farmyard animals & wildlife

we removed all of the tomato plants this week, and the chooks and guineas were happy to help clean up the soil

our four Pekin ducks have a new permanent home beside the pond. Corrugated iron clad sides, a big mesh door opening onto the pond, and a fence to stop the chickens getting in their to steal their food (so the entrance is from the water only). We will lock them in there at night, and the (hay covered) mesh floor will help protect them from burrowing foxes. There is also a smaller side access door so we can give them food and water.

our four Pekin ducks have a new permanent home beside the pond. Corrugated iron clad sides, a big mesh door opening onto the pond, and a fence to stop the chickens getting in their to steal their food (so the entrance is from the water only). We will lock them in there at night, and the (hay covered) mesh floor will help protect them from burrowing foxes. There is also a smaller side access door so we can give them food and water.

all perched on top of the old pergola... except for the fourth guinea, the little lavender runt, who is always nearby but even more confused than the average guinea

the water has risen quite a bit since we built the duckhouse a week ago, but the ducks are still under house arrest until the weekend.

We release the ducks from Villa Canard for the first time, just before sunset. Our tactics seem to have worked: they are delighted to be free, and splash about and flap their wings, wash their hair and drink and snack. As it darkens we shoo them back toward Villa Canard and they go back in, with a minimum of fuss. Hoorah!

we had just spread rice hulls in the stall, and the particles in the air resulted in this photo

Porterhouse and Mr T, the Friesian-Montpellier cross bull calves

our ducks enjoy their first full day on the pond

our ducks enjoy their first full day on the pond

Porterhouse and Mr T, the Friesian-Montpellier cross bull calves

Mr T, our Friesian-Montpellier cross bull calf

The four guineas - together with their foster mother, Mama Giulia and their new foster dad, Highlander - shelter from the rain in the garage

A raised holder for the pellets, a hay basket, and a holder for their milk feeder. Floor bedding is rice hulls.

their happy place: in the sun, lots of grass, close to the stall. That's the duck-devastated outdoor chook run beside them. It's currently out of bounds to the chooks, while it recovers. We've planted lots of good-for-chooks plants and seeds, so that by the time spring has sprung, and when fox-danger is at its worst, there will be lots of chook goodies to compensate for being locked up in here.

working hard eating grass

... has bells on now