11/4

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Rain all day yesterday. Much cooler.

The UPS guy delivered the rubber boot flashing two nights ago. Rachel explained exactly where to turn around, but in the morning we saw he'd run over the artichokes. One mature plant and two seedlings were killed. We let UPS know. The driver returned yesterday to look at the damage and was apologetic. He said he'd prefer to pay for replacing the plants out of pocket than file an accident report which would go on his record. We tried to calculate the price of replacing the plants online with shipping and came up with $40. We let the driver know. He was abject at the cost, but said he'd bring the money by early next week. We feel bad for him, but at the same time, these guys need to fix the damage they do when they rush these deliveries. I'd had a sumac run over by a dumptruck delivering gravel a few years ago in the exact same spot. The spot is cursed. We'll have to fence it off. So much for next year's artichokes. After dying off over the summer they'd recovered nicely with cooler weather and heavy fertilization [full buckets of straight duckwater].

We set the stove in position yesterday and marked it on the floor. We dropped a plumb bob from the ceiling to mark exactly where the support box and chimney needs to go. I also put in a few braces to support the rafter temporarily that must be cut in order to center the chimney in the cabin.

I organized the tools in the shed yesterday, and built another run door on the coop, the south side, that leads to outside instead of into the run. This way in the morning we have an easy way to release the ducks while keeping the other birds in. We may eventually use this door as the only entry to the coop for the birds once they go back to free-ranging, and leave the front door shut.

I think we'll wait and install the chimney tomorrow. Today would have to be rushed. We've got to take a trip to Wartburg for silicone, screws, get caught up on cleaning, dishes, and fertigation after yesterday's rain, and have a get-together dinner at Vic's tonight at 5:30 with a few neighbors.

No eggs yesterday. I went to check for eggs a little before noon yesterday and found Rosy pecking and eating the blue egg Goldie had laid. This is very bad chicken behavior - Rosy has always been a pig, maybe she's not getting enough protein, it might be because Goldie laid in the duck box on the floor and an egg on the ground is more vulnerable to being eaten. Maybe Rosy has been doing this kind of thing for a while and that explains the missing eggs when we know the girls are laying. The bottom line is the last of our donated chickens are doing next to nothing productivity-wise . . . we soon need to get a whole flock together of birds we want to raise and breed. Probably Welsummers.

The ducks have not yet started to lay and are about 5 to 6 months old now. The two mixed runners have gotten their upcurled drake feather - so they're obviously not laying. We think the bobcat got the only girl. The mixed rouen drake still has major neurological problems, with a crippled walk and a nervous tic that makes him constantly throw his head down and to the side. The four female mixed rouens are filling out more like meat birds than layers but we'll see what happens. All the ducks are sort of 'rescue' birds we got for free from a nearby homesteader who's moving soon. It's more been for the experience and learning than anything else. When we start raising ducks in earnest it will probably be Harlequins or Khaki Cambells - good layers.
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