Traumatised

well, I had soooo much planned for today. Christmas baking done, house clean, raspberries picked, gifts wrapped.

not a chance.

This morning when i went out to feed all my animals, I found Huey and Duey (two of the baby goslings i wrote about in a previous listing) drown in their little pool. I was gobsmacked at how this happened, as there were sufficient rocks in the base for their little legs to climb out with (small duckings, goslings and chicks can easily drown in water) and sat there in the pouring rain crying, crying and crying.

When something is dead, it really is DEAD isnt it?

Living on a farm, i have learnt to become a bit of a midwife/nurse etc etc. mouth to mouth to baby lambs covered in embriotic fluid (eeek!), feeding a premature cria (baby alpaca) HOURLY night and day with a gastric tube and eye dropper to keep her alive, handfeeding day old budgies round the clock that the mother has abandoned, blow drying wet chickens to warm them up and the list goes on.... but not a chance with these poor little fellows. they were dead.

d.e.a.d.

Which opened a can of worms about death, and i cried some more (for those of you that dont know me personally i have non hodgkins lymphoma and have been given a terminal status) - i think i just started thinking too hard and i just sat there in the pouring rain crying. (No doubt I will have a cold tomorrow! phewee!)

I had become so attached to these three little fellows. I was particularly careful to keep them in our shed area until they were bigger so the crows would not get them, and fed them fresh greens from the garden twice a day along with fresh water.

Yesterday I was umming and arhing whether to let them out into our orchard for some free ranging, and after discussing it with my mother we decided they were still too small and easy prey. Oh! how I wished that I had, and then this would not have happened.

I decided to let mumma, dadda and Lewy out into the orchard - If i cant protect them and keep them safe, isnt it better to let them free range and let nature take its course?

This little duck

Its starting to feel like spring again at our little farm at the moment. Although I have domestic ducks, I seem to gain extras at this time of year as the wild ducks seem to know that Im a fool for a mother with babies and feed them along with my own! This little mumma has been staying with us for a while, but was delighted to find 6 little babies hot on her trail the other day when I called for the ducks for breakfast.

Most of the ducks wander up to my sheds for meal times, making the journey from my dam down below.. and it is amazing to see the little tiny webbed feet going a million miles an hour to keep up to their protective mumma. They pass throught the orchard and wander up through my green lush grass.

This year I have left the grass a little longer for the mummas to hide in the grass. Last year we had 3 or 4 crows watch their journey and pluck off each baby one at a time. It was terrible, and i used to try with all my heart to shoo them away - they werent even scared of me screaming and shouting at them. Usually 2 or 3 pick on the mumma while the others grab the babies. I lost all my ducklings (about 30 actually!) like this last year, and my baby goslings as well, and although I know this is nature taking its own course I try to shoo the crows away in any way I can.

They also sit in the branches of the trees above the dam and try and swoop on the babies when mumma is unaware. I also lost a mother duck last year - I found her on the dam with all her babies gone and her eyes eaten out. It is horrific.

This year my goose had the sense to set her eggs in my shed in a old tea chest, so after the countdown of the 28 days I locked her in, gave her fresh greens every day and feed, and a big shell childrens pool to swim in. She has produced 3 lovely babies, and a protective man to watch over her little brood!

(If you look hard enough you may see a heart shape between the 2 of their necks! sooo cute!)

Hewey Dewey and Lewie!

I have been often found just sitting and gazing at their little antics. I will leave her in the shed until I feel the babies can stand up to a swooping crow. They are growing daily and I would love to let them out and wander the lush green orchard, but feel they will be gobbled in no time. Last year I had 3 mother geese and the protective boy have 3 little babaies, and woke one morning to the shrill shreiking of the mothers on the side of the dam.

So for now I am feeding them plenty of greens and keeping them safe (yes! i am as protective of the little blighters as their own parents!)

Heres a little glimpse of my oasis: