The keet who thinks she is a chick

This story begins with our guinea hens deciding that the best place for their spring nest was next to a feeder in the barn.

There was some confusion about exactly where the eggs should stay.

We used a panel to block off this area (yet another use for these great panels from Shaul’s!) so the sheep wouldn’t step on the nest. The sheep were less than thrilled about this re-arrangement of their dining area but they adjusted over the course of the 28 or so days.

Cassie to guinea hen, “You’re in my spot.”

Sometimes other guineas visited.

Finally, another hen joined the nest.

Eventually a few chicks started to hatch…

We were never sure how many….and then they moved them deeper into the barn and eventually out of the barn altogether.

Unfortunately, in the process they managed to “mis-place” all but two chicks. We debated for a day or two about whether they would be able to successfully protect these two remaining chicks. We had this situation when we first moved here and the guineas at the time lost the two chicks they had managed to hatch. We were not impressed with their parenting abilities. So, we made the decision to remove the two chicks. They lived in the house for about a week but, sadly, the one who never seemed quite right, died. That left us with one guinea chick – not a good thing. She just sat in the corner of her cage all day and night, peeping sometimes and learning to eat some from a plate. This was not going to be a good life. We couldn’t just release her – she wouldn’t have been accepted back by the flock and would be worse off than before.

A friend with guineas (Kathy, who we actually got keets – baby guineas –  from last year who turned into this flock of parents) said she has had some success adding chicken chicks to keets. We thought this was the only chance to provide this little one with some company.

I chose some 2-3 day old chicks at the local feed store. The keet was about 10 days old by now but keets are smaller than chicken chicks so the size seemed about right.

The change in her was immediate. She became animated, learning to eat from a feeder and pecking and scratching in her new home.

Keet, “Oh, so that’s how you do it!”

She seems to have adjusted well to the company and is actually growing faster than the chicks, I think. When they are feathered out they will go to the old guinea house. Eventually, she will be released to free-range with the others and the chicks will join the existing chicken flock.

She may believe she is a chicken. Only time will tell.

It’s good to have friends.

Treadles to Threads Guild Visits Wooly Acres Farm

When I lived in the East Bay I was a member of a very nice spinning guild, Treadles to Threads. They had approached me last year about scheduling a “field trip” to our farm. As things happen, we were not able to schedule it until this past Saturday. One of the members, Wendy, organized the whole thing and it was a wonderful day!

After they all arrived, we headed to the barnyard to meet the flock.

I called for the sheep to come into the arena so the visitors could see them better.

Quentin isn’t so sure about this.

Quentin, “Paridot, why are they here?” “Not sure, buddy, but I hope it means treats.”

Paridot turns out to be right as a couple visitors are happy to give him some of his apple cookies.

…and checks for more!

Kari and Carmen look a little curious.

Kari, “Why are they here?” Carmen “Not a clue.”

Not to be left  out, the farm poultry put in an appearance. Buffy is always happy to meet people.

Our guinea hens have been sitting on a very large nest of eggs (a story for another time) and finally hatched a couple – in the barn, of all places!

Well, to answer the sheep’s question – the guild came to meet them – and to see other parts of this fiber operation!

I showed them how the picker works.

Then, we gathered around my new skirting table (thanks, Rick!) to look at the fleeces from Australia.

We looked at…

English Leicesters

Polwarth

A very fine Merino

Coloured Corriedale

and

Australian Bond x Merino

Looking at them brought back very good memories from my trip to Australia. Thanks again to all of you who provided these fleeces for me and got them shipped!

We took a quick peak at my new fleece washing station (still under construction so it will be a future blog post!)…\

I am not sure anyone got very much spinning done, but we did fit in time for a lovely lunch that Wendy organized. Thanks, Wendy!

The flowers were a special treat!

It was a very lovely day! Thanks to my friend, Dona, for providing the great photos for this post.

“Thanks for visiting us. We like people!”

Lovely Little Lambs

My friend, Colleen, told me that lambing had started. It only took me a few minutes to rearrange my schedule to get over to see her lambs firsthand. Colleen raises mostly CVMs and here is the first ewe to lamb – with twins. Love that color!

