Valentina kindled this morning
So I get up before Wendy and Caleigh and go about my morning chores without Caleigh, she'll have a fit when she finds out. I wanted to do it alone his morning because it takes 1/3 the time and we have to get going relatively early to head down to Massachusetts today.
After letting the dog out, I tossed a handfull of food to the guineas to shut them up and keep them around. They are learning to forage and I worry that if I don't give them a little food they will lose interest in us and wander off to greener pastures. It seems to be working.
Next stop was the chicken coop. Since the goat shed still isn't built, the girls get tethered out in the yard to cut the grass and clear brush during the day, but still bunk with the chickens at night. When I go in, I bring a bucket of chicken feed and a couple of flakes of hay for the goats. First I hang the bucket of feed from the turkey perch so I won't have to deal with everybody trying to climb me while putting the hay in it's bag. Somehow this morning I ended up with a NH Red hen sitting on my shoulder for the whole process like a short, fat parrot.
The hay goes into a nylon rope bag that keeps it up off of the ground and allows the goats to pull it through. It gives them something to do as well becasue it just hangs from the turkey perch and thus swings around a bit.
Once that is done, I dump the chicken feed into the trough and stand back! On the way out, I stop at the henhouse and check for eggs. We are only getting a couple per day right now because they are molting. It went from a dozen plus to one or two almost overnight. The hens look kind of ratty as well since their feathers are falling out to be replaced with new ones. It's triggered by the shortening day.
Next stop: fill up the duck feeder. The new ducks aren't really getting along with the runners. They still seem to be in dispute over who owns the kiddie pool. They posture and parry, like a duck version of "West Side Story"...a turf war as the black ducks move into the white duck's neighborhood. What drama!
Last stop: make sure the rabbits have food and water and check to see if Valentina had had her babies yet. As I walked into the shed, she was sitting in front of her feeder munching away on pellets. She had pulled out a lot of her belly hair to line her nest with yesterday, and there in the middle of the nest in the hay was at least three, maybe more hours-old baby rabbits! Pink and hairless, maybe 3" long and 1" wide with little hairless rabbit ears. She covered them up with more hair and went back to her feeder. It looks like she knows what to do with them, and it is supposed to be warmer for the next few days so I think it will work out well.
It's getting late, so I'd better go wake up Wendy and Caleigh so they can see them before we leave.
Good job Lightning and Valentina!
After letting the dog out, I tossed a handfull of food to the guineas to shut them up and keep them around. They are learning to forage and I worry that if I don't give them a little food they will lose interest in us and wander off to greener pastures. It seems to be working.
Next stop was the chicken coop. Since the goat shed still isn't built, the girls get tethered out in the yard to cut the grass and clear brush during the day, but still bunk with the chickens at night. When I go in, I bring a bucket of chicken feed and a couple of flakes of hay for the goats. First I hang the bucket of feed from the turkey perch so I won't have to deal with everybody trying to climb me while putting the hay in it's bag. Somehow this morning I ended up with a NH Red hen sitting on my shoulder for the whole process like a short, fat parrot.
The hay goes into a nylon rope bag that keeps it up off of the ground and allows the goats to pull it through. It gives them something to do as well becasue it just hangs from the turkey perch and thus swings around a bit.
Once that is done, I dump the chicken feed into the trough and stand back! On the way out, I stop at the henhouse and check for eggs. We are only getting a couple per day right now because they are molting. It went from a dozen plus to one or two almost overnight. The hens look kind of ratty as well since their feathers are falling out to be replaced with new ones. It's triggered by the shortening day.
Next stop: fill up the duck feeder. The new ducks aren't really getting along with the runners. They still seem to be in dispute over who owns the kiddie pool. They posture and parry, like a duck version of "West Side Story"...a turf war as the black ducks move into the white duck's neighborhood. What drama!
Last stop: make sure the rabbits have food and water and check to see if Valentina had had her babies yet. As I walked into the shed, she was sitting in front of her feeder munching away on pellets. She had pulled out a lot of her belly hair to line her nest with yesterday, and there in the middle of the nest in the hay was at least three, maybe more hours-old baby rabbits! Pink and hairless, maybe 3" long and 1" wide with little hairless rabbit ears. She covered them up with more hair and went back to her feeder. It looks like she knows what to do with them, and it is supposed to be warmer for the next few days so I think it will work out well.
It's getting late, so I'd better go wake up Wendy and Caleigh so they can see them before we leave.
Good job Lightning and Valentina!
posted by MVTCoPete | 12:15 PM
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