It is raining today. The way I feel inside. today, I will sell Sir Walter Drake and one white Muscovy duck. I have had Walter for many years and he is a good drake. Not aggressive with people, he is pure white except for one dark feather in his back. He has managed to father over 100+ ducklings and keeps the girls in line. They will miss him since breeding season has started. I can only hope the man who takes him does what he says he is going to do, that is to keep him for breeding and not send him to the oven. I will miss Walter. He is friendly and will eat corn out of my hand, always wags his tail in thanks. This selling off my poultry is hard for me, but must be done so I can move on.
Finally! Warmth from the sun and temperatures above freezing in the same day!
It was a beautiful day! Snow is slowly melting off roofs and icicles formed as the sun set. Since I have culled or sold over 3/4 of my chickens, time spent on the farm grows less and less. Company stopped in, so I am going for now
More snow in late Jan & all of Feb, then into March. Snow piles are taller than I. Roofs are caving in all over the state. Hard times on the farm with all the drifting. Everyone is tired of winter. "Spring ahead" happens this weekend but there is nothing to spring over. The Red-Winged Blackbirds are here, nothing to eat. I dug out some suet and the suet feeder from the depths of the freezer and put it out. I have sold all but 14 Dominique layers and one Dominique rooster, a pair of Narragansett turkeys, the Muscovy flock and my equipment. As the snow melts and the spring lurks (somewhere, but not here), I am hoping that all will be sold soon so I can continue with my life. Have to get to the farm for late-day feeding and lock up. More later.