One of Collen’s sheep is a Romney (I think!) and she had this tiny little ewe lamb.

“Hey, Mom, am I part Romney?”

Colleen says she has that classic “Lamb Chop Puppet” look. Pretty cute.

Look who had triplets – Frosty! She has one of my favorite CVM fleeces.

Frosty, “Shhh…I’m counting – 1 – 2 – 3….”

Look at that face!

These guys would like to help, but……….no.

And, then, there are those who still wait to lamb. More have since I took these photos. I need to make another trip over there!

Ewes, “What did you say was going to happen to us??!!”

BFFs – sometimes

Our llama, Paridot, and Quentin, our Karakul wether, have always had a special relationship. Well, special to Quentin anyway. I sometimes think Paridot is oblivious to Quentin’s devotion. Like the night recently when Paridot, at dusk, decided he wasn’t ready to come in yet.

It took extra treats to get him in that night.

He was unconcerned that SOMEONE was waiting for him…..

Paridot finished his extra snack, and still managed to ignore his best buddy.

Stil waiting…..

Paridot finally decided he would go in….

At last, they are both in the barn together – just what Quentin was waiting for. Good night.

Quentin, “I love you. Paridot” “I know, little buddy, I know.”

Can You See the Difference?

Three eggs, right? Here’s a couple hints:

So, below is a chook egg

and this is a guinea (or, as we sometimes say, “faux-chook) egg.

The classic (1975) book, “Guinea Fowl” edited by Van Hoeesen and Stromberg describes guinea eggs as “delicious”. However, until our guineas learn to lay their eggs like the chooks do…

…and not in the barn (where I found these eggs), buried under the straw where the sheep sleep, I will NOT be eating them. The book also says that guineas “…often thrive under haphazard methods and in almost complete freedom” sounds like a good fit for our farm!

Now, you’ll have to excuse me – I am off to read the chapter “Guineas for Farm Women”.

Once Upon a Time….

Once upon a time, there were seven chooks. Each day they enjoyed  crumble, water, fresh air in the run and, most days, time outside nibbling on grass, eating bugs and enjoying the sunshine.

But what they looked forward to each morning was the extra goodies they were brought, just for being good chooks. This was always fresh fruit and vegetables and – most importantly – bread. They always ate the bread first, but then always cleaned up their fruits and vegetables.

This was how it was supposed to be. Until ONE TERRIBLE DAY – there was no bread! They looked and looked but no bread was to be found. Someone must have forgotten! They ate the fruits and vegetables but they were not happy chooks.

How could they communicate their sadness? After all, they were only chooks. But, wait, what do chooks do? They lay eggs! That was it. After a brief conference, they knew what they had to do.

Very few eggs were produced that day.

The food-bringer was sad but she understood. The next morning, fruits, vegetables and BREAD appeared in the morning breakfast buffet. The chooks were happy. To show their appreciation (and make their point…) an unprecedented event was planned. Each chook chose to lay an egg that day.

And they all lived happily (and with bread) ever after…..

THE END

Vet Visit

I decided to schedule a ranch call to learn how to give Paridot, our llama, his shots and other more easily handled medical maintenance. Not only do we like him in his own right, he is also a very valuable member of our flock as its guardian. So, his health is important for a lot of reasons. Paridot was not convinced this visit was really necessary.

“What do you mean, the vet is coming?!”

It took some organizing to get everyone where they needed to be and I could have thought it through a little better. Letting sheep into the barnyard without a plan resulted in sheep

…in the barn where the hay is

…in the sideyard

…grazing in the small pen

…and in the guinea fowl coop!

Marley wondered if the vet was coming to see him – he was the subject of the last ranch call, but I assured him that he wasn’t the topic of interest this time.

“Well, that’s a relief!”

Finally, got Paridot ready for his exam.

