I decided to get day old Icelandic chicks because they are reputed to be good egg layers and foragers. They are a rare breed and I think it is important to maintain genetic diversity.

I have one very handsome and elegant rooster, Gunnar, an Icelandic gentleman. He does an outstanding job of squiring the hens around, finding food for them, protecting them, and he does a courtship ritual before mating.

There have been some injuries and some losses this year in the various flocks of ducks, geese and chickens. A Welsh Harlequin drake was killed by a loose gate in a windstorm Frankie escaped through a partially latched garden gate.

Hens have been bred selectively to eliminate the broody trait, as it is uneconomical to have a hen that stops laying for many weeks, but Cornish are an old dual-purpose breed from England and many retain the broody trait.

This year has been dedicated to ground preparation for fruit tree planting next spring. Last year I discovered that large areas of the farm have been overrun with dog strangler vine, an invasive species.