So Day 3 and already I have made some executive decisions. So far this blog has been a joint effort (myself and Austin) and it is turning into a creative writing class not a Log of the Farm. So I am going to split the Blog into 2 sections. A section for myself and a section for Austin. My section can be more matter of fact and Austin's can still be cute and funny. (mine may be cute too at times I hope) So... that's the new format to be expected from this point forward.
Nichole
Yesterday was a productive day in that we got 6 eggs again. The chickens seem to consistently be laying 6 eggs/ day which means that either they are taking turns in rotation -doubtful that they are that organized to line up and say "my turn"- or that 6 are in full production. The eggs are beautiful, big, and brown, and gorgeous inside. The chickens are free range so the egg yolks are a deep orange color (and are full of more nutrients than a 'regular' egg) and the whites are firm. Our shells are tough too. You can tell a first egg by the shape- they are more oval (totally understandable!) color- they are speckled with white it seems, and the size. The chickens and the goats get along well and it's funny to watch the chickens chase/ follow the goats when they run the pasture. Their tiny little chicken legs can't keep up and they duck their heads like football players and Zooooom they go as fast as they can. It's a sight you have to see to fully understand the ridiculousness of. The worst part of having the goats in the same pasture as the chickens is that the goats (especially Spot) love the Layer feed. (at this rate of consumption perhaps he will surprise me one day and lay an egg) keeping them out of the chicken house has been quite a challenge with a lot of trial and error. Right now we use a zip tie (I am a lover of Zip ties as you will soon find out- they can be used for anything from tying up tomatoes to probably even broken bones -slight exaggeration) Anyway we use a zip tie to partially suspend the door, a block of wood to maintain tension so they can't push the door up, and a twist tie to ensure they can't knock any of those out of place. Goats are smart so we will see how long this lasts. I was actually surprised at how smart the goats are. Every dog owner thinks their dog is the smartest dog ever and I suspect the same of goat owners- they are probably all right. Goats can out think us. They are also complete beggars like dogs- but with less manners. We had to cut goat toes the other day - an experience like no other - and they can wiggle their way out of anything. We had them roped/ collared to two opposite sides and held them against a tree/ post sort of deal and they managed to wiggle, sit, and everything in between to get out of it. Dan is going to build me a goat stanchion- I'm not sure if he knows that yet (if he is reading this blog I guess he does now :) The goats favorite treat to beg for at the moment is strawberries. It's the end of the garden and the only thing left are strawberries and beets. I planted peas - but it must have been to late because the shoots are beautiful but they are not producing flowers. So the end of the season strawberries are a treat for the goats and the beet thinnings are a treat for the rabbits. Speaking of - it seems like Precious and the babies are doing fine. I am going to try to peak in today and get a count. I don't usually bother her when it's cold... she always does fine. The only kit ever lost was when she decided to nest in the hay manger because it was so hot outside. Not that I blamed her. The kit fell through before I moved them into the nesting box and died- but the others were fine and even though I moved them she took care of them just like the good mother she is. The rabbits grow 3 months before they are processed and are very easy to process and are quite delicious. Especially in the crock pot. Today I have lots of real work to do but I plan on hitting the Co-Op for cedar bedding and for some sort of air freshener for the goat/ chicken house. I also have some canning to do- end of the peppers. So signing off with lots to do.... Nichole
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