I’ve added some new questions to the Q&A page.  Mostly sugar related but there is a new one on Indian Runner Ducks.

Are all indian runner ducks the same color when they are babys?

Is raw sugar as bad as white sugar?

Is raw sugar low glycemic?

If you have a simple living question, the answer to a question, question the answer or have additional information to add just type it into the comment box.

Curious about something? These are actual questions I get through comments and site searches. Some can be pretty strange. If you have a question or an answer just send it through the comment section of the Questions and Answers for Simple Living page or any post page.

Critter Queries

Q. How old are chickens when they go broody?

Q. Can I keep chickens in the garden?

Q. How long should my runner duck sit on her eggs?

Q. How old are Indian Runner ducks when they lay eggs?

Home and Health

Q. Can i put straight apple cider vinegar (ACV) in my ear?

Q. Can I leave ACV in my hair?

Q. Do the voices in my head bother you?

Learn and help us and others learn about homesteading, farming, gardening, critters and living the simple life. Post your question or answer today.

These are actual questions I get through comments and site searches. Some can be pretty strange. If you have a question or an answer to a question just send it through the comment section of this page.

Critter Queries

Dogs & Cats

Q. How can I grow my own cat grass?

A. Easy Peasy. Grow your own wheat grass.

Chickens

Q. How old are chickens when they go broody?

A. If she can lay ‘em she can hatch ‘em. I’ve had 2 hens go broody. They were both about a year old. Many breeds of chicken have had the instinct to go broody bred out of them so they’ll produce more eggs. Just one of the negative impacts of chicken factory “farming”.

Q. Can I keep chickens in the garden?

A. Well, that depends. During growing season we keep them out cause chickens can cause harm in a garden pretty quick. They will scratch around delicate roots, eat tomatoes, scatter mulch and trample down plants.

But during the off seasons we let em have it. They will cultivate and fertilize the garden spot. When we dig for planting they love to follow behind and gobble up delicacies like grub worms and beetles that have been hiding underground. In the process they help break up the soil.

Q. Is it ok to feed chickens Nutritional Yeast?

A.

Ducks

Q. How long should my runner duck sit on her eggs?

A. Duck eggs take about 28 days to incubate.

Q. How old are Indian Runner ducks when they lay eggs?

A. When ever she decides to… but she should start laying eggs between 4 – 6months.

Q. Are all Indian Runner ducks the same color when they are babys?

A. Five of our eggs hatched. We had 1 white, 1 black and 3 grey(blue). I understand that some females have the gene to produce offspring of all colors. Our Bonnie apparently has that gene. The ducklings are 2 months old now and their color has not changed in any drastic ways.

Home and Health

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)

Q. Can i put straight apple cider vinegar (ACV) in my ear?

A. Yes, It’s great for getting soap residue out of your ear. Using ACV in the ear has shown to help an earache. Though it is just as effective to mix 1/2 ACV and 1/2 water.

Q. Can I leave ACV in my hair?

A. Why not? It’s a great conditioner. The Ph level of ACV is very close to your hairs’ Ph level.

Q. Will vinegar take perm smell out of hair?

A.

Sugar

Q. Can you use raw sugar or honey instead of white sugar when
making (canning) jellies and preserves?

A. I use raw sugar just as I would use white sugar.

Honey can be used to replace sugar when canning jams, jellies, preserves, chutney’s, fruit, etc. To use honey in place of sugar in canning, use 7/8 cup for every cup of sugar, and don’t change the other liquids.

In baking some folks use honey cup for cup, others prefer 1/2 cup – 2/3 cup of honey per cup of white sugar. Also in baking, reduce the amount of other liquids by 1/4 cup for every cup of honey used and lower the oven temp by 25 degrees to prevent over-browning.

Q. Is raw sugar low glycemic?

A. No.

Q. Is raw sugar as bad as white sugar?

A. I like how jugalbandi.info describes raw sugar as “minimally processed, granulated cane sugar that has not been tortured or molested in unmentionable ways unlike it’s white counterpart. Has a richer flavor and more nutrients.” They have a well written and very informative article on the subject of sugars. Check it out.

Slowly, Put the Chicken Down & Step Away from the Keyboard!

Q. Do the voices in my head bother you?

A. Umm, why don’t you sit down and have a nice cup of Chamomile Tea.

Q. Why does your nose RUN and your feet SMELL?

A. Uh, anybody? I guess maybe I’ve been cleaning out the hen house?

I know what you’re thinking, “Oh no, not another post about ducks!” I’m sorry this is what I wanted to write about today. It’s better than not writing at all! So, if your thinking of getting some ducks, here’s a few things that come to mind about their care.

Ducks are quite easy to care for and keep healthy. They are naturally disease resistant. Much more so than chickens. They need security from predators at all times as they have no effective defenses of their own. Predators may include raccoons, foxes, and hawks, dogs and cats.

Ducklings have no natural oils and when incubated they don’t have any oil from the mother duck so their feathers can become water logged. For ducklings water for swimming should be very shallow and easy to get out of. Full sized adolescent ducks have died from exposure because they couldn’t get out of a kiddie pool. I am using a lid from a large plastic tote. If you tilt it a little it even has a deep end and a shallow end.

A small group of adult ducks would only need a mortar mixing pan or kiddie pool to have enough to swim in and keep their feathers clean. A pond is not necessary. They need water deep enough to rinse their entire head to keep their eyes and nostrils clear .

In addition, they need room to forage and exercise. They need plenty of areas to look for bugs as well as to eat the grass itself. Access to shade is a must year-round. And they need a dry place to sleep at night that is predator proof and protected from wind, but not too air-tight.

Runner ducks love the cold but must be able to get out of the wet when needed. They should have plenty of clean dry straw to nest on and lay their eggs. The straw helps to keep the eggs clean. Ducks tend to keep their mess around their water. So if you keep their water a distance from their nest it will be easier to keep it clean.  They always always need water with their food.

I feed ducklings a home mix of starter feed. I also supplement their diet with milk, yogurt, scrambled eggs, veggies, chicken scratch, oatmeal and other goodies.
Home Mix Starter Feed
Corn Meal
Bone Meal
Chopped Alfalfa
Kelp Powder
Wheat Germ
Wheat Bran

They are free range so they forage all day for grubs, worms and insects.

Ducks should not be fed medicated chicken food (their livers do not process it as well as chickens). In my opinion chickens should not be fed medicated food either.

The long awaited day has come! Yesterday, the duck eggs started hatching. By bedtime we had 4 ducklings. There was one more when I went down to check them this morning. I’ll give the remaining 2 eggs until Sunday to see if they hatch.

Red looked up at me like, “Are these really mine? No wonder it took so long. Man, I’ve been sitting on these eggs for 28 days!” That’s a long time to sit in one spot with only periodic leg stretches and bathroom breaks.
The ducklings look very healthy. They are sticking close to Mama Red and the nest. I have given them fresh water and a home mix of starter feed. In the days to come I’ll be supplementing their diet with milk, yogurt, scrambled eggs, grubs, worms, insects and some other goodies.
Home Mix Starter Feed
Corn Meal
Bone Meal
Chopped Alfalfa
Kelp Powder
Wheat Germ
Wheat Bran

The eggs came from the mating pair of Indian Runners we got from Pat. She told me that they had the genes for producing offspring of all colors.

I apologize for the poor photos. If you click on them you’ll get a better view. I hope to post some better ones this weekend. They’re so cute!