Animals
Last but not least, we will muck the dry lot....cleaning up the night's accumulation of manure.
I don't know about you, but I'm starved. Let's head back to the house for a big breakfast of farm fresh eggs and home made bread with jam from last year's blueberries. Fresh Bee Haven honey for our tea......and all the work is worth it! We have a few hours free now, until we head back out to do it all again in the late afternoon.
- Frog Dodging, And Other Farm Games
Last call for the night is right after sunset. We head out to the barn and tuck in the horses. Fresh hay for all....check water supply.....clean poop.....kiss goodnight X 4 and then out to close up the chickens and guineas...who have found their way into...
- A Typical Day!
Well, after yesterday's harrowing experiences, I decided that today was a day to go to town and run some errands (ie: get a few hours away from the farm). So, I jumped out of bed at 5:30, showered and dressed, and headed to the barn as the sun was...
- Last Call
So much of farm life is ritual. There are certain chores that are done every day and every evening....without exception. No matter what the weather, the chores must be done. After all, there are little lives that depend upon us to meet their needs. And...
- Tom Tom, Farm Manager
Each morning, when I arrive at the barn, Tom Tom is waiting for me and leads me into the barn...a reminder that hungry kitties are waiting. He quickly gulps down his breakfast (spoiled barn kitties get canned food twice a day and unlimited dry food available....amazingly...
- You Can't Keep Them Young!
This morning started much the same as every morning on the farm. Our alarm clock is the first "wake up!" song of Mr. Cardinal (Mr. and Mrs. are year-long residents in the tree outside the farmhouse). Without fail, each day he sings the first stanza of...
Animals
A Day in The Life
I thought I would take you along with me to do the morning chores. You'll have to bundle up, it's freezing outside. Ten degrees with a wind chill of much lower....we'll be out for about 2 1/2 hours, so dress warmly!
A warm hat and warm, waterproof boots are essential.
We'll get the gator rolling and drive down to the barn...arriving just as dawn breaks. It's a still and peaceful time of day....my favorite!
The bigs are hungry, so we'll throw them a couple flakes of hay first.
Then we'll open up the fancy chicken pen, replenish their food and water and clean up the night's accumulated manure.
Can you hear Rod crowing? Let's head up to the hayloft and open the barn door a bit. There he is...."Good Morning Rod!"
You might have noticed that the barn kitties are under foot.
Let's feed them next.
By now the horses have had enough hay, so we'll give both the Bigs and the Littles their grain.
Next we head up to the goats and the rest of the chickens.
Everyone gets food and water.
The chicken coops are cleaned....especially the nesting boxes.
My chickens have a habit of pooping on and in their boxes....so we'll clean them out before today's laying begins.
One last chicken house to check....the babies.
Again some food and water and a bit of cleaning.
Now back to the barn to put the Bigs out to pasture and the Littles into the dry lot.
Later this morning we will go out again and switch them around.
Last but not least, we will muck the dry lot....cleaning up the night's accumulation of manure. Then off to the manure pile to dump it all.
I don't know about you, but I'm starved. Let's head back to the house for a big breakfast of farm fresh eggs and home made bread with jam from last year's blueberries. Fresh Bee Haven honey for our tea......and all the work is worth it! We have a few hours free now, until we head back out to do it all again in the late afternoon. And so this is life on the farm....up with the sun....there is never a question of what we will do each day....it's pretty well mapped out. But there is a certain comfort to the rhythm of life. It's hard work in sometimes brutal weather....but I wouldn't have it any other way!
- Frog Dodging, And Other Farm Games
Last call for the night is right after sunset. We head out to the barn and tuck in the horses. Fresh hay for all....check water supply.....clean poop.....kiss goodnight X 4 and then out to close up the chickens and guineas...who have found their way into...
- A Typical Day!
Well, after yesterday's harrowing experiences, I decided that today was a day to go to town and run some errands (ie: get a few hours away from the farm). So, I jumped out of bed at 5:30, showered and dressed, and headed to the barn as the sun was...
- Last Call
So much of farm life is ritual. There are certain chores that are done every day and every evening....without exception. No matter what the weather, the chores must be done. After all, there are little lives that depend upon us to meet their needs. And...
- Tom Tom, Farm Manager
Each morning, when I arrive at the barn, Tom Tom is waiting for me and leads me into the barn...a reminder that hungry kitties are waiting. He quickly gulps down his breakfast (spoiled barn kitties get canned food twice a day and unlimited dry food available....amazingly...
- You Can't Keep Them Young!
This morning started much the same as every morning on the farm. Our alarm clock is the first "wake up!" song of Mr. Cardinal (Mr. and Mrs. are year-long residents in the tree outside the farmhouse). Without fail, each day he sings the first stanza of...