Ruler of the Roost

What is it about boys... when it comes to girls?

I went in to feed the poultry (chickens, ducks and turkeys) this morning and discovered the tom turkey and the drake duck were fighting. The drake's head was all bloody and blood dripped out of his nostrils. The tom had blood all over the front of him, although I am pretty sure it is the drake's blood not his.

These two boys have peacfully coexisted for almost a year now. What has changed? The girls. They are now laying eggs and a few of them are setting. I am sure the boys are all puffed up with pride and feel they need to be top male in the poultry yard.

So, with a lack of any other space to seperate them I put all five turkeys (the tom and four hens) in the hoop house. I had to move a nest of eggs and I hope the hen continues to set on them in their new location.

I guess by default the drake duck will be the ruler of the roost for now.

I also noticed as I went about chores this morning that we lost the top of the old dead tree out in the pasture in the wind we had last night. Neil and I have been watching it for awhile, worried that it might fall before we got a chance to cut it down. We it fell first and luckily none of the animals got hurt in the process. It sure does change the look of the skyline in that little grove of trees in the pasture. It also made quite a mess on the ground for us to clean up. More firewood!

I sold four dozen eggs today!