Birds of a feather

Our birds of a feather are such funny fellows. They make us laugh with their antics. They are extremely friendly and can also be quite moody. We have been carers to a rooster and chickens. Looked after a disabled chicken called Poule Noir. Been home to a family of barn swallows. And rescued a dove, just to name a few. We also have a tawny owl, blackbirds, wood doves, sparrows, finches and more in our garden. And, of course, there are the ducks.

looking at interspecies living at PumpjackPiddlewick

There are good days, and bad days, when it comes to interspecies living. Today was a bad day. Well, not really. A bit of an exaggeration, especially as the day has barely started. The weather is cold and the cats have taken to staying in. They are not used to,Read More →

Building compost bins out of pallets at PumpjackPiddlewick

When we first moved to France to look after a petite Chateau, there were a few obvious projects that attracted our attention. The vegetable garden, which had gone to seed. And, the compost bins. Or rather the compost heap. Literally. It was a heap. As we wanted compost for theRead More →

The myths and truths about Ducks and Water explored at PumpjackPiddlewick

There are a lot of myths, untruths and unknowns when it comes to ducks and water. So let’s debunk a few and explain some truths. Ducks need water. That is a fact. They need it for several reasons, though surprisingly not for swimming. A duck doesn’t actually have to swim,Read More →

Why build an ordinary gate, when you can build a mathematical gate? At least that was Pumpjack’s thought process. And heck our ducks and chickens deserve the best. A little background behind the thinking. During the summer, the gate to the chicken and duck enclosure gave up its life. ItRead More →