FRANCIS'S BLOG 04/19/2026
Fowl deeds 🐔
A new day—a new olive egg!
That makes four!
Onslow is keeping an eye on the chickens. We hope they’re as good today as they were yesterday, and no one escapes the net:
They get their mealworms through their little door now:
Speaking of mealworms, we put some in the ducks’ pool, and left the rest in the pan, dry:
It’s clear now how the ducks like their worms! 🦆
No escapees, please! 🐴
Iris would say Good morning, but she’s busy eating carrots:
I’m “busy” too!
We have our 3rd olive egg, from one of our 4 olive-eggers!
Yesterday, our Mary (❤️) fixed where the chickens escaped.
Don’t try it again, chicks. If you get hung-up in the net, you’ll have to wait until 3 o’clock to be rescued! 🙀
Another olive egg! 🐔
Good morning!
The olive-eggers laid another one!
Aren’t they pretty? They are indeed olive colored:
The chickens went out this morning. . .
But even with the green netting, four Wyandottes escaped!
They found a loose spot in the “roof:”
Mary will fix it this afternoon. 🐔
There’s a green mist on the farm 🐔
Mary and Mara put a green net over the chickens’ new yard:
No more flying out:
Stormy, there’s nothing in there. You ate up my leftovers last night and we haven’t been served yet this morning:
Anyway, it was in the 40’s this morning, so we’re topping off breakfast with hay:
The leaves are starting to turn colors! 🍁🍂
They don’t call them olive-eggers for nothing! 🐔
Hey, Onslow, what’s holding up breakfast?
“Let me look. . .”
“Somebody laid an egg.”
What’s so special about that?
Oh! It’s GREEN!
That means it was laid by an olive-egger!
So it’s olive-colored!
Finally, here’s Ann, in England, with a new friend:
🦉
A kitty from Bristol! 😺
Ann is on vacation in England. So a very British kitty says, “Good morning!”
So far, none of the hens are using the nesting boxes in the new coop. But give them time!
Iris and Rose are happy this morning, because they were fed first:
Well, I mean, they were fed second. I always eat first:
Especially when I help myself. 🐴
Grumpy kitty 😾
RC and I say, “Good morning!”
It’s a little warmer this morning, but still cool enough to keep this cicada from moving:
It’s a sign of the seasons: Iris is joined by a flock of birds:
Rose just has one bird by her, but it’s her special friend:
Please leave Misty’s stall, Chezzie. Don’t stop to sniff a poopie:
Mary bought the chickens a nice new waterer:
And Alfred is grumpy because he missed breakfast:
Go look again, Alfred. The cat-cops put out more—just for you! 😺
Chicken Crime! 🐔
Yesterday morning, we told you the chickens were let out, after a few days of being “cooped up.” We had hoped they had accepted the new building as their home.
Well, by afternoon, they had all flown back to their old home under the hay barn:
Luckily our Mary and Bill gathered them up again:
Here they are, back inside:
This is your new home now, chickens. Make the best of it. 🐔
Cool Thursday 😺
The chickens are looking out the window of the new shed, waiting to go outside for the first time:
But when the door was open, they were a little afraid of going out:
But eventually they did. It’s only in the 60’s today, so it’s great to be out in the sun:
Iris dropped a piece of carrot, but she’s quick to pick it up:
I never drop my carrot (but of course my carrots are broken up in bite sizes):
Finally, Stormy, I guarantee you I didn’t leave any of my breakfast:
But, of course, you want to check; just to be sure. 🐎
Oh that Iris! 🐎
The chickens spent their first night in their new home:
Hey Iris, take your foot out of your feed dish and get on your fly mask:
Iris always wears her fly mask with no fuss! 🐴
🐔 Moving day for chickens! 🐓
Good morning!
Farmer Rich (or one of his nice helpers) mowed the far pasture. We’re so lucky to have him for a friend. Look at all the new grass we have to eat, now that the weeds are gone. (By the way, we are the teeny-tiny things in the yellow circles):
And this morning the chickens have moved in to their new house:
Let’s look inside!
Here are the nesting boxes:
Take your seats, girls! 🐔
Muddy Monday 😾
Good morning. It stormed all last night, with rain, thunder and lightning—terrifying!
Oh, here’s some news: Sophie’s “spinning” video exceeded ONE MILLION views on Youtube:
Sophie is a star! 😺
The spring chickens are making eggs! 🐔
Hi there. It rained all last night, so it’s steamy this morning. We’re all masked-up against the flies who are just waking up:
It’s funny how the ducks seem to have discovered the front pasture. We never saw them out there much until last night and this morning:
But still, when their breakfast mealworms are served, they come running!
Oh!—look at this:
The big egg was laid by one of our salmon faverolles:
The little egg was likely laid by one of our 15 wyandottes:
Did you know they are called “fairy eggs,” and have no yolk? Fairy eggs are normally laid by young chickens, just born this spring. 🐥
Carrots are not for dogs 🥕
Don’t I look slim in this photo? (Ok, I admit that it’s a camera trick):
But no one denies that carrots are good for you and low-calorie, too!
Iris says, “What horse or donkey doesn’t love them?”
Rose says, “They are part of a complete breakfast!”
Stormy says, “They make a great treat any time!”
Jewel says, “But we’re telling our people-friends something they already know!”
How would you like a carrot, Sophie?
“Don’t be silly,” she says. “Doggies don’t eat carrots!”
Dukie says, “Put that carrot down, and bring Sophie and me some dog biscuits, please!”
