ducks Archives - GlenMyu Estate Luxury Bed and Breakfast

Thought for the Day

Holiday, Our Animals at GlenMyu Estate, Travel / By Mikeez

Our Thought for the Day

Here is our thought for the day from GlenMyu Estate Hotel, Beragala, Haputale, Sri Lanka.

As I wander around the beautiful 5 acre Estate in the Sri Lankan Hill Country my mind wanders. It’s amazing what comes to mind when roaming around the land with 7 dogs in tow.

What comes into my mind and inspires my thought for the day.

Surrounded by nature and a sea of green.

Birdsong providing the background music.

It’s easy to be inspired into thinking different thoughts whilst enjoying this little piece of paradise.

My intention with my "Thought for the Day"

Often when walking around memories or ideas come into my mind.

I plan to regularly share my thoughts with you the reader.

However, I can’t promise to share them every day as some many not be inspiring or interesting.

Please accept them as they are.

Thought for the Day - How wrong I was!

I didn’t really want a cow.

My wife wanted a cow.

As usual, my wife gets her own way.

Now we have a cow!

Maali, the co, really adds to our beautiful landscape at GlenMyu Estate.

Here is a picture of her adding to the scenery and ambiance of the land.

She doesn’t just add to the ambience of the estate. Maali is an important addition to the aim to produce organic food. A cow produces cow dung and urine which is used towards our composting. It provides valuable additional goodness that helps the plants balanced homemade natural fertiliser.

My thought for the day

It’s okay to be wrong.

I have read so many books and been in business training courses where they recommend you to set a goal. However it is okay to adjust that goal and reset it.

I guess that’s what happened when we got the cow.

Thought for the Day Read More »

New Life Arrives

Holiday, Our Animals at GlenMyu Estate / By Mikeez

New Life Arrives

We get very excited when new life arrives at GlenMyu Estate.

Today (5th March 2022) our wonderful Mama Duck has done it again!

We have some new life arrivals at the Estate in the form of the cutest ducklings.

Our Mama Duck does it again.

Our Black Muscovy Mama Duck is a proud mother looking after her new offspring.

Feeling uplifted after a bad week - thankfully new life arrives

Unfortunately one of our dogs went missing on the 21st February and we have been in mourning since. We have searched the Estate and further, driven for many kilometres and spread the word over the internet and by printing lost dog posters to try to find him.

We have not given up hope and have come to the conclusion that someone really wanted our beautiful dog and he is in a new caring home. Other outcomes we can’t bear thinking about.

The new life arriving today at the Estate has given us a bit of a lift.

Mama Duck was not very successful with her last batch as only one egg hatched.

We were really concerned that this solitary duck would be lonely not having siblings.

However, Mama duck looked after her until she was old enough to join the rest of the mature ducks and she has just fitted in very well and is part of the family.

Here is a picture of the new ducklings that hatched this morning.

As you can see there are more eggs to hatch. We will have to wait and see whether all ten eggs are successful.

We just love watching our ducks wander about the estate

One of the joys of being at GlenMyu Estate is to be closer to nature, switch off and enjoy the little things in life.

We really get a lot of satisfaction out of spending half an hour or so just watching our ducks go about their business.

They waddle from their duck house down to the stream for bathing and then forage around the grounds looking for something to eat. Even watching them have a snooze perched on one leg is just very soothing.

The new life that arrived today will give us more interesting things to watch and pass the time.

I often say that watching the ducks is a kind of therapy.

If you want to spend your holiday in Sri Lanka closer to nature GlenMyu Estate is great choice.

Please click on the following link for more information.

We had three sets of guests here today to witness the new life arrive at the Estate. Maybe you will also be able to experience this if Mama Duck times it with your visit.

New Life Arrives Read More »

One of the rescue dogs at GlenMyu Estate and Hotel, Haputale, Sri Lanka.

A dog called Clove and a Clove Tree Orchard.

Holiday, Our dogs, The Organic Garden at GlenMyu / By Mikeez

A story of the rescue dogs we have at GlenMyu Resort and Hotel, Haputale, Sri Lanka.

A dog called Clove and a Clove Tree Orchard.

Cloves remind me of both Christmas and skiing in Europe.

Oranges peppered with cloves sunk in gallons of red wine and brandy on the stove creating an intoxicating beverage on a chilly December day just gives me a glowing warming comfortable feeling.

This perfect combination is something to look forward to as the temperatures dive towards the end of the year.

It’s not a drink for Sri Lanka, apart from maybe Nuwara-Eliya, as it just doesn’t get cold enough here to do justice to this delicious beverage.

What are Cloves?

Cloves are the flower buds of the clove tree which is a tropical evergreen tree known as Myrtaceae Syzygium aromatic.

The trees are native to the Moluccus Islands, or Spice Islands in Indonesia.

Cloves have a strong aroma and a hot, pungent taste. They are used to flavour many foods and in particular meat and bakery products. It is used in Europe to flavour Christmas foods such as …… hence my picture of Christmas when I smell the aroma of cloves.

