You see. She thinks she is a sheep or a goat. She definitely doesn’t identify with the other hens, and if we’re being honest, she never has. She was the first chicken out of the box when we brought them home, and we thought that meant she’d be the lead, smart hen. But nope. She’s a loner in chicken terms. Never with the flock. Well, unless you’re talking about the flock of sheep and goats. In which case, she’s right there with them. Odd.
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All posts tagged goats
Poor Confused White Chicken.
Frosted Winter Mornings.
Ever see that movie, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days? Yes? But you don’t want to admit it? OK, I get that. But remember that ad slogan for diamonds? Frost Yourself. That’s what I thought as I uploaded these photos for you guys. I wish they could capture how beautiful it is to step outside here in the early morning, and see sparkling frost everywhere. If it weren’t so freaking cold, it’d be even more magical. But nothing is perfect, eh?
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Why Goats Drive People Crazy.
They are selfish. They are bullies. They are too smart for their own good. They’re picky, and rude. They never stay where you put them. They can jump over or shimmy under pretty much any fence. They refuse to conform. They like to break things…and eat things…and get into things. In short, I don’t know why people keep goats. But… Even with all of those negatives, I can’t quite imagine life without Shy Guy and Boomer.
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Fort Knox
Do you have animals? Then you have fencing, and can probably sympathize with this post. Yes, yes, fencing is always a hot topic in rural areas, and it’s easy to see why. It’s necessary, expensive, has lots of options, and is a total pain in the you-know-what. We fenced in our chickens for a month, so they would know their coop is home, but they’re totally free range now. When they were fenced in, it was just chicken wire and some plastic posts. Annoying to move, but easy.
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Smackdown: Chickens vs Goats vs Sheep
It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. It was sweet feed time. Which in case you weren’t sure, sweet feed = sheer chaos. Don’t believe me? Check this out.
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Goats Eat More Than Tin Cans.
Dear Goats… We love you, we really do. You’re total characters, and great brush clearers. But why, WHY, must you be such punks!? I would say it’s our own fault for not giving you structure and boundaries. But you see. We’ve TRIED. Wire. Electric. Sweet feed. Positive reinforcement. Negative reinforcement. Yes, I’m sorry about spraying you with water. No, wait, I’m not sorry. You 100% deserved it. Why?
Wanted: Quality, Friendly Livestock Guardian
It has come to my attention that our new location has a bit of an issue with coyotes and hawks. I grew up in an area with coyote/stray dog problems, so I’m familiar with the sucker punch that comes when you find a beloved (or costly) animal dead in the pasture. Blunt, but true. Our chickens, goats and sheep will all be at risk. And I’m pretty sure the Dirty Noodle just earned her place as a full indoor cat, no more outdoor jaunts for her.
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Chicken & Goat Cuddles.
A few days ago, Mike and I gave up on the fencing struggle, (aka…us vs the goats), and let them out to free range the yard and surrounding forest. They follow us around like puppies anyway, and stay close to the house at all times, so seemed like the best option. It’s not really a long term solution, but it is pretty entertaining to have guard sheep & goats that sleep in the driveway. The FedEx guy probably thinks we’re crazy…
Can I Come In?
Shy Guy is the smartest of our little flock, which means he and Mike have quite the adversarial relationship. Smart=Trouble. He always leads the charge on escapes from their paddock, and isn’t nearly as “cuddly” as the others. No touchee, he says. He’s one independent little goat. But I think he’s warming up to us, as during their free range time, he always comes up the stairs to the front door. On this particular day, we had the screen door open, and….
Playtime for the Sheep & Goats
Friday was a long work day, with lots of strings to untangle and such…so around 5, I clocked out and went out to visit our “barnyard”. They never fail to put a smile on my face, well…unless it’s the GOATS, and they’ve escaped, and it’s raining. That is NOT smile inducing. But it was a pretty, cool fall afternoon, and I decided to take them on a free range jaunt. And so I set all four free from their Jurassic Park electric enclosure, and we took a walk.
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