238 lbs of pork I brought back from the butchers today
extra special knowing that just a few days ago this was Spot and Hambone.
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