Thanksgiving And Donkey Consequences

 The day started out so lovely.  I was looking forward to seeing my son and with a happy heart took  special breakfast fixin's to chonkeys.

Hot slop with all scumptious ingredients for donks

Mealworms and sunflower seeds for the hens

Still in that warm glow of anticipation, more treats were gathered for lunch.

Banana, celery and dried blueberries for the girls,

carrots for the cows next door and the donks

Except on this trip I went to the other side of the coop to put chicken treats in a bowl in their run.  And an amazing sight I beheld.  It actually took me a moment to grasp what I was seeing. 

 The precious donkeys had eaten the bottom wood frame of the coop window and two of the panes fell out and smashed on the ground.

Hunh

I called Rick immediately and said he had to come out and jury-rig a fix to patch up the window for the girls.  Then I set to work picking up large and oh-so-many teeny tiny pieces of glass.

And cursed the donkeys.

Window patched until a permanent spring fix

I asked my son to go out at dinner feed time so I didn't have to face the devils.  

And there you have it.  Holidays are not destruction free.

Feathers Feathers Everywhere

 At our little coop, molting season is concluding.  Feathers of all colors littered the coop and the chicken yard.  The girls are looking a bit bedraggled and their egg production has almost come to a halt.  As you know by now, I'm ok with that.  Girls gotta do what girls gotta do.  Let nature take it's course.

See how Lulu is rough around the edges

And Goldie's derriere needs a little work

All those feathers have been cleaned out of the coop - here's hoping it really was the end of the molting cycle.   You can see a bit of the view of the feather fest, however, the video does not do it justice.  No, not at all.

  Peggy Sue was in a nesting box while I cleaned out the coop so I tried to engage her in a little girl-type conversation.  Apparently while laying an egg, a girl is not very chatty.  But, wait till she's done.

Turning away from the hens for a moment, this photo of Luigi has been taking off on a couple of FB donkey groups.  Especially "Donkeys Make Me Happy".  As of this writing 842 likes.  He is a charmer for sure.

 

Peaceful Evenings

Just as farmers are at the mercy of the weather, we are at the mercy of the light.  Before I retired, it was necessary for me to feed donks in the dark before I got ready for work.  I'd take a lantern to make my way down the driveway and Rick installed a floodlight outside the barn.  Nowadays it's seldom used.  Such is the luxury allowed when not working.  Yes, it's wonderful. 

At this time of year, dinner feed for the donkeys has jumped up to 5:30.  I have just enough time to feed donks, lock up the hens, and make it back to the house on my bike with just enough light left to feel comfortable.  

Sometimes the hooligans get fed outside, but sometimes the weather dictates inside dining.

  The chickens are always tucked into bed when I open the door to the coop and disrupt them by turning on the light.

Marigold likes to roost on top of the window used before we expanded the coop to the 2-bedroom condo.  Helen and Fluffy are on the door which can separate the two bedrooms.  I have no idea why they don't cuddle with the other girls.  This will really test the memory of long-time readers, but they are three of the four girls we rescued from the Humane Society.  Goldie, the fourth, snuggles with the larger crowd.  Who knows why.

Although I might mutter about having to go out in the near-dark, I am rewarded with some lovely sky scenes.

Bits and Pieces

 We're experiencing abnormally warm weather in Michigan so the donks appreciated some munching time in the driveway where the grass is abundant.  (it has to be warm as I sit in my chair toward the end of the driveway and act as traffic guard so no one wanders too far)

I haven't had the heart to tell the donks this will probably be the last driveway time for the season.

Mama cow giving me the evil eye because I didn't bring carrots out for all the bovine beauties next door

I wouldn't dare mention any names but someone was a bit messy in his dining experience.  Did you guess who it was.  Hmmm...

Before the era of chickens at our teeny tiny farm I purchased a decorative item for the barn at one of my favorite resale shops.  When Rick added on the coop, it was no longer visible and down she came.  It was finally relocated to the side of the barn this summer, but it's loveliness is tarnished by all the areas the donks have nibbled through the fence that runs along the side of the barn.  Yes, the fence was put up so they would not nibble the barn -- you just can't win with these beasts.