Golden laced polish chickens in Ontario, ☼Canada.☼

As being new to owning chickens we wernt sure if they would come back after being let out, and the first time we tried it, it didnt turn out well. It resulted in me running around the property chasing after these birds with toes like velociraptors
( I may be exaggerating on that ).
But after a good hour or so I maged to corral them back in the coop.

We then found out chickens need time to grow used to they're new home, so we gave it a few weeks and then crossed our fingers. Now, we really couldn't wait the full two weeks, we dont like animals being locked up, so, it was decided, enough is enough, if they fly off they fly off, it will be a $40 lesson.

Luckily, now that we've added a few more animals, everything seems to have changed. When the chickens were let out today, they didn't immediately run off, they stayed to watch what the ducks were up to. After that, they started to act like chickens, rustling through the leaves and dirt looking for bugs, climbing up trees and looking for places to lay a nest.

The golden laced polish chickens just happen to be one of my favourite breeds, The colour pattern on them is brilliant, with they're boisterous hairdo resembling something of a mix between Einstein and don king. One thing to keep in mind, while they are an attractively showy bird, of coat and hairstyle, they are in no need of specialized care, in fact, they are an extremely hearty variety of chicken, putting up with frigged Canadian winters and our boiling heatwave like summers.

They enjoy scraps from the table, red wiggler worms from our compost, oats, sunflower seeds, cantaloupe, apples, kiwi, sprouts, and many other fresh foods.

Here is our rooster, youd think it would be annoying having a rooster right out back in your yard but honestly, I dont even notice. It also adds to the ambiance of a farm, with the goats meh'ing, and the ducks squakings, it only makes sense to have a roster crowing, after all, it is only just a few times in the morning, he doesn't seem to do much during the day. This might all change, depending on if we add more birds ( competition ) to the mix.

Muscovy's and chickens getting along

He seems to like this corner, its close to the coop door but far enough in the bush that he can feel like a real chicken.

Ontario prospectors license, ♛ rockhounding to ⚖ the next level! ♛

Ontario prospector's license

While some could use this card to pull off evil acts of legal property invasion and lawful plunder, anyone who does so should be tarred and feathered, but hey, Im old fashioned.

This little card here is somewhat of an all access pass across Ontario lands, allowing rockhounds the opportunity to prospect provincial parks, penetrate and probe private properties, even pillage small amounts of  "Sample material" for "analysis".
or, to take it a step further,
set up a mine in your backyard -(WOW eh)

While there have been some amendments to the rules recently, with certain central and southern areas of Ontario said to be off limits, let us not forget, this is Ontario. With the right amount of money, connections or economy driven impact,  anything is possible. So yes, special exceptions can be made believe it or not, and, if you just so happen to be living on gold ANYWHERE in Ontario, and sadly, not own your mineral rights ( as most dont, they are not usually included in the sale of  a house ).
Someone might just set up shop on YOUR property,  regardless of what previous plans you've made or weddings you are about to throw.

Ontario's laws continue to amaze me.

Something I just found at the side of the house. There looks to be quartz on one side but the rest I have no clue. Very strange looking piece.



























Just another table full of overflow and in need of labeling.  I will do a grand tour of my minerals one day, once I have everything set up nice, for now, its all in barn light, lol.

Lots of pyrite mixed samples.

Boxes and boxes of rocks.

Overflow display of rock samples

Racks and racks of rocks and fossils.
Im not sure how long I can keep this up, I might need a building or two just to continue this hobby.

Carboniferous limestone fossil

Fossils found in the backyard, mostly Carboniferous limestone. 

Our muscovy ducks ♫ ☮ Do the ducky dance ☮ ♫

We just recently picked up a trio of Muscovy ducks and its really starting to feel like a farm around here. With 2 chickens, 2 goats, 3 ducks, 6 barn cats and a caboodle of kittens We are on our way!.

The one thing I can tell you is, out of all the animals we have so far, the ducks are a delight to take care of. They waddle around, with no big hurry, feasting through bugs in the air and grasses on the ground. Corralling them to a certain location is beyond easy, just walk behind, helping guide them in the right direction, and off they go!. The only slight gripe I have is, sometimes, if I'm a little forgetful and leave the goat pen door open, the ducks get in and start eating all the left-over seed on the ground, THEN POOP.

Muscovy ducks cleaning themselves

Muscovy duck closeup ( male )

Our male Muscovy has a wonderful demeanor, he shows no bother to our two goats, even going as far as to compete with them over snacks on the ground. When he flaps his wings, you can feel the air move all around you, freaks my goats right out!, He's also one snazzy dancer, If you walk up and bob your head slightly, he does his little dance and shakes his tale.

One of our female Muscovy's has blue eyes and is the more timid of the bunch. The other female seems to like de-feathering her, it was only a big issue when we first got them, everything has seemed to calm down now, Thankfully.

Muscovy closeup

 Our other female is in the background and has been laying eggs quite voraciously.

 I'm not sure what these are, if anyone has an idea please chime in!

I dont know too much about flowers but I sure can appreciate them! From what I understand, this is an iris. It grows wild under our maple trees in our front yard and what I find interesting is, How similar in looks it is to a vanilla vine

Our rhubarb has started to flower and I figured I would collect some seeds and see what comes of it.
I understand quite well the complexities of growing plants whose seeds pop out like the roulette effect. Yes, it will not be like the parent plant but that's the whole point!. When it comes to these things, the more genetic variety the better, after all, I would hate to see what happened to the banana happen to rhubarb, I couldn't go on with out my pies and strawberry rhubarb deserts.
I swear on that giant spaghetti monster in the sky!

Are these prickly poppies?

Now, Ive grown poppies before, mainly for leaning about the medical aspects and how they're grown but I never got that into all the other varieties. They look vary similar, the flower pod, the stem, the spikes on the flower bud, but the leaves are soooooOOOOOO covered in thorns it just didn't look like what I know. Ive only grown papaver somniferum, some Hawaiian blue poppy and a few others I piked up from Richters herbs.

If anyone out there knows what this is please let us know!

Its certainly something living out in eastern Ontario. The amount of wildlife here is extraordinary.
BUT! I feel there is a warning I must give to future property investors,
The one thing that might wreck it for SOME people is......
THE BUGS.

Man 'OOOO man are there bugs.

Ive never experienced anything like the bug population here. If you breath in to heavily, you've just consumed you protein for the day. The black flies will dive bomb your eyes and the mosquitoes will suck you inside out. Now, there is a benefit to all this chaos. The ecosystem is THRIVING. The amount of bird species here is unlike anything else in Ontario, the butterflies are everywhere, the parasitoid wasps are around in apocalyptic droves. Bees and wasps are a plenty here, at least on the organic farms that is.
So, if you can put up with a mouth full of bugs, you will do fine down here. lol.

Cheers!