Angel Wings

Some ducks are  born with a condition known as Angel Wings. In these ducks the last joint of  the wing is twisted so the wing feathers point out laterally instead of lying against the body. Basically this is a cosmetic issue but it can mean that the ducks cannot fly. For wild ducks this is big problem since they cannot migrate and fly from predators. Our ducks don't migrate and there are no predators.

But in our attempt to provide a good and natural habitat for all our animals, we decided to try to correct this condition. We watched a bunch of YouTube videos to find out what to do. We are trying the suggestion of wrapping the wings and keeping them in place for 3-4 days.

We used old tee shirts for wrapping. After wrapping the duck we've tried a few methods to hold the shirt in place - rubber bands, electric tap and pony tail elastics. No method has been completely successful but each has worked for 1 or 2 ducks.

Hebrew University Researchers Visit Us

 Yesterday we hosted several researchers and students from Hebrew University School of Agriculture. The group that visited us is looking at natural ways to manage tree growth and production. Currently most large agriculture is done homogenously. So a farmer might grow just oranges, or just apples. They are looking at what happens if there are different trees and plants are grown together. From what I understood, this would impact the insect population and requiring less pesticides.  

It was interesting to hear that as researchers in Israel they need to consider Halacha (Jewish law). In Jewish law some plants cannot be grown together because it causes kiliyam, 

So why were they at Meshek Muslow? They wanted to see what we have done and consider if they can use some of our property in their research. 

At Meshek Muslow we are always trying new ways to succeed using natural methods. We have a diverse tree population so maybe that helps reduce the insect infestation. In the past we tried letting the sheep and goats roam and eat the weeds but unfortunately we weren't successful since they ate the trees. This group explained that they are trying something similar with sheep in pomegranate fields and are using fences around the trees. For us, this was too expensive but it was exciting to hear how it works.

For us it was a fascinating day. We were invited to their team meeting and heard about all the experiments they are currently involved with.