Friday, October 27, 2017
Monday, October 23, 2017
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Chicks and Ducklings
The chicken chicks are doing great. They are growing quickly and are very active and healthy. However, I have a bit of an unforeseen problem. The black chick, Jinxie, is 4-5 days older and due to her breeds, she is much bigger and more athletic than her two Silkie sisters are. Mama chicken likes to perch up on a big stick with the turkeys at night. Her black chick has no problem flying up beside her, but the two Silkies cannot fly and are left cold on the floor by themselves.
Mama chicken wants to start going outside and Jinxie, her baby is definitely ready to go out with her, but the two Silkies really are not :( They are simply too small and not tough enough yet.
So, what do I do?
Time for tough decisions.
I hopefully have a male Turkey coming on Saturday, so would love to get mama chicken out of the turkey room. So, I'm thinking of letting mama chicken and her black chick out today so they can start becoming part of the flock. A couple of days they should be able to move into the chicken coop. I'm hoping Jinxie, the black chick will join Fonzi's flock (he's the Frizzle I got earlier in the summer. He only has two girls so could use another). The two Silkie chicks I'm going to move into the huge dog crate and than they can stay in the livingroom like the turkeys did for a month or two, until they are big enough to go with the rest of the flock. Silkie chickens are a bantam breed, which means they are smaller than a normal chicken. Honestly, I'm not a big fan of bantam breeds. I prefer big tough chickens. I really didn't want Silkies, but they were the only ones available nearby when the black chick was born and all alone. My rooster Wally is a Silkie, so I'm hoping he will take them into his flock once they are old enough. One nice thing about Silkies is that they tame very easily, so by moving them into the livingroom, they tame quickly and will be excellent animal ambassadors for the farm.
The Muscovy ducklings are growing quickly. They are almost as big as their moms now! The photo above shows the three ducklings, the two moms and the dad. Rocky, their dad is quite large. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure two of the ducklings are boys, which will have to be sold. So, I ended up with only one more girl Muscovy.
Wishing you all a wonderful day! Hugs and love!
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Sunday, October 15, 2017
A Tale of Two Hens
Well, my two turkeys, Mork and Mindy, are both girls! Damn, how'd that happen? I gotta be the stupidest person around to have missed that. They look identical! Duh!
Today, I posted their photo on a Facebook group (Maritime Fowl) and everyone on there told me they are two girls! I googled 3 month old Turkey Tom and got photos like this one:
How'd I miss that?
I'm feeling pretty stupid right now. I guess I thought the tail would come up later in the male.
It's amazing how easily we believe things!
So now I am searching for a Tom turkey for my two ladies. It's a hard time of year to find one. I might have to wait for next summer (which will put me a year behind on breeding). I put an ad on Kijiji and asked on local Facebook groups. Hopefully someone has a young male to sell!
Damn!
And I need new names for the ladies! Mork and Mindy obviously doesn't work.
On a bright note, at least it wasn't two Toms (cause I'd have to rehome one)
Hugs and love!
Monday, October 9, 2017
Memoirs of An Exotic Dancer- PDF
Hi! I no longer sell individual photo sets/videos. As I am pretty well retired and only do photo sets/videos by requests now (so if you want anything special feel free to contact me!), I am selling all my photos and videos from 2010 to 2017 as one big set for a low price. It's 3GB of photos and videos; 1300+ photos and 15+ videos.
If you'd like it in digital format via email, it costs $25. It is 3GB, so will take you awhile to download it!
If you'd like a physical copy: DVD cost $30/ Flash drive/SD card costs $36; shipping included)
You can pay via interac bank transfer or cash.
You can also purchase my "Memoirs of an Exotic Dancer" in PDF format on Etsy (you can also purchase my photo set via Etsy)
Thank you! Hugs and Kisses!!
Please contact me directly at roguewolf-imphavok@hotmail.com
Sunday, October 8, 2017
Freerange vs. Penned
Sadly, I lost another Muscovy duckling to a bird of prey yesterday. That's two ducklings that I have now lost to a predator. :( Obviously this makes me extremely unhappy. Every time I lose a featherbaby to a predator, I go through the same thing; I second guess myself on freeranging and wonder if they'd be safer if they were penned. However, it only takes a quick visit to any of the poultry oriented Facebook groups that I am on, to remind me, my decision to freerange is the right decision. Reading daily posts from people losing every one of their birds because something go in the pen is heartbreaking. I can't even imagine losing all my birds at once. That would be devastating. It would also be extremely expensive and would be a serious blow for any small farmer. I've seen people lose 50 plus birds from one predator getting into their pen. That's a hard thing to recover from!
