Life and death, intertwined.
Most of you know that we had to kill one of our breeding ducks yesterday. She’s in the slow cooker now and will go to feed us at dinner time. Death feeding life.
I woke up this morning and went out to feed the poultry, like always. I wasn’t expecting new babies for another 5 days, as my ducks have been hatching eggs at 40 days, not 35. I was shocked to see tiny little yellow balls of fluff hiding under their mother in the stable.
We also had chickens born recently. Our bantam hen has an older chicken, two of my other hens are sharing a baby that they hatched together and my most recent clutch of chickens were born on Friday.
The older chickens, our first clutch, they’re almost fully grown now. The two roosters from the clutch are destined for the table and possibly the hens as well, I haven’t decided yet.
We’re slowly working towards my ideals of being as self sutainable as possible. I mean, yes, we need another 10 acres of pasture and a cow or two, but we’ll get there.
Oh so cute!
Hope the duck is tasty… 🙂
It’s smelling very very nice!
All those yummy dinners running around having fun 😉
How about a goat or two instead of the cows? Babies to sell, meat, milk and/or cheese!
We don’t have enough pasture even for a goat – plus, I really don’t like goats. I know, I’m weird.
I’m not keen on them either – it’s their weird eyes I think – but goat’s cheese mmmmmmm 😉
Not even a fan of the cheese! Maybe it’s an aquired taste…
Oh my goodness! These little baby ducklings of yours are SO adorble! And I can’t tell you enough how great your goals of self-sustainability are! Someday, my husband and I would love to have the same thing. Right now, the apartment we live in doesn’t even have enough room outside for a garden. Someday, though. Someday!
Happy farming!
They are very cute aren’t they?
We started out in the city, in a tiny apartment with no garden too. No fun. It’s taken us 3 years to get our act together here and we’re finally starting to get there. The aim is to move somewhere bigger eventually, as we’ve only got an acre of land. As long as we all keep moving forwards!
Awww, they are soooo cute!
My eldest had an obsession with “Bubba ducks” for years lol.
I thought you were dairy free?
Have you thought about goats, they’re easier to manage (in some cases) need less acerage, leave a smaller carbon and environmental footprint, can still be milked and sold for meat.
Just a suggestion! 🙂
No, we’re not dairy free, Amy had an intolerance, but she grew out of it (yay!).
I am not a goat fan. I really don’t like them much. Or maybe I’ve just never met a nice one. Either way.
Hurrah for surprises like these ones.
Good for you (and well done ducklings!).
That is so cool! We have hens, but no roosters yet, so no chicks for us. My husband harvested lots of potatoes this autumn, and it gives us a real kick being even a little self-sufficient XXX
Didn’t know hens would share a chick!!! Thats so cool!
Cute photo’s. Hope the duck isn’t the one your mum is expecting to eat for Christmas Lunch!
I love your chickens! Your self sustainability is coming along nicely too.
I don’t like goats. They eat everything in sight and the rotten buggers will learn to climb fences if they can’t get to what they want. Well, my mum’s goats did, anyway. They wanted the chooks wheat and they got it.
how come ya might not keep the hens?
ya can never have enough eggs.. lol
Oh how lovely. Fingers crossed that your duck carnage is not repeated with this batch!
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