Part of running a smallholding is thinking on your feet and not always knowing what's coming next, but then to quickly adapt to it when the time calls for it.
We found this duckling (she's big but young) hiding away after being pestered by the male older duck. He'd taken a liking to her and was extremely rough. As her wings cover her back, it hadn't been obvious that he'd hurt her quite as much as he had.
We gathered her up and assessed how bad she was. To be fair, it looks painful but she was ok in herself.
On looking at her back, we noticed how amazing her colourings are. They're really coming through.
We bathed it quickly in cooled boiled water which we always have in the barn for such an occasion. She let us do it and hid in my coat nice and relaxed.
Grace noticed another one had been hurt too, so we whipped that one out and they stayed in the barn for the day, recovering in the horses hay and straw. Sadly the second one has a poorly eye where he's caught her and it's still poorly but slowly getting better.
The ducklings have all been moved to another location now, a large pathway where they can eat the weeds for me! The will remain their until they are ready for the freezer, so it is only temporary.
***You may wonder why we move them if they are going to be killed anyway. As many of my readers know, the most important thing for us is that the animals are happy and have a healthy life and then we dispatch them in the quickest, humanist way possible.***
Grace, like a lot of kids, wants to be a vet when she leave education and she enjoys looking after the animals in the good and the bad times. Here she is holding one of the ducks she rescued.
We also took the time to take the eggs from under the goose and make them up a new bed. It was the right choice as the eggs were foul and Mother Goose needs to recover now, she's been sat a long time and has lost a lot of weight.
We're locking up around 9.15 each night now, once it's getting dark and everything has gone to bed. The morning's are lovely and light which makes running a smallholding and working that bit easier. One day, hopefully soon, only 1of us will have to go out to work and 1 can stay at home to run the smallholding. That's the plan anyway :)
quick thinking and well spotted, I had a couple of hens that had succumbed to an over amorous cockerel last year, and had sever damage from the spurs, the chooks didnt make and the cockerel is no longer with us.
ReplyDeleteIt has to be done sometimes does it?
DeleteWhat is it with over amorous males...are you drawing straws as to who gets to stay home? x
ReplyDeleteNot this time as the ducklings have been moved now and won't be here forever x
DeleteOh poor things and well done to you for taking such good care of them, even though they will end up in the freezer. Grace is getting a great grounding for training to be a vet with all the access to animals on The Farm. Good girl! I do hope your dream of being home full time comes true sooner rather than later.x
ReplyDeleteThank you and yes freezer bound still means happy lives here. I'll tell grace, she'll be over the moon. So do I, ste first followed by me, it is all on the plan 🤗
DeleteAre you keeping the drake? That would be a freezer offence around here but it's a hard call if you need him for breeding and only have on mail.
ReplyDeleteOne male! not mail :)
Deletelol I knew what you meant. This time we are as he is ok with his girls and it was just the younger ones who suffered. They've been moved now so peace is restored x
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