FRANCIS'S BLOG 04/18/2026
On no, look who’s sick, too! 🐎
I’m on lockdown again. . .
And poor Stormy’s front right leg is hurt, so he’s in the clink, too:
But it’s rainy today and in the 40’s. So if we have to stay in, today’s the day. 🐴
Moody mares! 🐎
I don’t know what has Rose and Iris’s attention this morning, but it’s making them forget about breakfast:
Jewel seems to be in a bit of a trance herself:
As for me, I was on lockdown last night!
I’ve been laying down a lot, and the cat-cops think I’ve been eating too much sugary grass in the pasture. When I get well, I can spend the nights outside again:
Finally, the chicks are enjoying their pudding. What’s “pudding?” It’s chick-starter plus a little water:
It goes down smoooooooth! 🐔
Lots of pictures today, and lots of hair! 🐎
RC says, “Good morning!”
It’s a good day to soak up the sun:
And eat up the carrots!
We, of course, all got carrots, but here are pictures of Iris,
and Rose:
Anyway, as you can imagine, we are losing our winter coats. Misty got a good brushing—just look at all her hair!
Most of it came off her back:
The rest of it isn't quite ready to let go! 🐎
It must be May! The swallows are on the way! 😺
Red says, “Good morning!”
“I’m going to see what’s for breakfast.”
Red said Good morning for us, because we’re out in the far pasture, enjoying the grass and the the weather (notice the swallow)!
We’re not sure we need to come in. . .
But our feed is tastier than grass and better for us! 🐎
Get better, Chavez! 🐴
Buttons is eating breakfast in the sun. It’s fresh food from a just-opened bag!
I’m having breakfast outside so I can keep an eye on Chezzie:
He’s not feeling well today, so we’re watching him. We’ll call the vet if he doesn’t perk up soon:
Speaking of watching, don’t stick your beaks through the fence too far, chicks:
Onslow will get you!
P.S., a check of the security cameras show us that Chavez did eventually get up:
We’ll see how he's doing at dinner time. 🐎
It’s warming up, very slowly 😾
Good morning. Maybe it will get into the 50’s today.
Buttons says, “By the time my hair grows back, it will be August and in the 90’s!”
This hen has discovered that the chicks’ coop is a nice, private place to lay an egg:
And Iris says, “It’s time for someone to take out my braids.”
I’m ready to go back to my free-flowing mane. 🐎
Standing room only! 🐔
Good morning! I’m sorry I didn’t post anything yesterday. . .
But we were all having so much fun, I completely forgot! Our sweet cousin Jill and her equally-sweet family came all the way from Maryland to see us!
Rose was happy to give Andrew a ride. He rides horses at home!
Rose says, “Andrew, you ride like a boss!”
Anyway, poor Marsha wants to lay an egg:
But her favorite nesting places are all occupied. 🐔
Amazing egg sculpture! 🥚
It’s 37℉ this morning. I have my front hooves tucked under me:
To top it off, we’re getting tiny hail:
Poor Buttons! She was shaved because of her matted fur, and now it’s so cold!
She’s keeping warmer in the hay barn, but you can see she’s not happy. We hope it warms up soon, Buttons!
And look at this! This is exactly how these eggs were found—no cat-cop shenanigans!
It’s eggs-strordinary! 🐔
A storm blew through! 🙀
Yesterday the chicks were trying to escape over the roof. We need to get them into the new coop as soon as possible:
But this morning it’s storming. Jewel is watching the mayhem:
Other than that, Iris got her mane braided:
Looking good, girl! 🐎
9-egg morning 🐔
It’s dreary, but we’ll make the best of it:
RC looks bright-eyed this morning, doesn’t he?
The chicks are tucked into their breakfast:
And we have 9 eggs this morning!
When the chicks are grown, just think of how many eggs we’ll have! 🥚
The chicks get a house! 🐥
Stormy and Chezzie are having a lie-down after breakfast:
Iris and Rose are nose-deep in hay, as usual:
Oh! What’s this?
Another chicken coop?
It’s like I say, chicks are cheap. . .
But the cost of their “accessories” adds up!
A donkey is cheaper to maintain. . .
And I always smile! 🐴
What happened to spring? 😾
Yes, chicken, that is snow. I can’t believe it either:
I’ve seen enough:
I’m staying inside. You other horses can call me when the sun’s out. 🐴
79℉ one day 😺, 39℉ the next 😾
It’s been warm and beautiful for several days:
And now it’s chilly and dark, and it rained all night (but it’s certainly green):
At least the goldfish are happy. Their water is fresh and full:
Stormy says, “Good freezing morning! I just walked in from the far pasture.”
“I’m afraid my feet are muddy.”
“I wonder if they make horse-boots?” 🐎
Grazing in the grass is a gas! 🐎
Good morning! Where is everybody?
Oh, they’re munching grass in the far pasture:
But they’re coming in for feed and hay:
The creek is looking good:
And very clear:
We’ll be seeing fishes and frogs, soon. 🐴
Busy Friday! 🐥
Oh, I can’t look!
