Ducks and Longhorns

We had a deluge of rain last month and water is still standing in the low spot just outside the fenced yard. A few years ago we had a couple ducks fly in but they left right away. Now we've had 5 ducks fly in and they've been here a few days. It is so much fun to watch them. There's three drakes and two hens...not sure what kind. We're familiar with ducks but not these. (Maybe once I post this, you can click on the pictures and enlarge). The drakes have a black rump and a white patch and a white crescent that comes up from under the chin right at the beak. We thought they were gadwall but a gadwall doesn't have the white crescent on the face. Regardless, they are fun to watch. Eventually, when it dries out, Buddy is going to knock down some trees and officially put in a pond for me. Yay!!! Then the ducks will have a permanent spot.

I have to share some pictures of Button. I hadn't realized how much her horns are growing. This is her last year...

And this is her now... she just turned 2 so she still has lots of growing to do.

Buddy has created a monster! A longhorn should never be a pet. She really is a sweetheart and I'm very careful of her horns but this cow was raised with dogs and now she's thinks she's a dog and wants to run and play and chase trucks. Not good!

Here's a little Longhorn trivia -- it's the steers (castrated males), not the bulls, that have the longer, heavier horns. And Button is a free-martin - a condition which causes infertility in cattle to a female born twin to a male. So, Button will never be able to reproduce. Finally, there are seven different bloodlines of the Longhorn which give them their distinct characteristics. That's why some have horns that curve and go up or out and some that go straight out. Button is of the Butler lineage...that's why her horns go straight out. I don't know this for sure but we're wondering, because she's a free-martin and has more influence of the male hormones, if she will produce larger horns. Time will tell...

Happy Trails,

Berte