Update on Daisy the Duck

   It's been busy here on the homestead! The chickens, ducks and goats are growing and doing well. Today, we clean the coops again and work on shearing the goats and adding a divider into the got shed to separate bottomless pits and feed bags. Our oldest goat, a yearling, is at a different farm being bred to a handsome buck. In September or October we will have our first kidding! We are all very excited! We have multiple seedlings in the garden and spring has finally decided to join us.
   I wanted to give an update on our Daisy duck. Daisy was attacked by one (or more) of our chickens and had a pretty bad pecking injury on her wing and on her side. We used a combination of honey, lavender and frankincense EO and blue food coloring. It took some time to heal her injuries. We ended up applying the honey mixture five times. Sunny healed with one application of it. Her injuries were localized at her wing. Her flight feather was broken but Daisy had the more severe of the injuries. I know it could have been worse, but this was the first injury on our farm and I was devastated that one of my own animals had caused the problem. On day 3 of applying the honey we went out to check on her and she had puss coming from her wounds. I was concerned. We washed her and applied more and just waited. I was ready to try anything at this point, but the honey continued to heal the wound and she is now 100% better.
   Being the 'control freak' that I am, the hardest thing I have had to overcome is that of having no control. Each week I am learning something new, sometimes its exciting but sometimes it isn't. That is homesteading. Each year will bring new adventures and successes but not without the hard lessons learned and heartache that comes with animal keeping. I listened to an Oprah podcast the other day and out of the entire podcast one statement stuck with me.

This statement is so strong, so true and offers happiness in the good moments "yes! I deserve this, I manifested this, I am on the right path!" but also comfort in the rough times "I can get through this, I have not failed, what am I suppose to be learning?" Strangely, it offers peace when I see that I have messed something up. It helps calm my broken spirits and then in the end, I realize - had I not failed today, I would not have gained this knowledge for tomorrow. I have come across many moments in the past month or so where I have realized I didn't know as well as i thought I did but in the end it is making me a stronger, more knowledgeable homesteader and i am thrilled to have learned the lesson. 

What's to come?

 This week I will be adding a new recipe to the blog! I will be making gluten free ravioli! 

Check back for the recipe! 

I will also be sharing pictures of the homestead, new projects and where we are at now. 

In a years time, you will have walked beside me from the very beginning. <3