FRANCIS'S BLOG 04/18/24
Those chickens love to make eggs! 🐔
Iris looks great in back-lighting:
Rose says, “Good morning!”
Chavez is sticking his tongue out:
I’m busy cleaning up RC’s leftovers:
And the chickens are checking out a bucket in their coop:
This bucket had been in the stable; they loved laying eggs in it:
And they’re lining up to lay eggs in it here!
Speaking of laying eggs—poor Evil Cat:
Martha is laying her egg in his favorite place to take a nap! 😾
Counting cows 🐂
I’m squinting to see across the street:
I’m keeping an eye on the cows:
They seem to be behaving themselves, just enjoying the sun:
We’re enjoying the sun, too:
Sun or not, it’s much cooler than it’s been recently:
The ducks are enjoying their mealworms on ice! 🦆
Cloudy Sunday, with doggies! 😺
Sophie says, “The sky may be gloomy, but we’re still delighted to be here!”
“I agree,” says Dukie. “The farm is our favorite place!”
I’m so lucky to have “quality time” with my own flake of breakfast hay:
I normally have to eat my breakfast alfalfa pellets in a hurry, before I get pushed out of the way by Jewel:
Who, in turn, will get pushed out of the way by RC!
Other than that, Onslow is trying to keep an eye on the chickens (or at least one of them):
The chickens have been having trouble staying in their own yard, recently:
If they can’t stay out of the street or the neighbor’s yard, they’ll find themselves under “coop arrest!” 🐔
Kitty Capers 😺
Hey, Management! Please fill up this tank! (We have another tank that is full to the brim, but this tank is our favorite):
Now, here’s something you don’t see everyday:
Betty has adopted an egg. The cat-cops will let you snuggle it for a while, Betty, but we just can’t imagine a cat being a good mother to a tiny chick! 🐥
Sunny, non-“black” Friday! 🐴
Good morning!
Martha informs Evil Cat, “Don’t worry about the egg I left in your bed.” 
“The cat-cops will be picking it up soon.”
🐔
Horses don’t eat Turkey! 🐴
Happy Thanksgiving!
What will we do today?
Gobble-gobble carrots, of course! 🐎
A wonderful, warm Wednesday! 🐴
Goodness gracious! It will be almost 60 today!
The chickens are having pumpkin for breakfast. It’s from Ms. Renee's school, leftover from Halloween! 🎃
Here’s a picture of Astrid, from yesterday afternoon. She’s found a place in the barn to lay her eggs:
Speaking of eggs, somebody laid a big one! See how it compares to a normal egg:
Finally, as this video shows. . .
The hens will lay eggs of any size, anywhere! 🐔
That’s a lot of BULL! 🐂
Yesterday was a 10-egg day!
Today, Ginger is visiting us in the stable:
The kitties are having breakfast as usual:
Schroeder says, “Waste not, want not!”
Speaking of breakfast, Jewel, get out of mine!
And guess what? Ann helped Farmer Rich corral a bull that escaped though his gate:
Luckily for Ann, he was a friendly bull. Bulls can be dangerous! 🐎
A day in the 40’s, and carrots, too! 🐴
Stormy says, “Good morning! How about a kiss?”
“But I’ll take a carrot instead! Thank you!”
Of course, we all got a carrot, or two:
Rose looks like she’s turning up her nose; but nobody turns down a carrot (unless you’re a cat, duck, or chicken)!
And finally, it was a 5-egg morning:
🐔
It’s getting warmer 😺
Please stay out, sun! We need you to thaw out our water hoses:
Rose says, “Good morning!” through her mouthful of hay:
Onslow is waving at something, or someone:
The ducks’ water froze overnight in their pen, so they’re out today, enjoying mealworms sprinkled on freshly poured water!
Please keep climbing, thermometer! 😺
Please get back above freezing 😾
Misty and I are discussing how cold it is, and how we might get snow, too:
The chickens’ water froze, so the “reserve” waterers have been brought out:
The old waterer will be thawed and back in service this afternoon. 🐔
Winter won’t wait! 😾
Betty looks out on a cold, gray, windy, morning:
I’ll have my hay inside today, thank you:
Oh, those chickens! The cats’ breakfast doesn’t stand a chance:
Don’t worry, the kitties are given plenty of time to finish eating. . .
Before the “cannibal” chickens are released (cat food is made from chickens)! 🐓
Very cold and wisps of snow (and a surprise!) 😾
I have a smile for you in spite of the weather:
I also have a mystery! Remember last Friday, when we noticed someone had laid eggs in a bucket in the stable?
Well, we put up a trail camera to catch a hen jumping in the bucket—which we did!
But we also caught this!
Who is this kitty!?!? 🙀
Oh that Onslow! 🙀
Misty has a smile for you, in spite of the drizzle and sleet:
Iris is asking Rosie, “Well, what’s their excuse for breakfast being late today?”
I can report that, first, the cat-cops had to pull Onslow off the alfalfa:
Then, they had to pull him off of the hay!”
Oh, Onslow, why are you parking your furry little butt on our food?
It’s not like you can eat any of it! 😾
Oh no! Snow! 🙀
I’m staying in the stable today:
Our first snow:
These chickens have never seen snow before:
Remember, they are “spring chickens,” only born this past April. 🐔
Horses have good eyesight 🐎
Well, hello there!
