No Snow Day for the Ladies

Made my trip, on foot, in the snow, to the "store" for eggs!

Eight inches of snow didn't keep these ladies from showing up at work!

Lunch Break!!

"The Boss" is keeping his eye on production!

Nice work, Ladies!!!  See you again tomorrow!

Incubator Time Again

And it's all filled up!


Banties, full-sized chickens and TURKENS!


Why I think I need turkens is a mystery to me, but I'm hoping they hatch!

It's a Dirty Job

but somebody's gotta do it! It's only 6 inches deep in here!!

It's hard work, but I had some help!

My boys are growing up and turning into regular little farm hands.

Luke helped load the trailer while Jake was hauling it to the fertilize pile and sweeping out the tack room.

I do believe my "ladies" will be happy to see their floor again!

Hey come back here! We're not done yet! We gotta muck out the horse stalls!!

Sorry Mom, scooping chicken poop is enough for one day!

Sampson (AKA Red)

Red spent a few days fighting to recovery from what I assume was an attack by the gander but didn't make it.


It makes me very sad to lose Red. He started out as Sampson but quickly became known as Red and was loved by all of us.


He was a gently giant with the boys. They could could even pick him up and carry him around.


They loved to feed him food from their hands.


Yet, he was fearless when it came to protecting his ladies!


He will be missed! It's hard to find a good rooster!!

Variety

It's amazing how the simplest things can bring a smile to your face on a farm! I was scurrying around yesterday evening after I got home from work, trying to get everyone in the barn fed, given hay and watered before dark. As I went into Dimples stall to add hay to his manger, I am sure my face lit up as I grinned from ear to ear. There in the corner of his stall were two GOOSE eggs in a nest of hay!!


I got my geese last Spring as babies and as they grew it became obvious that I had 2 females and a male. Over the past week, the male has been parading around, hissing at anything and everything that gets close to his ladies and biting at the chickens and goats. Now I know why!

After gathering all the eggs from the barn yesterday, I had quite the variety of eggs!


My Easter basket!


Since these are the first of the geese eggs, I am sure they will get a little larger as "first" eggs are always a little small! It's still a too cold with all the snow on the ground and 10-20 degree temps to let them try to sit and hatch babies but as soon as it's warmer we'll be trying for baby geese!!!



But until then we'll be having


scrambled eggs for breakfast!


YUM!

Ummm, That's Loud!

The first time I heard this it scared me! I was standing right by the gate and "it" was right behind me! I nearly pee'd my pants! Now, I wait to hear it each and every day as I head to the barn to feed my critters. I'm walking so please forgive the camera shake!



These 4 are always up to no good!


Bella is always looking for food! I had to put a board across the top of this door because she can jump it like it's a foot tall!


There's Marv! The handsome male model of our goat world!


And Nellie. That belly just keeps getting bigger. I'm thinking at least 2 babies in there! I hope so. She lost her little guy last year and didn't get to be a momma. I'm hoping she has an easy delivery this year. Nellie has expensive pretty feeders hanging on the gate but she likes her old metal pan!


The geese are always sitting in the snow. They even ruffle their feathers like they are dusting. Guess with all that goose down they stay warm!


Time to check on the big chickens. There's always a party going on in here!


The hens were getting on their nest boxes and making a mess on my eggs so I fixed the problem. I think they like the privacy too.


I love country eggs and I'm getting several a day now that I have the lights set up on a timer.


The little chickens don't like the snow much but they come out to see if I have any feed for them.
Bootsie's babies are growing.


and like I always say....Stud...well he's just Stud!


This little gal is sitting on 9 eggs in the dead of winter! I moved her into the brooder and added a light and some heat.


and my baby, DIMPLE! He's such a sweetie!


We're all waiting for Spring when we can frolic in this field with new baby goats and go fishing in the pond. Oh wait, they will frolic and I'll go fishing!


Oh what the heck! I think I'll frolic too!

Winter Farm Update

Brrrr! It's been wintery cold here lately! I throw on my coveralls and Muck boots and head to the barn each day. There's so much to do out there in the winter that I don't think to grab the camera on my way out. Everyone needs feed, hay, water and a little snack of course!


I feed the dogs at the house then the cats from the barn are usually on the porch waiting. They walk back to the barn with me.


Uh-oh! I've been spotted! As soon as the goats hear the door close they start (very loudly) telling me how hungry they are! Look at the belly on these gals!


Winter fat and hopefully little babies in there are making these gals look a little round for the holidays! They LOVE dried bananas, a new treat I added to my pocket a few days ago.


Nellie AKA Miss Piggy is such a big baby. She's always first in line for a snack.


Nanny takes her turn and Lucy is behind me trying to eat the flap off my back pocket!


Bella and Marv are hanging out in their stall impatiently awaiting their turn! A little snack for everyone and then the real feed and they have large round hay bales in their lots so I don't have to put it out each day.


Time to check on the chickens. Bootsie is still in the brooder with her 3 bitties. A little too cold for these fuzzy legged little guys to go to the larger pen yet.

The big chickens are always waiting....


Ready to run out the door and find bugs or whatever they find in the snow and mud after they have their feeding frenzy at the feeder.


The younger pullets and my Bantum Cochins stay in the smaller pen and chicken house.


Stud still thinks he's, well........the stud.


Who is that up there?


It's the guineas! They don't like Biscuit, the basset hound, so they hide in the hay loft until he goes back to the house.


The geese are waiting for me to add more water to the electric buckets so they can dip their long necks in.


I so need a miniature donkey or two for my little farm! I'm on the hunt for one (or two) now!
BTW, if you have livestock, those heated buckets are wonderful!

I make my way back to the house...

Deer are still looking for apples under the apple tree.


And someone else will need a refill of suet soon! Don't forget about my suet recipe. The birds love it during this winter weather!


That's how my daily barn chores go! Tomorrow, I'll put on my coveralls and Muck boots...


and do it all over again because....
I love it!