Un Possumed

Sadly after a very intense 48 hours of temperatures adjustments, tube feedings and no sleep the possum joeys I rescued from their road kill mother all died one by one. I got lots of advice and read a ton about their care. But in the end they died quietly in a safe warm home. It was frustrating for both of us but we also learned a lot. Very different critical care from newborn felines and lagomorphs. Out here in the Ozarks life is hard for all living critters. But there are many with the experience to help that are also willing to share. Possum are very good tick eaters. They also eat animal waste and are great clean up crew. Worth saving instead of shooting or running over. They are a very good thing to have around the farm- except in the hen house. Thankfully we have lots of things to eat in our woods before they get to the hen house. The good news a very large possum was under my UTV the other night. Safe from my dogs and pretending to be dead. They are cool like that.

Oh the possumbilities!

This morning I headed out early to get farm feed for the poultry before the storms come again. I saw in the dirt road a dead possum had been hit. As I drove around the dead possum I had a feeling to go back. So I back up and parked and went to at least move the body off the road way. What I thought was possum guts were actually joeys still alive all over mom and the dirt road. I went back to my truck and got a box, towels and put my flashers on. 

Mom was cold, stiff and dead but the joeys were making noise and moving about. I put some in my carry all as another driver stopped to lend a hand. I put my hand inside the dead possum pouch and found several more joeys. I got about ten live ones and three dead ones. I put the living ones in the box along with a towel and hand warmers. I moved the dead ones off  to the side of the road and talked to the other driver. But I knew what needed to be done. I took them to a person who knows more about how to care for these things.

After a chat, I had a list of items I needed to get for feeding/caring for them. I am already set up for emergency newborn kitten care. It will be a challenge as some were hurt in the accident. But I will help where I can. The nice thing is they will be returned to the wild when they are old enough.

Duck Training

You can train your ducks and your turkey to go into the coop. It takes a week for turkey and three days for a duck. Here are my turkey keeping me company. Each night for three nights I scare or pick up the young ducks and put them on the ramp and push them into the lit coop by nightfall.. I make noise to scare them out of the pond and march them to the coop anytime of the year winter or summer until they get it. Three days and they got it. Coop good, dark outside bad. It helps to have a second person to corral the young ones.

Ducks are very smart and they like comfort. If you have a clean coop floor with lots of ventilation, room to spread out and safety, your ducks will learn the coop is where to go at night. I have a light on a timer just for their safe home feeling. I put shaving on the coop floor. Soiled shavings are turned into compost and tree mulch. Clean coop bedding also means no foot issues.

This is our ramp on the left and dog door. The hens are on the sliding door because that is how they roll. The human door is on the right. Ducks learn how to walk the ramp and exit the coop. An iced ramp is their only issue in winter.

 Ducks get along with chickens but they do not roost. The sit on the coop floor and nest together. So having a clean coop means clean ducks and clean eggs. Ducks lay on the floor or in low nest boxes. Some of my ducks fly up into the hen boxes to lay.

Raising baby ducklings is easier than other poultry. We raise ducklings indoors so they like us know our voice. And this also means lots more house cleaning with ducklings.

Once a day tub time so I can clean their brooder box.

Ducks get along with other ducks. They are having a duck-scusion. Chickens don't. Female ducks will foster and teach teen ducklings- chickens don't.

Any age ducks are cool with other ducks. Not so with chickens. Ducks are laid back and relaxed foragers on our farm. They are easy to train and long lived productive poultry. Ducks are also great at keeping ponds clear of weeds. No chemicals needed, ducks do all the hard work. And our fish population is great. Duck poop in the pond feeds the fish. 

Organizing Chaos and Rain

Along with sewing, restoration, leather work, farming and chores I am organizing my studio, slowly. I have so many materials I use in restoration I needed to get things to hold it all. Mobile things with lots of drawers. Sewing needles, feet, leather tools, punches, embroidery discs, antique sewing items, lace, threads and so much more. My drawers are mobile so I can move them to get foster kittens, toys and things rearranged for farm emergencies in the walk out basement, aka- my studio. Since we no longer ride our equines, I got all the tack out of my office. Tons of room now filled with mobile work stations.

It has been very rainy in the Ozarks this summer.

So that is why we now have mostly ducks. Ducks love the rain and bugs.I have culled most of my chickens. But my hens still found the time to hatch out 14 baby chicks! Ugh! I just sold one hen and 13 chicks last week. I sold off 2 roosters to the auction house as well. This leaves my old roo and his son along with a half blind game hen and about 6 old hens and 14 baby chicks. Nature finds a way to fill a vacuum. But my ducks are hardier and long lived. They lay most of the year and are very winder hardy. They never stop feeding and foraging. Their eggs are larger and better than chickens. It's easier to raise the baby ducklings. The downside for us - they are not broody. My flock will not set on a nest. I set the eggs under a hen to hatch and I raise the ducklings indoors, then foster duck them.

Our pond is full!

Culinary herbs within reach from the kitchen. Love summer and herbs.

Orphan Filly

Last week a filly was born and 4 days later her mother died. The owner let a full sized horse stallion run with a pony and the large foals birth killed the pony mare a few days later. The owner did not know about it for two days as he has health issues. So calls were made and my friend, a seasoned horse woman, took on the challenge. She has the experience, time and stalls for this tiny filly.

Calf manna powder in warm water 1 cup every 2 hours for the first week day and night. The filly was very skinny but clean and moving around well. This is a mini horse sized halter, the smallest we had. It on for the photos only. The halter stays off when the filly is not with us.

First day on the farm.

Showing me how to feed the filly without a bottle.

Still looking for its mama.

Second week learning manners. Second week feedings are cup and a half of manna every 2.5 hours.

And licking fingers for more milk. Very soft coat and feisty disposition. We will not name it as it does not belong to us. The goal is to get baby to weaning age and back to the owner.