This past few weeks have been exciting times for me.
I have baby chicks, of several fancy show bantams, hatching weekly in my incubator. It is interesting to see them start off life in such a unique way. Their escape into the real world, after 21 days of incubation, is done by them alone, from inside the egg.
What is it that triggers them to peck a series of tiny holes in the shell as they slowly rotate inside the egg? What triggers the final push that gives them the freedom of escape from the confining shell? New life of any kind – plant, animal, or man – has always fascinated me.
My canaries, too, have been busy building their tiny woven nests in the little half-cup wire baskets that I provide for them.
I cut up yards and yards of cotton string into two-inch lengths which they in turn grasp several at a time in mouthfuls and carefully weave it into their circular nests. Usually four or five eggs are their clutch, but I have had some on occasion lay as many as seven.
The incubation for canaries is only 14 days, and both mom and dad tend the chicks, feeding them at about 20 minute intervals. This, too, keeps me busy, as I tend them twice each day. In addition to the regular canary seed mix, I feed to each a half of a hardboiled hen’s egg, including yolk, white and shell, and a fresh half leaf of romaine lettuce, fed twice daily. It is important also to keep their dishes washed clean and fresh water daily.
Canaries, well cared for, are prolific little breeders and it is not unusual for them to start nesting again while the first have not yet left the nest. Because of my recent move, I kept only seven pair of breeders, but I will no doubt receive not many short of 100 young this year.
While I am talking about fun things that happen, perhaps I should give you an update on Candy, the little premature angus calf that arrived just prior to Christmas.
Candy is doing fine; she is long off of the bottle and, I guesstimate, now well over 600 pounds, and is out chomping grass each day in the pasture. She playfully bunts my butt when I lead her back to the barn each night. When I take her out in the morning, she demands that I give her back a good combing.
The three orphaned lambs that I had the pleasure of bottle feeding all did exceptionally well, but farming is farming and such so is the territory, they were sold by auction when the prices rose just prior to Easter.
Garden wise, things are looking good; the corn is “see up the row” high. The potatoes are peeking through, and I have just finished putting straw on the 200 newly planted strawberries. I have picked all of the initial blooms off of them as I want them to send out runners for next year.
But this year is going to be interesting as I have planted both the late cropping variety as well as the ever-bearing.
Take care, ’cause we care.
barrie@barriehopkins.ca
519-986-4105