This Spring On The Farm

There is never a lack of things to do on a farm. This spring (and now summer), in addition to putting in a large, proper garden (and weeding said garden), establishing flower beds and meadows, weeding, trimming, transplanting, and mowing, there is simply the shoring up, the cleaning out, the making way.

There is also the noticing. The observing. The taking it all in.









































One of the exciting changes here On Bradstreet Farm has been preparing for, then raising our ducklings and chickens. We had initially planned to just get chickens this spring, but after Olivia did more reading about egg-laying ducks, we put in an order for six female Khaki Campbells. Three weeks after our ducklings arrived, we picked up our 15 chicks.



















So far, we are all completely smitten with the ducks. They are wonderful animals. Hilarious, smart, energetic, sociable, and beautiful. And they eat slugs and snails, so bonus. Also? Starting around five months old, they will begin laying eggs and each duck can lay up to 320+ eggs a year! So, extra bonus.

We've named the ducks Odella, Jemima, Luna, Pippa, Millie and Tilly. We aren't able to truly tell them apart yet, though there is one that has a khaki green bill, so we call her Pippa, and Tilly has the darkest, seal brown head.

We have names for the chickens planned, as well, and our list includes suitably old-fashioned names chosen from both sides of our family trees. Gertrude, Bertha, Irma, and Avis are perfect hen names, don't you think?

As you can see, our days here are full- meaningful, beautiful, wonderful. We feel ever so slightly more settled, more entrenched with each project, with each accomplishment, with each nurtured plant or animal.  Everyday we feel more a part of this farm. It's a good feeling.