Indonesia is still the worlds largest producer of cloves followed by Madagascar, Tanzania and Sri Lanka.

An accident or fate? - How we met Clove and she found a place in our hearts

Early on during the build of the main house on GlenMyu Estate we were made aware that some of the construction workers were feeding some abandoned puppies near our gate entrance. Once of the three foundlings had already dies and there were two black waifs struggling to survive. My wife Ruwanthi went up to investigate and brought the starving creatures down to the garage.

My parents had always had dogs when I was growing up and Ruwanthi was the same however, we had not considered having any animals ourselves. We both had worked long hours in the UK and it would not have worked for us and we would not have been able to provide the care for the animals so the thought had not entered our minds.

Our small Clove Orchard

The agricultural department supplied us with around thirty trees which we planted in an area where they would get sufficient shade for them to survive during the warmer months from mid June to mid September.

Our worker dug some rather large holes before planting however as the land is very rocky it was important to provide the trees with the ability to establish their roots without too many obstacles.

Once planted they looked a bit lost as they were so small however, as we have learnt over the last few years, they require sufficient space when they are established to thrive.

Early on I planted lots of coleus around the saplings which gave them a bit of shade when needed and a bit of colour in the developing orchard.

It has taken a lot of work initially watering, clearing around the trees and occasionally feeding with organic compost made on the estate. I patiently inspected them over the months hoping that they would change from waif like twigs into something that resembles a proper tree.

In the last few months however they really appear to have got going and hopefully it will not be too long until we are ready for our first harvest.

Clove and Cinnamon were destined to become part of our family

Our outlook on not having dogs soon changed as both Clove and her sister Cinnamon became embedded into our daily life.

After the initial continual feeding, trips to the vet, injections, skin treatments and so on they became lots of fun and something both Ruwanthi looked forward to waking up to.

Unfortunately Cinnamon did not survive, which broke our hearts, and we were left with Clove who became an important member of our family.

Clove is such a lovely dog, who is so friendly with everyone it is difficult for her not to melt your heart.

Cooking with Cloves

What are Cloves used for in Sri Lankan cooking?

Clove recipes

Come to GlenMyu Estate and see what other trees, fruits and vegetables we are growing

We were lucky enough to have some established trees on the five acre Estate and we have continued to plant more trees and other plants as we have developed the land.

We have an organic garden which provides the staples to lots of the items we serve on our menu. We are also developing Plant Based, Vegetarian and Vegan Menus as an offering for guests who stay at the Estate.

There are three king size on suite bedrooms for guests which all have superb views of the hills below.

A natural spring fed swimming pool is available for the use for guests and is a great place to have a refreshing swim or just hang out listening to the nature that passes by.

Please visit our website https://resortglenmyu.com for further details or contact Ruwanthi by WhatsApp.

We hope that you come an enjoy our little part of paradise and watch it grow.

Where we are located.

Can I bring my own dog to GlenMyu Estate?

We love dogs, however, as GlenMyu Estate is home to seven dogs we do not permit guests to bring their pets.

We believe that the risk, however small., would be too much and both the guests and ourselves would not be able to enjoy your stay as we would be concerned about your pet and ours.

A dog called Clove and a Clove Tree Orchard. Read More »

Ducks, ducks and more ducks and a birthday.

Birds, Our Animals at GlenMyu Estate / By Mikeez

Ducks, ducks and more ducks and a birthday.

We didn’t plan to have ducks.

I thought that having chickens ay GlenMyu would be good to provide us with organic eggs. They would also provide a good home and life for the birds we were to rear.

We have friends back in the UK that have a henhouse in their smallholding. They get a steady stream of eggs throughout the year. My only objection was that I found the cockerel to be quite aggressive and scary. I wasn’t looking forward to dealing with this challenge on a daily basis whilst collecting the eggs.

Our friends also have turkeys from time to time. Then the scare factor doubles for me!

Some research - but not enough.

Ruwanthi did a bit of research as we were also trying to grow organic rice at the estate. She came across some articles about Japanese farmers using ducks to keep their paddy fields weed free. The ducks also provided good natural fertiliser for the rice while they were going about their work.

Another birthday!

As one gets older birthdays are more of a challenge when it comes down to marking another year around the sun. The conundrum is exacerbated when you live remotely. This results in limited purchasing opportunities. And being tied to the property whilst the development of the building and land is in progress doesn’t help.

This years birthday present - so easy?

I was delighted in 2019 whilst driving down the hill from Haputale to Beragala that my pondering over a suitable present this year. It was solved when Ruwanthi asked my to stop the car.

After about 20 minutes Ruwanthi returned looking for my wallet to complete the purchase of four duckling. And a packet of duck feed to keep them going.

I was a little bemused as it was another commitment we were taking on without much planning.

A mixed welcome from the dogs.

