BeccaOH: Update of just STUFF

[Quail_Antwerp]

Aw, Becky, I'm so sorry.

We really enjoyed our visit with you. I'd never seen my baby take to anyone like he did to you! He was thrilled!!

Ernie said to tell you thank you for the books!

 

[BeccaOH]

So this weekend I really FILLED up my incubator.
7 peafowl eggs
10 Buff Orpington
13 BBS Orpington
6 Brabanter
4 BR turkey

One turkey egg shows a crack. What do I do about that? Can I incubate???

I have more Brabanter eggs left to set, but I have an incubator I found cheep in Ebay coming today. I may grab some more eggs to set from a local friend. I want to try some BLRW.

The BYC seller of the Orps sent the eggs with a note to hold at the post office and call me. Well, since it was Saturday morning, I got a call from our regional PO about 45 minutes away. They stopped the box there since it was the weekend and my small local would have been closed. I drove down to get the eggs, even though I didn't want to because I'd already had a long day out driving to meet my guinea buyer and such. The PO workers were very nice, though, and wished me good hatching.

Not sure where I'm going to brood all these and raise them until I can sex them. :/

It is good to have the guineas gone and that space available to my 20 feathered out Buckeyes and Amerucana. Almost seems like I have a bunch of roo Buckeyes and hen Amerucana, but I'm not 100% sure.

My neighbor bought a runner duckling when I got my ducklings about 2 months ago. Her duck is lonely and she wants to buy one of my girls. I have a trio of Welsh Harlequin and 2 Cayuga and 2 Khaki Campbell. I guess I can sell one KC, since that might be the easiest to get more of if I find I really enjoy the ducks.

My ducks are rather wild and don't let me get to close while my neighbor's duck is like a puppy following them all around.

Weeded in the garden last night. It was started to become a jungle. Tonight I need to do some mowing if it doesn't rain as predicted.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

WOW, Becky, I've been a really bad influence on you! TWO incubators now?? *insert evil laugh* Are your sure your name isn't Aly????????

 

[BeccaOH]

I TOTALLY agree! You are a bad influence. Next you'll have me into bantams and hoofed livestock!

I've declared that the dog will get one grace period, but if anymore of my poultry gets wounded or killed by him, then his future is in great question.

Neighbor called to say his dog has mange, probably from the dog down the valley. Now I have to watch my Mickey for it because she comes to play with him quite often.

I let mama hen and her 5 chicks into the yard with the main flock. There were a couple scraps between the mama and other hens, but the rooster broke up the fights. The chicks seem to be doing well. She takes them back to her dog crate to sleep at night. Doesn't appear that she has taken them into the coop yet.

 

[keljonma]

Mange... yuck. We have been fortunate to never have that problem with our dogs.

A good mama hen is a sure treasure! Sounds like you have one. Congratulations!

 

[BeccaOH]

Last night Baby, the youngest KC duck, went to live with Aggie the runner up the road from me. She wouldn't be caught, so I had to net her. But then she was easy to hold.

Weeded some among the okra that isn't enjoying the cool days and nights we are currently having.

Other neighbor also visited. She loves my roo and wishes she could hear him up at her place.

 

[BeccaOH]

Busy weekend, but good times!

So, Baby the KC duck left on Tuesday, and Thursday she was back. I got home and found a duck outside the fence. Thought it was my KC, but soon realized it was Baby. She had a scratch on her nose and her nostrils were clotted up and she had lost a toenail/claw. I called the neighbor and he said the ducks were out and fine around 5:30 am, but when he came home around 5 pm, he found their runner dead. Looked like a coon attack. He was just planning to go searching for Baby when I called. Later his wife called to tell me to keep Baby AND the money she had paid me for her. So my duck is back. She had great homing instincts to make it down an overgrown field about 1/4 of a mile.

The paper delivery man stopped this weekend for eggs and want to be first on my list to buy edible duck eggs when they start laying.

So, Friday was a morning at Aly's working on pens, then some shopping with Aly, then fireworks with more friends. A really fun day hanging out with friends.

Saturday was to town with Aly and E and another couple for the farmers' market. We filled my blazer to the max with goodies and had an enjoyable time. Then I picked some black raspberries with 2 of Aly's kids. (She has great kids, BTW.) Ate a very nice lunch with them, then rushed home to try to get some mowing done. Aly came and we made berries into jam. Mowed until dark.

Saturday was also the day I caved and took one of Aly's puppies home. She is brown and adorable. The name Dolly just seemed to stick for her. I need another watch dog, but she is such a social pup that she has cried most of the last two nights when I've crated her alone in the garage. Outside dog isn't so sure about her yet, cats run from her, and the geese peck at her. She has buddied up with my inside Maltepoo, though.

Sunday was church and lunch at the China Buffet. Came home to needing to mow more and trying to push back a headache. Needed to work on a project for work. Aly and E stopped in, and after they left I had to have a short nap to beat the headache. When I got up around 9 pm, I felt much better and breezed through chores. Worked on computer doing writing project until 11:30.

The incubator is humming along and tonight I can start candling the peafowl eggs.

ETA: Yesterday I gathered 15 eggs. I have 14 hens that have been laying, so now my mama hen must be back to laying and was probably the one that laid her egg out in the run along the fence.

Also realized now that my little buff rooster is a cross breed. His comb is pea, so his mother is my BO crossed with Chantecler. I'm a bit bummed about that for future breeding hopes, but he is a really pretty little boy.

 

[Blackbird]

You've been mighty busy Becca! I hope the puppy fits in well.

I was wondering if you had specific instructions for your black raspberry 7-UP? I rarely drink pop but iI figured it might be worth a try?

 

[BeccaOH]

I was wondering if you had specific instructions for your black raspberry 7-UP? I rarely drink pop but iI figured it might be worth a try?

We made our jam following the Sure-Jel box. It recommended pressing half the berries through a food mill to remove seeds. After doing that, there looked like a lot of pulp still around the seeds, so I boiled about 2 cups of water, added about 1/3 cup sugar, and slowly poured it over the seeds while they were still in the mill. I let it cool a bit then I divided the raspberry juice into three glasses and almost filled the 16 oz glasses up with 7-UP and ice. There was still a hint of citrus, but you could taste the raspberry too. It was pretty good.

 

[lorihadams]

Okay, you have to know what I'm gonna ask for.........pictures! I want to see little Dolly!!!