Friday 17 August 2012

Intrepid Duckherd

Well well well. IT’S FRIDAY!!! It has been a huge week for me, both physically and mentally, and I am so glad to be sitting on the couch knowing that tomorrow is Saturday.

We shall start with the exciting news. Remember a while back I said that the Indian Runner Ducks wandered off…well a month and a half later we found them.

The landowners behind us, who own a few hundred acres, had men out checking fences before the cows come back on the land in a few weeks. (Here in Tassie they rest the cows for a time and don’t milk them year-round). This man, Roger, had been told about the missing ducks when they first went missing and had just seen them on a pond about 150m away. A pond that Aj had looked at when they first went missing.

Aj was the one to go down the lane and bring them home. I spied on him with binoculars. I asked him to describe his adventure in one sentence. ‘Prodigal poultry returned after 40 days in the wilderness thanks to intrepid duckherd willing to endure electric fences, vast ditches and rogue blackberry bushes.’



It was so good to have them back. They were SO hungry for grain. And were quieter than they were a month and a half ago. Paul took them home today. I was concerned that if I let them out of the house they’d go wandering again.

Another matter. I have been wondering why we haven’t been getting many eggs…One word…ESSIE! Essie has been egg-stealing. There have been a few days where we have only got one or no eggs. I wondered if it was her so baited her with an egg and she took it. I was able to follow and get it back before she broke it. Monkey of a dog. She takes and eats the whole thing.

All of the fake eggs I put into the nesting boxes have teeth marks in them and her farts have been SHOCKING!!! And then today I found a poo…with eggshell right thru it. I have a pic but didn’t think you’d all want to see it :)

I collected 7 eggs today, as Essie was on close watch and I was guiding my girls.

We’re off to help feed some calves in the morning so I’m off to bed.
What are you all up to?
Have a great weekend.

xox

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