We arrived back at GlenMyu and the dogs were ejected from their cage. This would become a residence for the ducks until we arranged a more suitable home for them. I really don’t know what the dogs thought of the situation!

The ducks lineage is just like the dogs on the estate being a bit of this and a bit of that. However, we did work out that we had a Muscovy due to her markings.

A name for the duck.

The Muscovy duck is now called Mama Kahlu as she has been prolific providing a stream of new ducklings. Once she decided to sit on her eggs there was no moving her. Our duck numbers grew and grew so quickly that I was concerned that we would be overrun by them at the property!

Still learning - at our age!

We have have learnt a lot over the eighteen months or so that we have had the ducks. We have lost a few; one flew away, two were meals for the mongoose. One duckling went missing mysteriously in the middle of the night. Two ducklings have drowned? ( I didn’t think that this was possible).

A farm animal or a pet?

Ruwanthi has a great relationship with Mama duck. She follows Ru when clearing demanding the worms that are dug up. Muscovys are renowned for being quite friendly and acting like a pet.

At this current time (July 2021) we have Mama Duck and one of her offspring sitting on eggs. You can see from the videos below that Mama is quite comfortable in her endeavour being an old timer now. The younger duck is very protective and hisses as me as I get near.

Maybe my reservation about chickens and turkeys being scary will also be the case with some of the ducks we raise!

Come and experience the ducks for your self at GlenMyu Estate.

Ducks, ducks and more ducks and a birthday. Read More »

An Egg Hunt ….but it’s not Easter!!!

Accommodation, Holiday, Organic, Our Animals at GlenMyu Estate, Photography, Sri Lanka, The Organic Garden at GlenMyu, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka, Travel / By Mikeez

An Egg Hunt… but it’s not Easter

It’s been a really steep learning curve being new to raising ducks and only being 18 months in

It started with a ......

A spur of the moment birthday present for my wife in late 2019 brought four ducklings to GlenMyu Estate.

We didn’t know at the time that you cannot work out the sex of the duckling until it grows a bit and therefore we were unsure what mix of a batch we had picked from the retailer.

Waiting, waiting and......

We waited with anticipation and we thought that we were lucky as it turned out we had two males and two females. We thought we would have a stream of eggs coming from these pairs in the coming months.

Little did we realise that there is a rule of thumb ratio of one male to four or five female ducks however we were soon to find this out. From the markings we appeared to have two Muscovy Ducks and two ….well we don’t really know what they are!

The dominant Drake would bully the Muscovy Drake and it was pitiful to watch.

One day the Muscovy Drake decided enough was enough and flew away never to be seen again despite and extensive search by us and our team. We often think about what happened to him. Did he manage to survive or was he lunch for a mongoose or one of the other predators that may be hiding in the forests.

Anguish and agony!

The remaining Muscovy female was a little bit lost for a few days however settled into life with her duck house mates.

The Muscovy female decided one day that she was going to sit on her eggs and our egg production was reduced however, we were intrigued to see what would happen

Amazing Mother Nature.

We are amazed by mother nature and how animals, without any training or knowledge, instinctively mate, deliver and care for their offspring.

Been here....done it!

We had witnessed this with our first dog, Clove, who had been on heat whilst we were in Colombo and we missed the boat on getting her spayed to avoid adding to the already large number of dogs in the community.

Clove was so young but delivered, cleaned and fed her seven puppies to our astonishment and admiration. We were disappointed that she decided after three or four weeks feeding them was too much of a bother and handed the responsibility over to us!

Mama Duck.

Mama Duck, as she is now known, also instinctively did what was required to see seven eggs through to the emergence of seven beautiful, cute, and hungry ducklings.

Mama Duck has turned out to be quite prolific and has delivered several batches of new life since.

The Lonely Duckling.

We have one of her offspring who are now sitting on its own batch of eggs and we are awaiting to see if she are as successful as their mother is. Mama Duck is also sitting on eggs so we are expecting lots of new arrivals in late July or early August.

Both females are sitting on eggs in the security of the greenhouse and duck house. This is a first as Mama Duck usually sets up her next near our Temple Rock which is not secure from predators and we have had many nights of lost sleep concerned about her safety. We are sleeping better now knowing that they are better protected and can be locked in at night.

You have to laugh.

We joke that every morning we have to go on an egg hunt to find where the ducks have laid their eggs so we can collect them. They can lay their eggs in the most awkward of places and are really good at hiding them!

Hide and Seek!

One of the other females is now laying and hiding her eggs in anticipation of sitting on them delivering more life to GlenMyu. She has tried a few spots before settling on one place.

Around six thirty this morning I decided I would go open an egg hunt and watch where she went after her morning dip in the stream.

I kept my distance and had an idea of roughly where she was sitting.

At around midday I had a look at the spot and eventually uncovered five eggs well hidden by leaves, grass and other flora. I took a short video showing what I found.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate to explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and see sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

An Egg Hunt ….but it’s not Easter!!! Read More »