Jewel says, “Good morning! How do you like my coat?”
As you may know, those of us who have our natural coats trimmed for horse shows, need “store-bought” coats for the winter:
Finally, at what are Rose, Iris and Jewel looking?
Oh! Farmer Rich is harvesting his corn!
What good eyes horses have (and donkeys, too)! 🐴
Cats 😺 and Chickens 🐔
Good morning! It’s very frosty, only in the 20’s!
Buttons wonders why the chickens haven’t left the garage yet, because they’ve already finished the leftover cat food:
Oh, it appears they're looking to lay an egg in their old coop:
Finally, what are the hens eating?
Why, delicious apples! 🐓
Saturday potpourri 😺
We have a little of this, and a little of that, this morning. To start, yesterday was another seven-egg day:
This morning is very chilly. The chickens want to stay in the coop until it warms up a little:
Let’s go back to last night: Here’s that ornery Onslow: get out of our food, you bad cat!
Finally, here’s even more Onslow:
He has caught a slate-colored junco. Naughty Onslow! You know you should only catch sparrows (sparrows know you always let them go)! 🐴
Oh, those chickens! 🐔
It’s cold this morning. The ice is just beginning to melt:
Oh my, Iris. The belt of your blanket came loose, again:
Here it is—all hooked up, again:
And what on earth is in that bucket in the stable:
3 eggs!
Now, chickens, you know you should only lay eggs in the coop:
Just like this very good Wyandotte! 🐔
On our farms, the ducks are always in a row!
The ducks are on their way out to forage:
Sophie is on her way out to frolic!
And I’m out to have a carrot!
So is Stormy. . .
Jewel. . .
And Iris:
Rose, Misty, and RC certainly had their carrots, too; but they weren’t in the mood to have their picture taken. 🐎
Finally, Rose and Jewel are getting ready for a ride:
What fun! 🐴
It’s hump day, even though we have no camels! 😹
I’ve got a big smile, just for YOU!
Stormy is keeping an eye on a “suspicious” vehicle (it’s not really suspicious), because security is everybody’s business:
It’s such a nice morning. . .
We’re all out to pasture before you know it! 🐎
Fowl deeds 🐔
The chickens are busy!
5 eggs in one nest: 3 eggs from the olive-eggers, and 2 from the wyandottes (the brown egg in the front is fake):
And 1 egg in the other nest (the egg in the back is fake, too). Why do we have a fake egg in each nest?
The fake eggs tell the hens that this is a nice cozy place to lay a real egg! 😺
Lovely fall Monday! 😺
The chickens have been giving us 6 eggs a day (as a rule):
The ducks haven’t been laying recently. The only girl ducks are Aoife (Welsh Harlequin), Paschal (Pekin) and Edina (Ancona); and they are taking the winter off:
Betty says, “It’s a great day for soaking up the sun:”
We agree!
Other than this lovely morning, Iris and Rose are keeping watch on the mowers across the street:
And did we mention?
Dukie and Sophie are here! Any “dog day” is a great day at the farm! 😺
Chilly and windy, with a chance of BORZOI! 😺
What’s that white flash? Why, it’s our Sophie!
She wants to know what I’m eating. I tell her it’s the food that Stormy is spilling out of her feed bucket. She asks, “Is it good for dogs, too?”
That will be a definite “NO,” Sophie. 🐎
Rainy and very windy! 🙀
Hey, Rose and Iris, even though you’re wearing coats, please come in out of the rain!
The rain seems to be subsiding, but the wind is gusting to almost 50 miles-per-hour!
And now, the sun is shining; however, the wind is still ripping. Our hay is even blowing out of the stable:
Finally, rain or wind, what can make any day a good day?
It’s a day when Farmer Rich empties the manure cart! We are grateful for such a friend! 🐎
Today is farrier day 🐎
I always have free rein in the yard when our friend Travis is here:
Hey Onslow, get off of Travis’s truck. You haven’t been invited:
It’s your turn to get your hooves trimmed, Iris. Don’t worry, you’ll get that strap fixed, too:
And you’ll get a carrot for holding still and being patient:
Misty doesn’t need a carrot, because she’s always still when she gets her hooves trimmed and shoes adjusted (sometimes she even goes to sleep):
But you’ll get a carrot anyway, Misty! 🐴
It’s movie time 🐎
Let’s catch up some videos that you may not have seen:
Aren’t horses at their prettiest when they’re running? 🐎
And don’t I look silly? Oh! the way they dress me up on Halloween is just too much! 🐴
Lovely fall weather 😺
Dukie says, “Good morning! It’s a great day to visit the farm!”
The chickens also say, “Good morning. Someone left their camera on our seed block.”
The ducks have found a new place to hang out. Where there’s water, they shall be:
And Onslow has found a mutilated rabbit in our stable:
Yuck! 🙀
Halloween may be over, but we always get treats at the farm! 😺
This day-glow feather from my boa is all that’s left of Halloween 2022:
But we still have treats to look forward to—carrots!
The ducks have their treats, too—worms!
And, of course, as Jewel can tell you, there’s always good old grass!
Even a cat will sometimes eat grass! 😺