Our hearts are broken 😿
Our dear Finn went to kitty heaven yesterday. She was very sick for a long time. Here she is being cuddled by her favorite person, Bill:
Bill found her, October 2016, with her brother and sister, abandoned by the Hennepin while he was fishing. Here they were as kittens:
We so loved you, Finn. ❤️
The line forms at MY rear! 🐴
Evil Cat says, “Have an “evil” morning!”
Buttons says, “You’re late for breakfast, Alfred; but there’s plenty left for you.”
And I can’t wait around to be fly-sprayed. I’m going to “help” Jewel clean up her breakfast:
Jewel is quite the sloppy eater. But don’t worry, she gets extra food to make up for it:
Here she is, having already moved on to her hay:
O look!—Chezzie, RC, and Stormy are in line:
It would have been selfish for me to hog it all. 🐴
Wednesday Potpourri 😺
Dukie is sniffing around the backyard:
I’m having a carrot:
And Chezzie was right there, waiting for his!
Baldy is sneaking some cat food while Alfred has a drink:
Baldy is even acting like a cat—in that he can’t keep to his own bowl. As you can see, he’s eyeing what Onslow is having:
If a cat (or Baldy) sees another cat eating, it automatically decides that their food must be tastier! 😾
Our chickens are colorful 🐔 and our donkeys (that’s me!) are happy 🐴 !
I have a smile for you this fine Tuesday morning:
And, if that smile wasn’t cheery enough, how about this one!
With all the rain we’ve had recently, our water is quite clear and tasty; even if it does have some goldfish in it:
Evil Cat is chicken-sitting:
And so are Schrödinger and Betty, whether they want to or not:
Aren’t our olive-eggers colorful?
Here’s RC (background), helping Jewel finish her alfalfa pellets:
The rest of us are having hay in the shade:
🐎
Ferdinand and Percy are “oldies but goodies!”
Ferdinand (front) and Percy say “Good morning!”
Indira is busy laying an egg before breakfast:
Don’t you think Ferdinand and Percy look good for being 8 years and 5 months old?
I think they look great! They are about 76-80 cat-cop years old! 🐴
Rainy Sunday 😾
That’s a nasty cobweb on your head, Evil Cat. The cat-cops would be happy to take it off, if you would only let them:
I know I shouldn’t be back here by the feed cabinet. I promise I’ll leave, just after a nip of hay:
The rain has let up, just long enough for Iris and Rose to eat:
None of us like soggy alfalfa pellets! 🐎
Hey, it’s time for hay! 🐎
As summer fades, so does the sweetness of the grass:
So we’re getting a supplement of hay:
Luckily for the birds, they get the same yummy corn, layer feed, and mealworms twice a day:
Our Dukie says, “Good morning! I’m looking for a place to potty, in this nice cool grass.”
And who is this chicken? We don’t know, but her number is 5:
We need to borrow the cat-cop’s spreadsheet! 🐴
All chickens have a name and a number 🐔
It’s not a bad morning. There’s a carrot for me:
One for Rose (what a face she’s making):
And for Iris (Don’t worry, all the other horses got a carrot, too):
Dukie is here today. She’s looking good! 😺:
Finally, who is saying “Good morning” for us today? Why, it’s Gail!
How do we know it’s Gail? Her leg band is #15. 15 = Gail! 🐔
A morning delivery 🐴
Hmm. . . Usually we only get deliveries in the afternoon:
Especially food. Let’s get those bags open, and give us our breakfast!
Oh well, I see Jewel is enjoying a carrot:
Carrots are a great way to make up for breakfast being late:
The cat-cops know the way to our hearts! ❤️
If you’re a feed dish, you’re having a bad day 🐎
Dukie says, “Good morning! I’m ready for a walk around the farm!”
Security Deputy Betty is on guard. Come on down, Officer, it’s breakfast time!
It’s hot today, so I fussed until my feed dish was moved into the shade:
Finally, Iris stepped on her dish:
Rose stepped in her dish:
Then Rose stepped on Iris’s dish:
Luckily their dishes are made of a soft plastic, so they didn’t break or stay bent out of shape. 🐴
We have a new movie! 😺
Chezzie says, “Good morning!” He’s on the way to his stall for breakfast:
I’ve already started mine:
Onslow is surrounded by chickens:
And Dukie is just sitting, enjoying the peace of the farm:
Finally, let’s watch the latest video!
What fun! 🐎
It may be Labor Day, but there’s no day off on the farm! 🐴
Good morning. You know, when you’re feeling low, it helps to remember something about yourself that you like. In my case, it’s my magnificent ears!
Anyway, Buttons has just woken up:
And so have the ducks and chickens!
And Dukie’s here!
Dukie loves the farm as much as we love her. 🐴
Drizzly morning 🐎
Ginger is looking particularly majestic this morning:
Rose says, “Good morning. Anybody want to buy a chicken?” (FYI: Rose is not authorized to sell chickens.)
If we could really sell Ann’s chickens, we would make some “serious coin:”
I hope the weather clears up. . .
Until it does, I’ll putter around the stable with RC and Jewel. 🐴
It’s a nice morning! 🐴
I’m feeling majestic this fine Saturday!
Sophie says, “Good morning!”
And so does Onslow!
We hope you are having good day, too! ❤️
Look! Up in the sky! 🙀
Alfred says, “Good morning!”
It’s a clean-mask Friday:
Our Jewel is still having to spend the day by herself:
But her “Stormy bites” are healing nicely:
Finally, what is this helicopter doing so close to the ground?
Why, it’s spraying the corn:
We’ve always had an airplane do the dusting before. 🐴
Just for the heck of it—let’s review some of our old crop duster videos!
Poor ducks! 🙀
Lots of eggs! 🐔
Don’t think that I don’t see that carrot on the ground. I’m saving it for after breakfast:
And some chicken has been very busy in the hay barn:
15 eggs!