The 2 ducklings and 2 older chicks survived their first night of sleeping outdoors! The ducklings are about 1 month old, and the older chicks are about 7 weeks old. We had a low of 52 degrees last evening, and we knew the chicks would do very well, considering they have a lot of feathers in. They roosted on a pole inside the dog crate all night and seemed completely at peace. It was the ducklings we were most concerned about. Daniel acted like a nervous father, and kept checking on them until we went to bed. At one point he was about to bring them inside because he couldn’t bear the idea that they might be suffering. It’s as if we’re new parents having a difficult time letting go. I did some research online and it alleviated his worries. They don’t have their feathers in yet, so the chill factor concerned us. They did perfectly, and they all seemed much more happy in an outdoor environment. It’s strange to think those four will probably never live inside our house again. We may bring the crate into the sunroom at night when it drops well below 50 at night, but we’ll never have to deal with their smelly indoor cages and clean up (the ducks were a major mess). It’s been one of the most memorable and rewarding experiences ever, but we’re down to just four 3-week old chicks in the home now and it feels like we’re slowly reclaiming hour home.
Pictured above you can see the temporary set-up with the small pen they use during the day, and the dog crate for night time sleeping. It’s been cloudy and wet here, so we’ve had a tarp out in case it rains on them. It’s working out perfectly, considering they’re much too small to join the adult flock. They’ll get used to each other safely through the pen. The adult hens and ducks are intrigued and study them often. It won’t be long before our four smaller chicks join them full time.
Blueberries!
We purchased two experimental blueberry bushes for this year, and they were blooming at the time. Now they already have blueberries on them! See them? Yum. We’ve kept them indoors so we can plant them after the last frost date passes (April 21st). Blueberry bushes are moderately difficult to grow, considering they need acidic conditions and moist soil to thrive. Because of that, we’re trying just two bushes this year to see how they work out. They’re guinea pigs. We’ll have to test the ph of our soil before planting, and adjust with peat moss and compost until it’s at the correct level. After that, they require yearly adjustments. We really LOVE blueberries, considering they’re a super-food, and hope to succeed with them. We can see ourselves with at least 15 bushes next year. There are local blueberry farms, so we know it can be done in our region. Fortunately, we have the benefit of incredibly rich and moist soil next to the river, so let’s hope we see some magic!
river of love urban farmstead 