Barnyard, Life on the farm

Goat Yoga and Cow Coffee

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I’ve been seeing articles about a new fitness craze- Yoga with Goats. At first I thought it was a joke, then I realized they weren’t kidding and decided it must be a “city folk” thing. Have you ever had goats or spent any time around them? I have goats. Friendly goats. If you would like to come do your morning yoga routine with them I will gladly open the gate for you.

Seriously, goats?! The nibble on anything and everything. The sun is just coming up and making the dew sparkle on the grass, the birds are starting to sing and you roll out your yoga mat for a relaxing workout with goats. One goat is resizing your yoga mat while another is nibbling your hair and another is at your fingers looking for a treat and well, you get the picture. They are very friendly creatures. They also poop all the time. Everywhere.

Sounds like a relaxing workout to me… not really… maybe that’s why the wine option has been added.

I prefer my days to start with Coffee with Cows (#coffeewithcows). It’s not a new thing but I did just give it a name. Here’s how it works: Pour yourself a hot cup of coffee and head to the barn or pasture; bathrobe, dressed for the day, doesn’t matter. For a light workout just sip your coffee. Enjoy the birds singing and farm animals greeting the day. A medium workout you could toss them some hay. (If you feed the goats while you’re out there maybe they will leave the yoga class alone for a bit.) For a little extra grab a pitch fork and wheel borrow and do a little pen cleaning. All while peacefully having your morning coffee.

Don’t believe me about the goat/yoga thing, here’s one link to get you started: http://time.com/money/4793166/goat-yoga-class-popular-price-sold-out/

Good Morning Ladies!
She’s not nearly as crabby as she looks. Sweetest one of the herd. Seriously!

 

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Barnyard

An Incurable Disease

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We sell fresh eggs by the dozen, so the carton on the counter that was holding a beautiful dozen and a half raised question in Mikes mind.

It was the usually rushed Sunday morning: get ready for church, do chores, get the kids ready, pack up the eggs for Sunday deliveries and so on. Mike and I were in the kitchen refilling our coffee when he noticed my larger than normal egg carton on the counter.

“What ‘cha doin’ with those eggs?”

Without making eye contact I turned and faced the coffee pot, concentrated on pouring my next cup and mumbled “I’m going to put them in the incubator.”

I could hear him sigh and I’m sure he shook his head too. “Why?”

“I would like a few more laying hens before winter.”

He left it at that and we continued on with our morning. – For the record they waited for us to start mass that Sunday too! or we made it on time for once.

I haven’t counted hens lately but I think we are around the 20 mark or so. I’ve had to send a few to pasture for various reasons. I’d like to keep up the egg production through the winter and could use a few replacements…

There are no other animals on the farm that in 21 days can have babies running about. The cows are about 283 days, the goats are 150 days, the cat is 65 days, the ducks take 28 and the dogs are fixed (thank goodness!). That leaves the chickens, who produce a gathering of hatchable eggs every day that I can put in the incubator and have little, chirping, fluff balls in 3 weeks.

It’s an illness, an incurable disease really. I’m pretty sure Mike did say “in sickness and in health.” He’s been hanging in there pretty well… actually he’s an enabler most of the time.

Seriously, you give a gal an incubator you might as well expect it to be used to it’s full potential each season. I’ve got sense enough to not try and hatch eggs in January. There’s time to hatch in July yet. In three weeks we could potentially hatch 2 dozen chicks (I had another carton started.) 20 weeks from then will be the beginning of December at which time they will start laying eggs just in time for Christmas baking! Talk about timing!

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Barnyard, Life on the farm

One Special Duck

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We had eight of twelve duck eggs hatch. The eighth I’m hoping will make it, he’s been looking better but I’m still cautious to say we are in the clear with him yet. All animals have a “best outcome method” (my own official term) of birth. Cows it’s best to see the two front hooves and nose coming out first, goats too. Egg hatching birds (all that I am aware of) are supposed to peck around the top of the egg which is the more round end, the bottom being the pointed end. These don’t guarantee a healthy baby but the odds are much better.

Duck8 started pecking at the point of the egg. With a very small hole pecked he made no progress what so ever for about 24 hours. There was still a little wiggling in the shell so Mike decided to help the little guy out. This is not recommended by the way, but we can only watching something struggle for so long before we have to step in and help in hopes of saving the little life. Mike pealed back some of the shell leaving the inner lining intact. It reminded me of a beating heart, the motion of the lining (it was white though, not red and bloody). Then he left to go disc the hay field.

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