The Muscovy Ducks

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Drake #1

Remember back  a couple months ago, I bought some Muscovy ducks? Well here are a few of them, the ones I am probably going to keep. It looks like I may have 5 ducks (girls) and 6 drakes (boys). Muscovy ducks are from South America and the drakes get very large. They are fast growing and good for meat. I'm not sure what these different colors and patterns are called yet, I'm still figuring that out.

The drakes are still growing in their wing feathers. Some of them look a bit ratty because some of the ducks were pulling the drakes feathers, even to the point of blood. (I thought they were small mean drakes doing it, but they look more like ducks...go figure)

Drake #2

 From some of my research, this pattern of dark black/blue/green with white on the wings resembles the wild coloring.

Drake #2 is actually the biggest of all. I have no idea how much he weighs, my little kitchen scale is of no use here!

Drake #3

I don't know what they call this color, fawn, buff, something else.

Duck #1

Duck #2

These first two ducks are very similar. There are a couple of drakes with the same coloring, but they have what is called 'angel wing', a condition I don't know much about, which might be hereditary or environmental. Since I have plenty of drakes to choose from, the angel wingers are destined to become dinner.

Duck #2

Duck #3

Ducks #2 & 3 match Drake #3

Duck #5

Duck #5 has the same patterning on her breast as drake #1.











Next spring I will probably breed ducks 2&3 to drake #3, breed duck #5 to drake #1 and ducks 1&2 to drake #2, at least on the first go round. (Muscovy hens may hatch as many as 3 broods a year). I think I would like to keep all of the first hatches for awhile, at least until I can see the sex and color they will be. Then I'll probably sell some and eat some. Later hatches I'll probably sell them all, unless I switch the drakes around; then I'll have to keep some more ;-)

Muscovy ducks are very quiet, they do not quack like other ducks. These make a soft whirring sound that I can't imitate or describe.  They are also not as excitable as the other ducks I have. When I come in the gate they just waddle over and stand in front of me, wagging their tails and waiting for treats.

When I figure out the names of the colors/patterns I'll come back and add them into this post.

Solar Food Dehydrator

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Solar food dehydrator

I spotted this Solar Food Dehydrator on another blog, Naturewitch And realized that something about it looked very familiar. The blogger had purchased it ready made but I didn't remember ever seeing one like this for sale.


Cruising back through my bookmarks and downloaded documents, I found it. The plans were originally published by the Cooperative Extension Office, Mississippi State University.


You can download the plans for free from the link. They are basic blue print type plans without a  lot of detail or instruction, but I think any reasonably handy person should be able to figure them out and make one. Even during our monsoon season this design should work reasonably well. You could add a small exhaust fan to pull the air through faster during our cloudy and more humid days, to help prevent any mold from growing. The rest of the year, with our dry sunny days, no extra help should be needed. I have a big old window that I think would work just fine for the front peice. Just have to scrounge up some decent lumber for the rest!

Permaculture

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Permaculture is a method of designing (pretty much the principles can be applied to designing anything) where we look for how energy flows in and out. On our homesteads major energy flows include sunlight, water, wind, mulch and manure materials as well as animals people. Gaia's Garden is a great beginner's book about designing permaculture gardens to help you get started. One of the great ideas I like from permaculture is to put your chicken coop and other animal shelters at the top of a slope and your garden at the bottom. That way the manure and bedding will work it's way down the hill to land where it's most needed, in the garden. Permaculture also teaches us that there is no waste in nature. Leftover/waste material from one operation becomes the fuel for the next. Personally I'm working on a  zero waste household. I have a long ways to go, but it gets better all the time. (Look in your trash can; most of what you throw away every day is food packaging. If you are growing your own, there isn't any packaging to throw away!)

For loads of free e-books about a variety of sustainable living topics, from building healthy soils, caring for animals, organic farming, health and many others, visit the Permaculture Media Blog's listing of free books.


Another great resource is Journey to Forever's Small Farm Library. This listing contains many agricultural classics on the importance of soil and health.

We really don't need to spend a lot of money to make our homes actually pay us to live there. A garden of fresh fruits and vegetables pays big dividends in providing us health promoting food at little expense. A few small animals such as rabbits, chickens and ducks can provide our meat and eggs. They also help recycle garden and food waste to help increase the fertility of our soil so we can grow more food. This means less waste goes to the land fill and less things we need to bring in from the outside. This is in direct contrast to Big Ag which uses up large amounts of oil & natural gas for machinery as well as fertilizers and for packaging and transportation.

Mystery Squash Unveiled

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Mystery Squash

At the beginning of August, when my squash bed first started producing I couldn't figure out what these things were. They look like a cross maybe between a yellow crookneck and a zucchini. Of course they are nothing I planted. They were much like a zucchini on the inside, bland and watery. (Sorry, that's just the way most summer squash tastes to me; blah.)

Spaghetti Squash?

Then one day I discovered this one on the greenhouse trellis, too big to pick as a summer squash I decided to let it grow and see what it might become.

Reading another blog I decided it is probably a spaghetti squash. Not something I planted as I'm not fond of the taste, so it must of sprouted out of the compost, but where it came from to begin with I don't have a clue. Even if it turns out to be something else, it will at least be some chicken food.

squash jungle

The roots are some where in the tangle of plants in the foreground and it has run all over the greenhouse and up onto the roof with the other squash. It's the plant with the biggest bright green leaves running up the middle. (click on the pic to see it bigger).

Squash and other happenings

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Tromboncino

Well the Tromboncino squash continue to amaze me. Not only are the squash huge, so are the vines, easily running 30+ feet. The only other thing here that is that big is the Spaghetti Squash.

Squash and morning glory head for the roof

It is getting harder and harder to get the tangle of vines pushed up out of the way to open the greenhouse door. Now some Heavenly Blue Morning glories have joined the fray. I love the blue morning glory flowers with the yellow squash blossoms!

more Tromboncino

I only planted two Tromboncino in the greenhouse bed. So far I have counted 16 maturing squash on the two vines, not including what I have picked as young green squash. And I haven't climbed up on the roof in awhile to see what's up there!

Northern New Mexico Melon

I am pretty sure now that the melons in the greenhouse bed are Northern New Mexico, which I first obtained from Bountiful Gardens. (I didn't see it in their catalog when I looked right now though) This is an heirloom from Northern New Mexico, as the name suggests. The first melon from this vine weighed in at 11 POUNDS and can be seen here. The next couple of melons split and rotted after a long dry spell  was followed by a lot of rain. I'm hoping that this one makes it, even if it doesn't get as big as the first one.

purple bean, Trionfo Violetto

The first Trionfo Violetto, an Italian snap bean are showing.












With some rain, humidity and warm days combined to give the squash mildew. Since we are nearing the end of the season I've not done anything about it, as I need the space for some fall and winter crops. If it was earlier in the summer I might have tried spraying milk or compost tea on them, suggested organic remedies to keep it at bay.

So far the worst case is the spaghetti squash, followed by the Italian Rond de Nice and the yellow Zuchinni. At the moment I don't see any on the Tromboncino or the Buttercups.

New Arizona Dui Laws

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