Mutual Weirdness Farm

03/27/2025

I wrote this in response to a question regarding what kind of housing and run/pen area are needed for ducks:

Any shed-like coop works great for ducks. Ducks can easily be trained to go into a coop at night, especially if rewarded with mealworms when they get locked up.

Any run that works for chickens will work for ducks. Keep in mind that ducks are a LOT wetter than ducks and a run that is too small will very quickly turn to a muddy mess, so I recommend building their run area at least four times ad big as you think it needs to be, or make the coop and run moveable.

Ducks don’t need a pond but they do need fresh water every day that is deep enough for them to bathe in. I recommend the 5-9 gallon black pools from feed stores because they are simultaneously big enough for proper bathing and still small enough to dump out easily.

Wood chips are the best run material once they’ve destroyed the grass. Gravel just gets super gross and slimy.

Photo is of one of my Silver Appleyard girls next to my pond.

01/19/2024

On snowy mornings like these, I throw whole corn and sunflower seeds in front of the coop to encourage the chickens, turkeys, and Guinea fowl to go outside.

01/17/2024

How eggciting! The ducks thanked me for hauling water by hand for them for the past two days by laying an egg for me - and it wasn’t even frozen! Thanks, duckies!

01/16/2024

An Ohio winter haiku I wrote.

The pipes are frozen
Kitchen full of waterers
Still don’t miss summer.

01/13/2024

01/12/2024

I love my Silver Appleyards! They are such a friendly breed! These dirty duckies have been having a GREAT time playing in all the lovely mud and making me hunt for worms for them.

01/05/2024

Brandy and I got all bundled up today to take on the cold while doing morning chores. I think she looks like a ✨Professional Farm Dog✨ in her new Carhartt Chore Coat. I think it’s too funny that it’s actually called a Chore Coat!

12/17/2023

Chatty Kathy decided that rather than patiently waiting for me to pick out the blueberries from my coffee cake for her, she’d just help herself to the coffee cake itself. When I wouldn’t share, she turned into a Zombie Turkey, desperate for coffee cake! Heeeeelp!!!!! 😱😱😱

07/28/2023

Apparently this is a necessary reminder since people are STILL thinking this is “therapeutic:” STOP RELEASING BALLOONS!!!! I don’t care if your relative died, or you are celebrating a divorce, or gender reveal or any other reason! Deliberately releasing plastic and other non-biodegradable materials that end up in rivers or in pastures is littering *at best* and causes countless innocent animal deaths each year.

Animals get tangled in the string or ribbons or try to eat the ballon then choke or starve. I’m not really sure what kind of “closure” or “release” that’s supposed to bring someone, but maybe you can look into other ways of celebrating or grieving. Plant a tree in your dad’s name. Donate to an animal shelter in memory of your grandmother. Burn your wedding photos in a safe, controlled fire. Get creative but STOP RELEASING BALLOONS!!!

End of rant. Photo just for attention, but surely you wouldn’t want poor, sweet Megoosa to get caught in a balloon string, right?

07/19/2023

Chicken Math: remember, it’s not just about Addition.

06/25/2023

Wonder had her lambs!

Check out Meagan Weidner's video.

06/19/2023

06/14/2023

Oh good! Leia got herself stuck under the livestock trailer. I’m so glad that I have such considerate animals to make sure I never, ever EVER get any downtime to get bored. 🤦‍♀️

06/13/2023

Lamb update! Two in less than 24 hours!

Meagan Weidner's short video with ♬ Paper Birds (3 min)

06/09/2023

**Trigger warning: dead rodent**

Just a reminder that most poultry are not vegetarians. 😏

Free protein?