[MAK]

I've read others good and bad news and I thought that I had shared others misfortune , bad luck and sorrow quite appropriately.
 I guess we have been very lucky and not really encountered any problems until the dogs got ill eating some venison (given to us last week) and we lost 2 ducks to a predator last night.
It strikes me that having a smallholding  comes with some real highs and lows. Yes it can be hard work but I think that keeps most of us fit and healthy - we probably all carry a few physical injuries or regularly have a few cuts or bruises. But maybe the emotional highs and lows are harder to cope with.
These emotional challenges are I think worse as we generally have no control over some aspects of smallholding- the weather, foxes,animal illness, diseased crops or mice eating our stores etc. When I worked for a living control was down to me and not others or nature.

Just thought I'd share these thoughts as I think that the low of loosing ducks will help me bond and have greater empathy with those of you who have, or who are having, much greater challenges than me.

[Sandy]

Hi, I felt that was a from the heart post, I only have chickens now as my ducks were too noisy for me, well my hubby, also I have dogs and our income comes from a B&B.......I love walking in all weathers and think keeping animals or growing stuff is a great leveler, you can see nature at its best and its worse.....the hard work put into any sort of smallholding is much more effective than gym membership and tablets for depression......I do work as well!!!!

[SallyintNorth]

Sorry to hear about your recent problems and losses, MAK.   

One of the really great things about having livestock (on whatever scale) is that we have to keep going - life really does go on.  We still grieve our losses and are upset at young lives wasted, or old friends departing, but then we have to set to and do our rounds - and the living remind us what matters and what life is still about.

[Lesley Silvester]

Having lost numerous hens and ducks to mink in Scotland and fox in England, I sympathise, MAK.  However, the life we choose is worth it.