We’ll Settle In Right Here

Seems Dot and May have FINALLY found their groove. Moving into the Palace with its side yard and cozy run snuggled against the jenny’s barn is perfect.

It’s raining tonight and I’m resting easy knowing they are dry and still able to sit by an open door.

I had first put their platforms INSIDE the Palace. They hardly used them. They love being able to keep an eye on the yard, the hillside and even the road from their outside perches. Dottie loves making herself a hay bed tucked in against the jenny barn wall.

When I’m around – doing chores or just hanging out – I let the goats out. I am keeping a close eye on May’s interactions with the donkeys and the chickens. When (if) she uses her horns I nab her and put her on a lead tied away from the action. I can tell she knows what she is in trouble for. I sure hope we can dial back her aggression. She was doing so well. I think I goofed. Too much unsupervised time left her to use her goatie super power to climb the ladder.

She is actually very sweet. Maybe she is a one person goat?

Just picture Dottie saying “Ya think!”

The first night I moved the goats to the Palace they discovered a weak spot in the fence line. I think that led to a middle of the night surprise raid on the jennies. Rosie got jabbed and seems to have sprained her shoulder.

I can imagine Bella hightailing it out of there while Rosie took on the invaders – as Rosie would. I have appreciated the space to calm things down.

Meanwhile the two flocks are enjoying their DIGS. Literally! Dirt floors in coops and runs means happy hens.

The Brahmas and the Orpingtons have hit it off.

Although… I can’t help feeling there is some ‘Egg-Upmanship’ going on …

Brahma egg on the left … Orpington on the right. Hens are the same age but definitely not the same size.

And then there is Mary. Hahah! This hen continues to go where no hen has gone before. See this tractor load? She scratched most of this out of there by the time I got back after lunch.

We are settling into a nice spring routine. The winter clean up is done in the back paddock. Now to tackle the front.

Mother Nature is putting in a good show to keep us going. The buds on the trees are about a week or two away from opening. And THAT means bug season. So guess I’d better keep my focus. BUG season is the reason city folk get tans a month earlier than country bumpkins like me!