Many people think that penned birds are safer than freerange birds are, but I strongly disagree. As a freeranger, I lose a couple of birds each year. In the 15 months I've been in Nova Scotia, I've lost 5 birds to predators ( two chickens (killed by land mammals); one adult Muscovy duck (killed by a bald eagle) and now the two ducklings). I've had chickens for about 6 years and on average I lose two chickens per year. So, in the 6 years, I've had birds for, I've lost a little less than 20 birds. That's not that bad.
Farmers that pen their birds will go several years without losing any; however, when disaster hits them, it hits hard! Problem is that there will always be predators and trying to keep a pen secure 24 hours a day is hard, eventually someone will get in, and when they do, it will kill every bird in the pen.
When a predator attacks a freerange bird, the other birds have a chance to run like hell. But, when a predator gets in a pen, there is no where for the birds to run, they cannot escape and the predator ends up slaughtering them all.
Here in Nova Scotia, the biggest predator of chickens and ducks are birds of prey, so people who pen their poultry have to also cover the top of their pen. If you don't cover the top of the pen, you might as well not pen them at all, as a eagle or hawk will get the chickens or ducks.
Although I don't pen my birds, I still do many things to help ensure their safety
- I ensure there is lots of places for them to get cover- trees, bushes etc. Heck, I even started parking our truck in an area that had no cover just in case one of the chickens or ducks was in the area and needed cover quickly./
- I have good males; roosters, drakes and Toms. I went the longest time without a rooster as I was worried he would be too loud and drive me crazy, now I'd never be without one! I have two excellent roosters and I have good drakes, and I have a turkey Tom to help protect the flock. Good males watch the skies and help to keep their charges safe! My Muscovy drake Rocky fought a hawk this summer and saved the chick the hawk was after. Good males make a difference!
- Cats and Dogs: My cats have saved my chickens more times than I can count. They chase foxes, fishers, rats and other small predators off the property. My dogs help to keep the larger predators away such as coyotes. I encourage them to pee around the coops and around the property edges to help keep predators away.
- Bird of Prey Deterrents: In the main area the flock hangs out in, I have hung CDs and crisscrossed ropes. The CDs flash in the sun which deters birds of prey and the ropes make it difficult for a large bird to swoop in.
- Patrols: Us humans patrol the property regularly. During the day, we make sure we walk a patrol from the coops to the pond every two hours and during the evening we do patrols mid evening and right before bed. We try to be big noisy stinky humans and let the wild animals know we are there. We don't want any wild animals up around the house and coop area, so go out of our way to scare them away. We do have a bear that lives on the property. He is very welcome. We feel privileged that he lives here, but he is not welcome in the area around the house. Wild animals are generally afraid of humans and we try to use that to our advantage.
- Larger Birds: I've noticed that as a general rule, the smaller the bird, the more danger its in. The two hens we lost here in Nova Scotia were both small (One was only 2 months old and the other was a skinny leghorn) We try to purchase only large breeds of both chickens and ducks. The larger the bird, the less likely it will be prey for eagles and hawks.
- Security Camera; I also recently purchased a security camera so I could keep an eye on the flock even better. At the slightest sign of trouble us humans with dogs can be outside in seconds.
- A super secure coop: If a predator manages to get in a coop, they can slaughter everyone in a very short time. I check our coop daily in an attempt to ensure its secure. In the evening, after dark, I walk around the coop with a flashlight (Being a loud stinky human) to help scare anyone with ill intent away. I also encourage the dogs to mark the coop.
- Guinea hens: I don't have any yet, but I plan on adding guinea hens to my flock asap. Guinea hens are extremely observant and watch for predators constantly. They will scream an alert if they think a predator is nearby. They are suppose to be especially good for watching the skies.
