Grazing the backyard AND Is that a He or a She?

On By stefrobrtsIn chickens, farm3 Comments

The critters have all been stuck in the corral since I took them off the pasture last week so it can recover over the winter. So I thought they’d be happy today when I put them in the backyard to graze. I figured it was tall enough it could use to be eaten down a bit, and there’s nothing back there I care about them damaging.


Of course, they still complain as soon as they see me – Baaaaaaaa!

Here’s Mom and her not-so-little lambs. Marian is in the middle, Indy is on the right.

Here’s Big Bird, he’s starting to get a tail. Unfortunately he’s starting to get those nasty spikes on the back of his legs too!


Just for comparison, here are two of my three buff orpington girls. Two of them look like the one in the top picture, but the third one is in the bottom picture. A lot more red on the face, and starting to get a tail. I think I might have an extra rooster!

Morning on the farm

On By stefrobrtsIn chickens, farm1 Comment

Fall has set in and it’s a bit colder now, the grass is pretty sparse out in the field, and every morning I have a list of chores to tackle before breakfast. Let out the chickens (if I remembered to close the coop door the night before), and count to make sure no one is missing – lets see, there’s Big Bird, Penny, the three Buff Girls, Blackie, Big Red (in the nest box this morning), and Little Red – all accounted for. The sheep and llamas need their hay, but I have to get it into the corral without any over-excited sheep, goats, or llamas pushing their way into the yard. Chase Scoops out of the orchard where he’s filling up on windfall apples (the big pest pushed over the fence to get to them). Play with Barclay so he will rest and quit destroying things around the house for a bit. Look for chicken eggs (it’s like an easter egg hunt, I never know where they will lay them next). Then I can come inside and get to work!

Oh, and while chasing Scoops out of the orchard I noticed an apple tree I had not really looked at before, and it had some nice big apples on it, so I tried one – Fuji! Yum! I hope next year I can take better care of the orchard and really get some nice production out of it.

The beggin’ crew

On By stefrobrtsIn farm3 Comments


When I get out the hay this is what’s waiting for me at the fenceline. Notice how Patrone is leaning on the fence – like he thinks there won’t be enough for everybody!

Folks often ask ‘do they spit’. Well, yes, but you can usually avoid it if you know what to look for. Here’s what to look for. See how Scoops has his head tilted up, and his ears flat back. Someone’s about to get spit on!

Nothing but happy tails around the hay feeder!

Houdini take a bit of his lunch to-go 🙂

Barclay and the ‘flirt pole’

On By stefrobrtsIn barclay, petsLeave a comment

I built a ‘flirt pole’ for Barclay. This is a dog toy that is similar to a ‘cat fishing pole’, where you have a dangly toy on a stick and the cat goes nuts for it. Well, same thing, but dog sized! I took a stick, drilled a hole in the end and put an old rope through it, knotted one end and tied a toy to the other. Because the rope goes through the stick I can pull it back and make the rope longer or shorter depending on what game we’re playing with it.

The flirt gives us some extra training opportunities, like learning ‘drop’, ‘sit’ and to ‘wait’ until released to play!

Then I swing the toy around, drag it on the ground, flip it in the air, and he goes nuts chasing it!

And since he loves to tug the stick gives me a little extra leverage 🙂


Nothing sweeter than chewing on your catch! Barclay had no interest in this toy until I tied it to a rope!

This is a great way to run off all that puppy energy, doesn’t take long to wear him out.

Afterwards there’s nothing like a dip in the pool – or the sheep trough, whatever you have handy!

RIP Chester

On By stefrobrtsIn chester, pets3 Comments


Chester took a turn for the worse this morning and we had to rush him to the vet. We knew it was time, but the vet wanted to try to give him some painkillers and see how he was tomorrow. We both felt strongly that enough was enough. The poor guy had artheritis, heart and lung problems, a dead leg, and couldn’t control his potty anymore. We had worked hard to keep him comfortable, but he was just miserable. We were waiting for the sign that it was time, and when he collapsed this morning we knew that was it. I couldn’t see bringing him home and putting him through anymore.

Good news!

On By stefrobrtsIn cats, mighty, pets1 Comment

Woke up this morning and guess who was sitting on the back deck, staring in the back door window? Mighty! And boy was she hungry! Wherever she’d been for the last day and a half, she was hungry and glad to be home. What a relief! Now guess who’s not going back outside today 🙂