DUCKS!- and other news

Saw some ducks pop up on Craigslist for free, so I decided to snatch a few up. They are Runner Ducks, so they stand up really straight and tall and march along together (turning in unison) like little soldiers. They were bred in India as a herding breed of duck, and I can concur they are pretty easy to herd wherever you need them to go. Unfortunately they seem to have wobbly legs, which I've read has something to do with a niacin deficit. Most feeds don't seem to be properly formulated for waterfowl. We'll be feeding flockraiser (or gamebird?) feed dusted with brewers' yeast, and hopefully that will get them in shape. I was planning on keeping them for eggs and meat (meat from those that we hatch) but I don't really have any desire to breed these if we can't get their legs strong. Maybe with proper nutrition and some daily 'herding' to get them exercise, they will recover. Pictured here is the 'duck house' we put together for them, they already go right into it at night, so it looks like a success. I have them ranging in the garden since we had nothing much grow for winter but the weeds. In their condition, the chickens really don't let them get any food, so we have decided to separate them in this way.

Also, we just got a new egg today. The first black/copper marans hen has FINALLY started laying. These are the two girls that caused us to stew up our old rooster Tango (if you recall he was beating them up pretty badly when I tried to integrate them into the flock). They were six weeks old when our little rumpless pullets (and "Django son of Tango") hatched. And yet our little ones have been laying now for several months! So yeah, these dark marans eggs have been a long time coming for sure. But check out this picture! Definitely worth the wait. Also pictured is the Black/Copper hen who layed it- She's up front there, with the feathered feet. Also check out our young rooster replacement! Isn't he just like his father? Just a bit more yellow feathering on him, but otherwise the spitting image.

Also we have new baby rabbits here as well. Seven this time, from the same doe as before. I don't like to disturb them too much when they are this little, so this is the only picture for now. 

See you next time!

Breakfast

So we had some of our artichokes last night, with some homemade aioli (delicious).. Funny thing was I was making the aioli from memory, and forgot that I need to whip up the yolks FIRST, before adding oil. I had just whipped up olive oil, yolks, garlic, salt, and pepper- all together. Of course it wouldn't come together, and I had to stop and think about it. Not a disaster right? I just started a new batch of yolks (with a tiny bit of lemon, cause I like it), then poured the whole earlier broken batch over it while I whipped. Bottom line was I made an EXTRA rich aioli, since it had about double yolks necessary. And I was left with a whole mess of eggs whites.

So we looked in the garden this morning, found a young yellow squash, and a couple green onions, sauteed those in some butter (with some store bought baby spinach) and then scrambled the egg whites on top.

Don't know about you, but I think egg whites are kind of boring. There was nothing to do now, but feed the scramble back it's own yolks. In the form of a generous serving of aioli of course! Funny how it all works out..

Very tasty. Onion rye toast with butter and raspberry jam on the side.