We've been busy.........Our little farm is growing!

Wow!  A lot of work going on around the farm :0)

We were chosen once again to be a release site for 6 more mallard ducks from Izzie's Pond!  It looks like there are 3 drakes and 3 hens :0)  They are wonderful for our first little pod of ducks!  Our first pod was a little apprehensive about swimming more than about 5 feet from the bank....not these new ones!  Right out into the middle of the pond!  It wasn't long before pod #1 was joining them. Yahoo!  Our ducks have figured out they CAN swim! lol

Here's some pictures of the newest "pod" of ducks enjoying our pond :0)

Happy, Happy, Happy!

One of the new hens in the lillies

The drake is in the middle and a hen either side...he's a handsome young lad!

We are very happy with our new residents!

The chicks will be 6 weeks old tomorrow...hard to believe.  They are growing so quickly and we have figured out which two are our roosters "Fred" and "Jerry".  "Fred" is buddies with another sweet hen I have named "Woobie". If I go out into the pen or coop and stoop down, Woobie will be on my arm or back instantly and Fred is right at my feet! LOL  They are too cute!

Here's a few recent pictures of them:

They have grown so much.

Testing out the new perches Farmer Man made them <3

Breakfast Treats! Soft banana, fresh peas, strawberries and a little Swiss chard!

LOL I thought I'd put a board out in the run so I had something clean to sit on....it's not clean anymore!

We also have added 5 new turkey poults!  I asked for 3 and my sweet Farmer Man brought home 5. His reasoning behind bringing home 5 was so we would have a better chance of at least on Tom in the bunch.  Well, from the pictures I took today will they were out of the brooder and running around the screened porch, I do believe we have one, possibly two, Toms! 

Meet "Tommy"!  Isn't he just adorable!!!  Just a little over 2 weeks old and already strutin' his stuff <3

"Tommy" the ladies man ;0)  Just look at the little, cute tail feather fan!!!

 My dear sweetie also installed two 4 foot by 8 foot raised bed gardens for me!  We built them together and I stained the outside of them after we got them in place.  He went by "Bricko's" in Augusta and picked up some nursery mix soil to fill the beds.  I am SO excited to have the chance to have a garden once again!

First raised bed going together!

Viola! Frame completed and installed

Stained, on the outside only...the stain will darken with time...it matches the house ....the corners are pressure treated and will fade to a nice grey color

Tada! Filled and ready to plant.  I managed to grow 3 zucchini and 3 spaghetti squash in the greenhouse...not much success with anything else :0/...I'm still trying to figure out how to grow things in the greenhouse...whole different ballgame!

As you can see, we have been busily adding to our farm and working to be more self sufficient.  It will be September before the chicks lay eggs, the bees are working away, building comb and bringing up brood to build the colony, the turkeys will be pets, although if we have two Toms we'll probably find another home for one Tom and a Hen leaving us with a nice trio....hoping to breed and sell poults. 

We have enough soil left to build a 4 foot by 4 foot raised bed.... Just need a little more lumber. Our dear friends have offered their asparagus sprouts that have grown outside their raised beds so I think that's what we'll designate for the next bed.. Between now and then I'll be working away on the square foot gardens :0) I can't wait to have homegrown tomatoes and green beans!!! 

Thanks for stopping in and seeing what we have been up to!  I hope you enjoyed a little taste of The Old Five Notch Farm :0)