Daylight, and little Reba, the Nigerian Dwarf, parades out of her night time housing with a little Polish cross chicken perched regally on her back. "Everyone else has to fly or walk. I have a majestic steed!" She doesn't seem to notice, and just goes in search of breakfast.
Ducky Duck, the lone Muscovy, waddles up from the creek looking for his breakfast. He likes to eat just in front of the chrome bumper on the front of the truck, because his best friend is his reflection! He eats, chats, postures, but his "friend" never wants to share his breakfast. The chicks in the brooder house want their night lights off, their waterers filled, and their morning ration in their feeders. Rodney, the guinea pig, settles for fresh water and pellets, but Ginger, the rescue Mini-Rex rabbit doe, wants her cage cleaned FIRST and then she'll eat and drink. Ginger's been placed out twice, but each time she manages to bite someone hard enough to draw blood -- so she comes back.
The two pair of sultans and the quintet of siilkies on the porch all want rations, and fresh water, too. Their attitudes improve immensely once the feed and water is in their cages. Then it's on to feed all the other chickens, and take hay down for the goats.
They eagerly begin plunging back and forth, plucking strands from the hay bats I am carrying, as soon as I am through the gate. The hay gets divided between the feeding stations. Today is a day to observe how the buck behaves with the girls that aren't his breeding flock. Not far into the day, he bashes one of the little girls. I rescue her, and her best friend, and move them to a paddock where he cannot bother them. He seems to be doing okay with the other girls, and the wether -- they are all big enough to stand up for themselves.
Not long, then, and the little girls are loaded into the truck along with a milk delivery for the Chatham group. They are bound for the eastern farm soon anyway, and it is better to have them secure there where they won't get battered. The buck will only be here for a few weeks, but he's needed here while he IS here. Soon, we'll be offering registered LaMancha, Boer, and Nubian stud service at Griffin's Ark in Chatham.
After the trip it's time for goat dinner and evening milking, and closing up the birds in their coops. The birds like to go to bed early. Silkies in a coop are quite hilarious. They make a big pile, looking like a giant powderpuff, where they lay together to stay warm and comfortable. The black hen is broody again, as is one of the partridge hens on the porch. The silkies' "roost" is actually a half barrel filled with straw. They like to nestle down in it, ignoring the roosting poles. Black hen has rolled her eggs over to one side of the big trough where she can sit on her eggs in peace, but if they follow their usual pattern, it won't be long before 2 or 3 more of the hens in her flock are nestled down on eggs right beside her.
Night time -- everyone is quiet, fed, settled. I wonder what tomorrow will bring?
Love my silkies!
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