Friday, April 6, 2012

Monty


Yesterday was day 32 for our duck eggs. Normally they hatch in 28-30 days. So pulled them out of the incubator and set aside in a bowl. A friend had 3 dozen eggs she wanted hatched this month so I had to ready the incubator. Sometime around 3pm I heard peeping coming from the kitchen. I looked in the bowl and sure enough an egg was trying to open. I assisted the duckling only to get air. The membrane was drying out and the duckling was a fighter. By late last night the duckling emerged from the shell chirping loudly. I put the rest of the eggs back in the incubator. Today a second one is hatching. I am learning how to candle eggs and be more patient waiting. Sometimes it takes longer than we can predict on the calendar. I was thinking about naming this duckling Monty from the Monty Python, The Holy Grail. There is a scene where the towns people are collecting the dead from a plague and one character is not dead. He yells out,"I'm still here, I'm happy, I'm not dead yet". I figure that is what this duckling has gone through as well.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Monday, April 2, 2012

Redbud

Spring is here and it is in the 80's here in the Ozarks. The trees and flowers are blooming like mad. The Missouri Redbuds are in full swing and the bees are happy.

Donkey Feet

Opal, the donkey,was at our farm for a while until her owner could keep her with his goats. While here Opal got a farrier visit. Our farrier trimmed her feet and checked the angle of her hooves. Making sure they we not too steep. Donkey hooves are very tough but they still grow and need trimming. Opal was bought at auction and was said to be pregnant. However, after a vet check, she was not pregnant. Still, Opal is a sweety and is great with the goats. One day her owner may decide to breed her. But for now she is happy being an aunt to the goats.

The Three Farm Stooges


My neighbor now owns 3 Boer goat does. They are fast, friendly and fun to have around the farm. They keep his pasture trimmed and keep watch. These goats have very soft and plush coat. This is the first time I have been around goats and they are neat. The only down side is all the electric fencing required to keep them safe. Goats are escape artist and require a lot of fencing.