Orphan No More

Last week a single duckling was hatched. After 2 days the mama did not get off the nest. The duckling was dehydrated and weak. I brought it inside to get better. Meanwhile, 4 other ducklings were killed by a chicken. 

So after waiting  a week another duckling hatched and I heard its cries. The mama duck left the nest and the duckling was cold. After tucking it in my pocket for warmth, he is now a companion to the orphan. Hoping the rest of the clutch will hatch with mama duck. She is a first time mama duck and new to raising her brood.

Melon Twin

This is Melon and his stuffed doppelganger. 

Nothing as soft as a feather duvet and a flannel cover.

Attack Rooster

This is a rooster I was given along with 5 more from a "I do not want roosters hurting my hens" type of farm. I told the giver their roosters would become roasters, they were fine with that. But I kept one of the lot for possible breeding. That was a mistake as I found out this rooster was hand raised and had no fear of people.

After about 3 months this rooster had no covered hens and was attacking us all the time. That is a death sentence on our farm, but our freezer was full. So I took him to auction instead.

I put a sign on his cage that he was mean. He sold for $2 and was for sale again the following month by that same buyer.  I am glad my own roosters fear me. They have a job to be with their hens and watch over them. I have learned that it is best to kill off a mean rooster. You do not want that aggression to be passed into flock. And you do not want the animal to end up potentially harming someone.