All farmers lose livestock, it just is what it is. It hurts the heart and the wallet. We do the best we can. Most of us small farmers care deeply for our "livestock' and do everything we can to keep them healthy and safe. Being a farmer is not an easy job.
I also freerange as it's healthier for the birds, and saves me a fair amount of money. The chickens are amazing foragers and get 90% of their own food during the spring, summer and autumn. In addition to saving on food, I also don't have to purchase grit for the birds as they find it naturally themselves, and I rarely have to give them calcium for their eggs as they get such a balanced diet foraging. My chickens eat weeds, insects, snakes, small rodents, frog and toads and anything else they can find. My ducks love weeds and grass and also eat insects and fish they catch at the pond. If they were penned, they could still get some of their own food, but not near as much as they can freeranging.
Hugs and love!!
-
Many people think that penned birds are safer than freerange birds are, but I strongly disagree. As a freeranger, I lose a couple of birds each year. In the 15 months I've been in Nova Scotia, I've lost 5 birds to predators ( two chickens (killed by land mammals); one adult Muscovy duck (killed by a bald eagle) and now the two ducklings). I've had chickens for about 6 years and on average I lose two chickens per year. So, in the 6 years, I've had birds for, I've lost a little less than 20 birds. That's not that bad.
Farmers that pen their birds will go several years without losing any; however, when disaster hits them, it hits hard! Problem is that there will always be predators and trying to keep a pen secure 24 hours a day is hard, eventually someone will get in, and when they do, it will kill every bird in the pen.
When a predator attacks a freerange bird, the other birds have a chance to run like hell. But, when a predator gets in a pen, there is no where for the birds to run, they cannot escape and the predator ends up slaughtering them all.
Here in Nova Scotia, the biggest predator of chickens and ducks are birds of prey, so people who pen their poultry have to also cover the top of their pen. If you don't cover the top of the pen, you might as well not pen them at all, as a eagle or hawk will get the chickens or ducks.
Although I don't pen my birds, I still do many things to help ensure their safety
- I ensure there is lots of places for them to get cover- trees, bushes etc. Heck, I even started parking our truck in an area that had no cover just in case one of the chickens or ducks was in the area and needed cover quickly./
- I have good males; roosters, drakes and Toms. I went the longest time without a rooster as I was worried he would be too loud and drive me crazy, now I'd never be without one! I have two excellent roosters and I have good drakes, and I have a turkey Tom to help protect the flock. Good males watch the skies and help to keep their charges safe! My Muscovy drake Rocky fought a hawk this summer and saved the chick the hawk was after. Good males make a difference!
- Cats and Dogs: My cats have saved my chickens more times than I can count. They chase foxes, fishers, rats and other small predators off the property. My dogs help to keep the larger predators away such as coyotes. I encourage them to pee around the coops and around the property edges to help keep predators away.
- Bird of Prey Deterrents: In the main area the flock hangs out in, I have hung CDs and crisscrossed ropes. The CDs flash in the sun which deters birds of prey and the ropes make it difficult for a large bird to swoop in.
- Patrols: Us humans patrol the property regularly. During the day, we make sure we walk a patrol from the coops to the pond every two hours and during the evening we do patrols mid evening and right before bed. We try to be big noisy stinky humans and let the wild animals know we are there. We don't want any wild animals up around the house and coop area, so go out of our way to scare them away. We do have a bear that lives on the property. He is very welcome. We feel privileged that he lives here, but he is not welcome in the area around the house. Wild animals are generally afraid of humans and we try to use that to our advantage.
- Larger Birds: I've noticed that as a general rule, the smaller the bird, the more danger its in. The two hens we lost here in Nova Scotia were both small (One was only 2 months old and the other was a skinny leghorn) We try to purchase only large breeds of both chickens and ducks. The larger the bird, the less likely it will be prey for eagles and hawks.
- Security Camera; I also recently purchased a security camera so I could keep an eye on the flock even better. At the slightest sign of trouble us humans with dogs can be outside in seconds.
- A super secure coop: If a predator manages to get in a coop, they can slaughter everyone in a very short time. I check our coop daily in an attempt to ensure its secure. In the evening, after dark, I walk around the coop with a flashlight (Being a loud stinky human) to help scare anyone with ill intent away. I also encourage the dogs to mark the coop.
