More Additions to Jingle Bells

It's been another busy week- an unexpected trip to the city, busyness on the farm, schooling- and suddenly it's Friday!

Even more of a surprise is finding out there is less than 9 weeks until Christmas.  How did that happen?  I mean, really, wasn't it just August last week?

I'll soon be posting quite alot on Christmas.  But you probably expected I would, being on Jingle Bells Farm and all : )
I'll be dragging out the Christmas crates that fill a large space of the loft and unearthing the overflow that found it's way into the children's rooms. And guest bedroom.  And my bedroom.  Contemplating this years festive season decorating..  Planning the annual Christmas Party.  Getting caught up in all things Christmas.
But that's in the coming weeks.

This week saw new arrivals to the farm- and one family was a total surprise.  A black bantam has been MIA come dusk the past few weeks and Thursday morning I discovered why. Seven little reasons why :)

A hunt around found her abandoned nest and I'm glad we looked- two eggs were pipping and there were 4 other eggs cooling down fast.  How Smudge Mama, her eggs and her newborn chicks managed to evade being snacked on by a fox or snake I'll never know.  She and her chicks were moved to a safe enclosure and the unpipped eggs stuck under a handy broody hen.

 I've been cursing the broody hens for going broody because it means less eggs for the kitchen, but I was glad for it yesterday! The pipping eggs I decided to place under Miss Determined.

Miss Determined is a goose.  A very large goose, especially in comparison to the tiny balls of nothingness that are the bantam chicklings.  But she has been sitting on her nest for months now, determined to become a mama, and faced all sorts of trials (I'll mention the word turkey but I wont expand) and disappointments (infertile eggs), and still she is sitting.  I figured she deserved these little bantam babies.  One hatched successfully and I am super proud to report Miss Determined is now a MAMA! I am a little concerned she will inadvertently squish the chickling but it's day 2 and all is well so far.

Lady Plum has also finally become a mama.

She and Darren have been taking their little gosling Isabelle out on foraging expeditions during the week and look so very proud of themselves as they waddle along keeping a watchful eye for eagles and crows.  We've lost a few chicks during the last month to winged predators, so I am constantly checking to make sure Isabelle is safe.

Next to introduce is Clive.

Clive was an oddbod hatched in the incubator.  He struggled to make his way out of his shell and was very weak for the first 48 hours. I didn't expect him to survive. But he did, and is doing so well he graduated today from Duck ICU in the upstairs bathroom to join all the other hatchlings in the Outside Nursery.

And now for the weekend!  Have a great Saturday and Sunday everyone.