Green + Heat = Summerlike Spring

Seemed like Mother Nature flicked a switch and let the heat flow in – we have had a number of beautiful sunny hot days in a row. Sure has been appreciated by these little chicks. They’ve been exploring their new digs and their view of the action in the paddock. The tractor makes them run for cover. Donkeys and goats peering through their fence line … not so much.

This morning Rosie and I started work on her spring hair cut. I don’t think I’d pass the Marvel Beauty School exam. 😉 She sure did love feeling the old long hair coming off. She doesn’t shed her coat all that well on her own. Nice ‘wave effect’ on her forehead though.

Baxter and Rupert were pleased with their new deeper pool. They pretty much spent the day right there. Sleeping, diving, zooming around. They’ve almost lost all of their beautiful green head feathers. I’ll be curious to see when that colour starts coming back in.

The ‘new’ feeling extended to the Palace. The chickens have now convinced me that a dirt floor is their ticket to happiness. And I have learned that a hard floor is my ticket to happiness when having to clear out goat sheds. So… the Palace now belongs to May and Dottie. I had left the poop bars (previously installed for the chickens) as landings for the goats. But they didn’t take to them.

If I asked them to hop up they would – especially if their daily portion of grain was involved. But the whole set up just seemed too crowded to me. After a day of taking things apart we came to this version.

This gives the goats plenty of room for days they need to stay in their own area. During the daytime when they are determined to follow the jennies around the chickens love to return and hang out in the breeze of the fans. I’ve installed pallets in front of each window to make sure there are no ‘head butting incidents’ that lead to broken glass.

At the far end I have installed two raised beds – likely won’t be popular until the winter months roll around. Will be nice to be prepared for that. In the meantime it gives the goats some place to play on a day they are inside.

This is pretty much what I look like each day by noon! Perfect timing for a nice cooling shower – and CLEAN clothes. Guess I’d better make sure I have the summer togs for changing two or three times a day. Haha!