Today's Musings

So here is Miss Reba, with her morning cargo -- today she had 3 passengers!  Today was a special day for the turkeys, too.  They had their first free ranging in the goat pasture.  The only problem with that is that two of the three were hand raised in my brooders, eggs a gift from a friend, and they think Mommy is the answer to everything!  So you can picture me walking through the pasture with an escort of 3 nearly grown turkeys, chupping and crooning.  When it was time for them to go back in, we had a local riot because the goats that were sharing pasture with them today thought THEY ought to go in the turkey coop and eat turkey feed, and the turkeys weren't too sure about passing through the horde of goats to get into their own coop to eat their food.  Finally, they all got it sorted out!    If you have special feelings for turkeys, you won't need to worry about these.  I don't like turkey, so they are not going to freezer camp -- they'll flourish here until they get old and cross over the rainbow bridge to animal heaven.

Not long ago my friend and neighbor enlarged their coop and pen.  He is an avid hunter, and hopes their calls will draw in the wild gobblers for hunting season.  The turkeys appreciated his efforts, and have moved their roost up about 2 feet higher, now that their coop extends to 7 feet in height.  With fox, coyote, and other hunters around, the wild turkeys must remain alert and extra wiley to live long.  Our population here is plenteous enough that there is no danger of losing them.  About 25 years ago, the population here was slim, and then farmers that uncovered eggs when haying would give them to folks who would incubate them and re-release them into the wild when they were poults.  People still follow that practice here today.  No one needs to worry about people keeping wild turkeys captive.  They are really not tameable, and every farmer that's tried it has stories of how their wild foster children taught them that early release is best.

Duke of Renfro kept himself busy today.  I penned the non-breeders away from him for most of the day, so they all had an easy day of it.  I still haven't bathed him, but as more does come ready to breed, his work is closer to done.  Then we'll get him cleaned up and take some pictures of him.

Today I moved two young silkies from the brooder house into the white roo's cage. They are around 12 weeks old, and he is a little over a year.  He was lonely, and he's good with young ones.  I believe both of them are hens anyway.  When it was time to cover their cages for the night, they were snuggled up underneath him, purring happily.  He is big and warm!  The coop silkies where the black hen was setting yesteday has two hens setting now -- one of the partridge hens has joined her.  The other 3 hens will continue to lay their eggs under them for a while, but then usually they go broody, too.  At this time of year they don't get to raise the chicks, as it's too cold for them, so they will go to the brooder house after they hatch.  The hens don't seem to mind.

We have adopted two older horses, one a 20 year old Appaloosa, and one a 15 year old Morgan.  The horses have been eager to go riding, and since we've finally assembled all our tack, tomorrow we'll try it out.  Wish you all could go with us!