We had a baby red slider turtle, but he (Squirt) died the other day.  We're not sure what happened, but he had seemed sluggish.  Crush, the big turtle, was batting him about the tank, we suppose he was trying to get him to respond.  Crush seemed sad and slow.  The two often played or basked together. 

We picked up another companion for him at the feed store.  It's not legal to sell the babies, but apparently they can be given away.  You just pay 15 or so dollars for a small container of turtle food. 
When we put the new turtle in, Crush was quickly curious, batting the intruder about, and getting close, face to face, and running his claws over the baby turtle numerous times with  a sort of vibrating motion.  It was as if he was feeling his new acquaintance.  Really interesting.

The feed store ALSO had baby chicks in!  We picked up 4 turkey chicks, looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner already!  Let's see how well we do this year.  Lessons learned last year?  Turkeys need the right feed.  Turkeys will drown in duck water.  Turkeys will kill ducks.  Turkeys are DUMB...not hardy...hear it from more than one source, and experience agrees with the reports.

We don't really need ducks or chickens at the moment.  The 3 hens that survived last year's massacre may be starting to lay again, and the 5 hens we picked up at the feed store in December all seem to be laying now.  Down the road, maybe we can get a structure together to raise chickens for meat, but until then, I think we're good.  Between chicken and duck eggs, I'm well stocked.  Easily twice a week I'm serving eggs for dinner, and even so, unable to use all that we have on hand.  The kids are adjusting to Duck eggs, though there is a difference in texture when you scramble them.  I still think they're way yummier than chicken eggs!

Maybe I'll pick up a small incubator at the feed store, that might allow us to slowly increase either flock, chickens or ducks.  Regardless, spring is fast approaching.  Morning temps still at or below freezing, but trees are starting to bloom and animals are on the move...mostly jack rabbits.  Gardening is still a ways off, and we're re-thinking the fencing.  Can't really plant tomatoes and peppers 'til the end of April or so, not without expecting to lose them to frost, and we've learned that corn and other veggies won't much thrive if we plant before mid to late May.  So right now, still just planning, though the warmer weather could easily fool us!

Hope everyone's spring is shaping up well!  Blessings from the ranch!