- Guinea hens: I don't have any yet, but I plan on adding guinea hens to my flock asap. Guinea hens are extremely observant and watch for predators constantly. They will scream an alert if they think a predator is nearby. They are suppose to be especially good for watching the skies.
All farmers lose livestock, it just is what it is. It hurts the heart and the wallet. We do the best we can. Most of us small farmers care deeply for our "livestock' and do everything we can to keep them healthy and safe. Being a farmer is not an easy job.
I also freerange as it's healthier for the birds, and saves me a fair amount of money. The chickens are amazing foragers and get 90% of their own food during the spring, summer and autumn. In addition to saving on food, I also don't have to purchase grit for the birds as they find it naturally themselves, and I rarely have to give them calcium for their eggs as they get such a balanced diet foraging. My chickens eat weeds, insects, snakes, small rodents, frog and toads and anything else they can find. My ducks love weeds and grass and also eat insects and fish they catch at the pond. If they were penned, they could still get some of their own food, but not near as much as they can freeranging.
Hugs and love!!
-
Friday, October 6, 2017
Monday, October 2, 2017
October
Well, it's October already. Wow! Where does the time go? I haven't blogged much of late cause I haven't been feeling the best. Lots of body pain, fatigue and breathing problems. I'm ok though :) Just moving a little slow.
I went to my annual specialist appointment last week. She said I didn't have Celiac disease (which I was pretty sure I didn't have), but instead thinks I have Fibromyalgia and IBS. She still has no idea why my iron was/is so low. Thankfully I got a family doctor and also had an appointment with her last week too. I saw her the day after the specialist. She was super nice. She is actually a nurse practioner; Nova Scotia was short on family Doctors so decided to let the NP do it. I am super happy as I've always found nurses nicer than Doctors. My new NP thinks maybe there is something wrong with my gallbladder (I don't think), so she scheduled an ultrasound for me). She also order bloodwork on 22 different things! She wants to rule out everything so we can figure out what's wrong.
I lost one of my Muscovy ducklings today :( When I went down around 10:30am one was just gone. I spent several hours searching around the pond for it and found no trace of tracks, blood or feathers. I also went to my back pond and looked around there in case a bird of prey took the poor thing there to eat it. I could not find a trace of it anywhere. The Muscovy moms and babes were all very subdued today and the moms kept the kids safely in the dog house much of the day. I believe a bird of prey, a hawk or eagle, got it. So sad. I get the whole circle of life thing, but damn, my pets should not be part of someone else's food chain. :(
We've had frost here the last couple of nights. Most of vegetable garden is dead now. I didn't do very well with the veggies this year. I need more fertilizer. As always, I'll try again next year.
And time for some shameless self promtion :) LOL!
Check out all my Tshirt designs on Zazzle
Just click on the photos
I went to my annual specialist appointment last week. She said I didn't have Celiac disease (which I was pretty sure I didn't have), but instead thinks I have Fibromyalgia and IBS. She still has no idea why my iron was/is so low. Thankfully I got a family doctor and also had an appointment with her last week too. I saw her the day after the specialist. She was super nice. She is actually a nurse practioner; Nova Scotia was short on family Doctors so decided to let the NP do it. I am super happy as I've always found nurses nicer than Doctors. My new NP thinks maybe there is something wrong with my gallbladder (I don't think), so she scheduled an ultrasound for me). She also order bloodwork on 22 different things! She wants to rule out everything so we can figure out what's wrong.
I lost one of my Muscovy ducklings today :( When I went down around 10:30am one was just gone. I spent several hours searching around the pond for it and found no trace of tracks, blood or feathers. I also went to my back pond and looked around there in case a bird of prey took the poor thing there to eat it. I could not find a trace of it anywhere. The Muscovy moms and babes were all very subdued today and the moms kept the kids safely in the dog house much of the day. I believe a bird of prey, a hawk or eagle, got it. So sad. I get the whole circle of life thing, but damn, my pets should not be part of someone else's food chain. :(
We've had frost here the last couple of nights. Most of vegetable garden is dead now. I didn't do very well with the veggies this year. I need more fertilizer. As always, I'll try again next year.
And time for some shameless self promtion :) LOL!
Check out all my Tshirt designs on Zazzle
Just click on the photos
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