New Beauties Arrive

 In this time of everyone with two square feet of land deciding they need hens, chicken life gets a bit complicated.

Because our two roos have favorite girls to romance, and back feathers are disappearing, I decided it was time to add to the flock.  Give the boys some new pretty ladies to cozy up to.  I asked three people with chickens if they wanted to re-home any of the older girls, no older than three years.

Nope.

Step 2, put a post out on a local chicken FB group.  One woman I'm familiar with said she had some 1-yr olds, barnyard mix, that would cost $25 per bird.  Are you out of your mind, lady??  I've never paid close to that and I have to believe it's all due to the cost of eggs and the world becoming chicken farmers.

Received a couple more responses and I was on the verge of getting more details on one when a woman piped up and said she had three 2-3 year olds she'd part with - for free.  Now we're talking!

Let me introduce you to the beauties.

 Tentative names:  the Rhode Island Red is a drama queen so she's Queenie.  The Black Australorp is Joelle and the Plymouth Blue Rock is Mitzi.  

They've been segregated since they arrived on Thursday the 22nd but everyone needs more room so tomorrow the yellow door is flung open and they'll intermingle for the first time during free range.  Gives the new girls space to flee when they get harassed and it's a sure thing they will be.

And Pippi, the sex fiend will probably be the first to introduce himself.  Lordy...

Here they vocalize with the song of their people.

Oh, and we finally got the saddle pad adjusted for the little white girl so it stays on.  She was not happy with it initially, but I have to believe that little back that's now protected is happier.

Habits Are Hard To Break

 This year was a bit amazing.  I let the donkeys out on pasture the end of April.  That has never happened before.  The norm is mid to late May.  Wow...
Of course the donks think this is as it should be.

Every time I open the pasture gate, their heads go down immediately.  They feel compelled to start munching at the same spot every day.  Of course in a bit they spread out, but those first minutes follow the unwritten rule.

Same goes for the clucks.  They know I usually open the porch door first so it is the gathering place.  Yes, they know when it's around free range time.  

This group of girls don't seem to spend afternoon nap time (after free range) in the run.  Quite interesting.  Previously the girls would nest in the dirt or on the ladder and take a siesta.  I'm not seeing it now.

 You may have noticed one of the little white girls has on her saddle pad but the other has a bald patch.  We've tried twice to get a saddle pad on that sorry looking back and it comes off.  I need to figure out how to adjust the elastic without causing it to rub on her back.

Another routine -- hauling a few bales from the trailer to the barn.  We've done it so many times we have our roles sorted.

This is still last year's hay and it's a bit sorry looking.  The donkeys will be thrilled when new first cutting comes in.