Our friend Mr. Steve is with us this morning. We’re happy to see Mr. Steve, but I’m not happy about what’s going to happen:
He’s laying out a foundation of rocks:
I’m afraid I know what will go there:
Another buzzard—I mean chicken—coop:
The new chicks need a house. Soon the farm will be covered with coops! 😾
Egg issues 🥚
Jewel and I are enjoying this lovely morning:
I’m letting Misty have the rest of my breakfast:
I don’t mean to bore you, but I love showing off my radiant hyacinths:
And here’s a white daffodil:
Anyway, one of the olive-eggers laid an egg outside. I guess she couldn’t make it back to the coop:
See the suspicious-looking crack? One of the chickens pecked at this egg:
The cat-cops discourage this: if the chickens get a taste of egg, they’ll find out how delicious they are! 🐔
Guess who spent their first night outside? 🐥
The chicks slept here last night:
Onslow and Betty are listening to the peeping:
Let’s look inside!
They were nice and cozy overnight:
But now they’re ready to start the day!
They are learning to go from the house to the “playground” by themselves:
We can count to Hansel to keep an eye on them:
He’s a very good “father hen,” and will protect them when they are finally out with the grown-up chickens! 🐓
The chicks have graduated! 🐥
Good morning!
Before we check in on the chicks, let’s admire our luminous spring flowers:
And look who’s outside for the first time!
They’re enjoying the sun, the soft ground under their feet, and the tasty grass:
Betty is watching them. Should we be worried, Betty?
“They are too big to be sparrows, so I won’t eat them.” 😺
Schroeder is trying to tell us something 😾
Here’s how Iris and Rose spend the morning before breakfast: grazing:
Here they are spending the evening after dinner: keeping Jewel company (Rose is behind Iris):
The chickens want to be let out:
“We’ve got a job to do!”
“We have to eat all those bugs in the wood chips!”
Schrödinger! Stop eating the ducks' worms!
It’s his histrionic way of telling the cat-cops that he’s tired of waiting to be fed. 😾
Sunny Easter! 🐰
The weather’s going to be lovely today:
The chickens are digging into the wood chips:
The Easter Bunny knows that horses have no use for eggs:
So he left us his carrots!
We’re all smiling!
Carrots are better than chocolate!
Needless to say, we all got carrots:
Especially me! Happy Easter! 🐰
Fowl fun! 🐔
The chicks are growing:
They can jump the fence when they want to.
And look!—Ann moved the chicken fence over the wood pile!
We’re having a great time digging down into the wood chips:
It’s full of termites, grubs, and other bugs. Yummy-yum! 🐓
I’m feeling the love today 🐴
These daffodils will be in full bloom in just a few hours:
I’m in such a good mood, I whined and cried until my breakfast was served outside!
I even saved some food for Stormy and Misty:
The sunshine is working wonders with everyone’s mood. 🐎
Show us your profile, Iris! 🐎
Dukie says, “Good morning! It may be chilly, but I’m always happy to visit the farm!”
It’s a good morning to soak up the sun:
The cats agree:
Chavez says, “I’m so happy the storms are over, I could kiss everyone!”
Look at our lovely new flowers:
Finally, Iris is “striking a pose!”
I’ll admit it, girl, you’re a pretty horse.” 🐴
Wednesday potpourri (this and that) 🐴
These storms are beginning to scare poor little me:
We’ve been lucky compared to the damage others have suffered. Here’s RC and Misty checking out the gutter that blew down from the awning:
Hurry up and bloom, daffodils, and cheer us up:
All the rain has greened up the grass. Rose and Iris are already out grazing:
Speaking of green, here’s some grass that was hiding under a bucket. It’s such a light green because it was starving for sun!
We could all use some sun! 🐎
Another storm? This is too much! 🙀
Please hurry and feed us. . .
There’s another storm on the way:
We had a heavy rain, but otherwise made it through ok:
Let’s cheer up with a chick:
Don’t get your head caught, silly bird. 🐥
Fowl events 🐔
Good morning. I have a smile, just for you!
Iris and Rose are back out in their pasture. There’ll soon be plenty of grass to eat instead of (and in addition to) hay. You can see the green is coming:
Jewel is out of her run, enjoying the nice weather and drier ground, with the rest of us:
Finally, Ann moved the fence. . .
So the chickens woke up to new, yummy grass! 🐔
It’s getting green! 😺
Can’t stop!—I’m on my way to breakfast:
Petra says, “Good morning! We have 3 eggs already this morning, and will have many more by this afternoon. We lay at least a dozen a day!”
Speaking of chickens, the babies are discovering the roost we added to their pen. Here’s one of them up there now:
Finally. . .
Grow, grass, grow! 🐴
We dodged a tornado! 🙀
Oh my! A tornado touched down between us and Geneseo—that’s only about 3 miles! I’m calming my nerves right now with some hay:
Overnight the weather was frightening! We felt better that we had Iris and Rose with us in the stable. They got a brushing, as you can see from the hair under Iris:
And newly-washed coats:
Oh, the chicks are getting ready to jump out of their tank:
Today they were moved to a bigger pen:
More room and higher walls! 🐥