And Dr. Nancy and her helper quickly did the exam, giving shots and an overall physical (he is in good shape for his age)

and even a pedicure (hoof trim)

After they left, I was able to release the sheep into the “exam” area…

And, re-united, they made their way into the arena – one of their favorite places to hang out and graze

Paridot, “Whew! Glad that’s over. I don’t look good in a halter!”

The adventure was over…….for today.

Marley, “I heard her say that I look good!”

“Thanks, Dr. Nancy. I really did appreciate your visit!”

A Pensioner Arrives

Hi, It’s Marley here. Something New happened here today. When the van looks like this, Something Is Up.

 

When Jackie visited England last year (I don’t know why she didn’t take me with her. After all, that’s Where My People Are From….), she visited a Jacob farm where she was introduced to a Pensioner – a ewe about 16 years old.

 

So, when she got a chance to add a Pensioner to our flock, I guess she decided to do it. Two Jacobs, Diamond and Phyllis, were living near us (they used to live at Robin’s) but their people  needed to find them a New Home. Diamond is the Pensioner. I don’t know What Phyllis Is.

 

Robin was a co-conspirator in getting us this Pensioner.

 

I knew Something Was Up when Jackie drove in the back way.

 

As usual, Quentin feels better standing by Paridot when facing New Things.

 

Hey, how come the Pensioner is getting hugs from Jackie? That’s My Job!

 

“Carmen, is this going to be A Problem?”

Wait – she’s staying???!!!

 

Hey, New Girl, are you ignoring me???

She smells a little different…..

 

Hey, there’s Another One out there! Is she coming in?

 

Oh, good, that one’s leaving!

 

Jackie told me the other one [Phyllis] went back to Robin’s. I went to Robin’s once. They took my wool off there [ed. it was a Shearing Day, Marley. They're supposed to do that.] I wouldn’t mind Going Back to Visit…..

I guess the Pensioner is trying to make friends. Look, she’s already Whispering Things  to  Quentin!

 

Well, Carmen, what do you think?

She is kinda pretty.

I guess She Can Stay……

Until next time,

Love, Marley

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where Are They???

On New Year’s Day, we decided to open the door to the guinea fowl house. They seemed to be getting less and less happy being “cooped” up all the time. The plan had always been to let them out once they were grown, fully feathered, and hopefully able to avoid predators. After all, the point in having them was to let them help keep down the insect population through patrolling the farm.

So, we decided, rather spontaneously,  that January 1 was the day. Not without some anxiety (will they come back in at night, will they avoid predators, will they join the three “free-rangers”, will they find food and water, will they get along with the chooks, will they get along with the sheep…???), we opened the door. They seemed very happy to leave the coop.

Some nights, they all come back (sometimes with a little “herding” from us), some nights they stay out all night and some nights they mix it up. For example, tonight – six of the seven “chicks” are in the coop and one chose to go with the free-rangers to sleep in the mulberry tree (the free-rangers usual roosting spot).

So where do they spend their days?

…checking out the grain I put out each day

…camouflaging  themselves (can you see her by the wire fence roll?)

…doing sentry duty

…exploring the arena

…exploring up by the house (a little too far away from home base!)

…working the ground

…and, yes, hanging out with the sheep. Looks like this might work out!

A Winter Visit

On a visit back to family in Michigan, we managed to fit in a short visit to a neighboring farm with, you guessed it, sheep! I had met Zach and Lindsay last year at the Michigan Fiber Festival and they generously invited us to visit them over the holidays when we would be in the area.

On a cold winter day, my husband and i took his folks and sister over to see some live sheep as we had been looking at photos of ours during our stay. Especially important to see them as they have…….Jacobs!

Look at that pretty little lilac in front!

You can see a couple Corriedales and a Shetland or two in this shot.

When they heard grain rattling, they came on a run (does that sound familiar?!)

Here is the flock ram, Gabriel.

These sheep do not mind eating off the snow! Not sure what our sheep would think about this.

And when the grain was gone, so were the sheep (typical!)

Thanks, Zach and Lindsay, for a little look at your sweet flock. For more information on Zach and Lindsay’s business, please see their blog: fattoasterfarm.wordpress.com.