More escapes!

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Two of the littler bucks escaped.  Not through the door, this time.  They made it into the metal manger, which is attached by bailing wire, and somehow broke through then got out.  Two of them didn't escape when they had the opportunity, strangely.  They were easy enough to police and put back in the cage.  One of them was quite huffy about it, the other seemed pleased to be back in.  I have a temporary fix in place.

Other than feeding and watering, and chasing the two youngens... or littlens really... not much else was done today.  I did a bit of grilling, having just absolutely the bare minimum of charcoal left to do the bratwursts.  More a slow cooking at that.  Hmm... I should get trash and recycling together and out, before crashing.  Yea, I really should.  And, getting to bed early, with an alarm set, seems reasonable.  A shower first thing, then chores either immediately after... or after drying a bit.

I really need to do a few things with the cages though.  Mangers on all, rewiring the existing and future mangers well, setting up a few more locks.  The bigger bucks finally chewed through the rope ties.  but I have something else in place as well.  If I would much rather have even more.  I keep looking for the potential momma to begin pulling fur, for nesting.  That will, more than anything, tell me she is about due.  Give that a day, then put in the nesting box, filled with some hay or wood chips or such.  Anything before that, and she marks it and turns it into a latrine.  Bleh.

I hear the checks, the $600 ones, may be in.  I'll have to check tomorrow.  If so, beside some payback, I would like to pick up a few more bales of hay, a few more waterers, and... actually that is it.  I want to add waterers slowly, over time.  Say five each month, for the next three months?  That gives me plenty.  Mostly larger ones.  I have no idea how much will be needed for the weened wee ones, but I'd guess, if eight to a batch, two large ones per group.  And, in warmer and colder weather, probably two of those a day.  Odd, but if they stay thawed, one does.  Leaving an extra out at night, it just freezes.  Whereas if it's colder, I have to change them out just so that they can get enough water, and in the warmer weather, they need the extra water.

Ducks are doing well.  I moved to pool to near the hydrant, which is deep enough so that freezing isn't a problem.  And, now I can just fill the pool as needed.  Being warmer, I am not tipping it at night, though that will happen yet, as weather will fluctuate.  I am almost sure I have stone duck eggs around somewhere.  You put those out, and after a few pecks, they learn not to try to eat eggs.  Which I really think they are doing.  Ugh...  They are cannibals regarding eggs, and murderous to chicks.  I'll have to figure that out.  I have enough meat ducks to allow a few to go broody, it's a matter of figuring out how to arrange that.  It's a lot of work, and some thinking, and some hoping.  

The question is whether to try to pen them, with the ducklings... or to just show some of the hens where the eggs are being hidden, so that they will tend the nest... but leave it mostly open.  Ugh...  Wait... she did that, but she had dogs and goats for protection.  Still, it's... possible.  They can't nest high, though.  And, that is only for the meat birds.  The egg birds would have to be separated... the broody hen.  But, I don't have enough hens at the moment to let one go.  Bleh.

I'll keep thinking, planning, and trying.  Live and learn.  It's a difficult process, until it isn't.  Until, again, it is.  Everything you learn well, you learn from loss... mistake.

Well, on to a bit of work, then to bed.  Good night.