Chickens Just Gotta Have Fun

 I know you've been asking yourself, what the heck do your crazy clucks do to have fun.
The answer -- play in poop.  Donkey poop.

Pegs illustrates only too well what all the girls do during morning chores.  Play in poop.

Fun thing #2
Attack any and all treats like the little dinosaurs they are.

The bottom cup made the girls swoon -- bananas, their all-time favorite, and frozen bleubs.
(three crazy donks got the other cup)

Fun thing #3
Luxurious dust baths

I hated to catch the moment through the fence but time was of the essence. 

Fun thing #4
Scratching in the dirt for goodies

Fun thing #5
Scaring me to death

One of these days I'll surprise one of the girls during a sprawled-out-in-the-dirt nap.  The first time I saw Sweet Pea snoozing like this I was certain she was dead.

* * * * * * Just Say Yes * * * * * *

A few days ago I whomped up a loaf of vegan blueberry bread, which just means I used non-dairy milk and no eggs.  Not only is this recipe tasty, but is forgiving.  After I had mixed all ingredients correctly I realized my 1/4 cup of oil was sitting on the counter.  Out of the loaf pan and back into the mixing bowl.  Didn't appear to bother the bread at all.  Which explains the less than pretty presentation.

Let me add one note.  The first time I made the bread I thought after adding the one cup of blueberries, that's not enough, we need more!  No, no, no.  Didn't work at all.  Keep it to one cup.   

Recipe

A Little of This, A Little of That

 It's dry dry dry here.  
The pasture is mostly brown grass so the donks just go out to nibble what they can and walk around.  

In the morning they get a brief walkabout just outside the donkey yard (it's still brown grass but different brown grass), though I have to keep an eye on them while doing chores as they like to eat my lovely flowers -- you can see Stella is up on a chair as I will not let them nibble her!

The chickens don't seem to be as affected by the dry conditions.  It doesn't stop their morning explorations.

Nor does it affect their odd egg laying habits -- their preference for one nesting box over another is a mystery to me.

Because the cherry tomatoes are watered daily they are growing and growing.  

I started using an Earth Box last year as we had awful luck with tomatoes in the ground or in giant pots.  My guess is our puny harvests were related to having the garden so close to the woods, but that's just a layman's guess.  Anyway the Earth Box is g-r-e-a-t.

Turning away from chonkeys, we visited a local art gallery over the weekend with a special exhibit, Flight".  I could have watched this all afternoon.

 Clouds at the tippy top with gold cranes hanging off the rotating wire circles.  I simply loved it.

Stella, Bullying, and Lip Smacking Goodness

Stella, Stella, Stella
Why are you unhappy?

Stella, the hibiscus with the glorious flowers, started dropping leaves.

 And dropping leaves

I was afraid Stella was saying goodbye, so called the greenhouse from whence she came.  The nurse there advised to immediately put the patient in full sun and water daily.  So I did.

And now look.  She's budding on every branch!

It meant moving her from the partial sunny deck, where I could look out the kitchen/dining room/living room windows upon her beauty, to the sunny donkey area.  But, if Stella is reviving, so be it.  At least once a day I tell her how lovely she is and all the praise helps her thrive.

In case you missed the post showcasing her beautiful flowers, here's a reminder.

I also tell the yellow daisy-like plants I received from Diane how beautiful they are and they shine with pride.

These cuties are berries from a wild vine and I marvel at how pretty they are every year.  Water droplets from a recent rain accentuate their perfection.

Turning to the chonkey shenanigans --

All three donks came into the donkey yard from a brief walkabout in the compound running and kicking up their heels like crazy girls.  I couldn't determine what had spooked/riled them.  But round and round they went.  After I was sure everyone was OK, I just watched in amusement.  Until Spice turned her rear end toward me and gave a posturing kick.  Nope, you don't do that to me.  Feel welcome to posture to your cohorts, but not to me.

Yesterday, Sugar and Spice came out of the barn sniping at each other.  Clearly they were ticked off with each other and I made sure I didn't get in the middle of their dispute.  Girls!

Usually when they are in the sniping mood, Gabby feels the brunt of their bullying.  And I come to her rescue.  Cuz she's my girl. 
   

And speaking of getting bullied, Marigold is in the same boat.  She may be low girl in the pecking order.  So when treats are getting handed out, I make sure she has ready access without fearing those pecks.

The flock's collective internal clock knows when their free range time is coming to a close and waits at the gate to be let into the coop run and, more importantly, for their afternoon treats.

  

* * * * * * Just Say Yes * * * * * *

I gave up Nutella long ago; a company that refuses to find a substitute for palm oil doesn't get my business.  Or my money. 

And yippee-yi-ya, look what I recently taste tested.

  

Oh yea.  Two thumbs up

Meet the New Boy in Town

A couple of pieces of news on this teeny tiny farm warrant mentioning.

We have a new puppy!
Well, not a puppy per se, but I call all our dogs puppies.

After Gunner died (see post of June 20) our greyhound, Faith, was pretty morose.  On a side note, I have been surprised in the past when one dog of a bonded pair died and the other didn't seem affected.  Not so with Faith.  She lost her appetite and her vim.

So we decided to adopt another dog much sooner than we have in the past. 

Behold Grimm, aka Phineas/Phin.

Phin is a five year old lab/catahoula mix.  We adopted him through Good Karma.

And what a sweety.  Smart and affectionate.  An excellent watch dog which is a bonus.

The first few days Faith wanted nothing to do with him.  He was an intruder and was definitely not her Gunner.  She didn't even want to be on the same floor of the house with him.  Then she relented and agreed to be in the same room.  Soon after they were sharing the couch and a bed.

And Faith has regained the spring in her step.  Which is what it was all about.

As for chonkey land, a moment of panic when Rick found two young possums in the chicken coop a few evenings ago.  Yes, adult possums are predators of chickens.  He has been so diligent in surrounding the coop with hardware cloth to predator proof it, we couldn't imagine where there was a breach.  The next morning Rick located the hole and installed yet more hardware cloth.  So, knock on wood, crisis averted. 

More chicken antics --

My Chatty Cathy, otherwise known as Fluffy demonstrates her vocal abilities.

A few mornings ago, Peggy Sue found some treasure (who knows what and I probably don't want to know) which she quickly nabbed and tried to take to a spot away from the flock.  JoannieLu was in hot pursuit for quite a few minutes.  She was certain it was a valued find as well.  They ran around, the treasure still dangling from Peg's beak until Joannie gave up the fight.  Then Peggy made quick dispatch of "it".

  

* * * * * *Just Say Yes* * * * * *

Many of us don't make soup in the summer.  Too darn hot.  But here's one recipe that I find not to be a heavy cold weather blend.

Vegan Lemon Rice Soup

I made it a couple of nights ago with a delicious, veggie packed salad.  What a great combo. 

 

     

Vicious Flies

 There is only one thing on the minds of the donkeys these days.  

Flies.  Tormenting, unrelenting, despicable.

None of my normal fly repellents are touching them.  I spray and five minutes later, or sooner, they return to swarm on little legs.

Little donks don't even want to go out in the pasture, but prefer the cool of the barn with the fan blowing full blast.  Not only cools them but keeps the damned flies away.  Honestly, they are driving the donks nuts.  Literally nuts.  

Less chemically/essential oil based repellents have been my go-to's forever, with the horses before donkeys.  

But the winged devils have never ever been this bad.  So I broke down today and ordered some chemicals.  Hopefully I have to turn to them only during the worst of the season.

Chickens, on the other hand, aren't bothered by the vicious flying things.

They enjoy their ice water on the excessively warm days

enjoy feuding over a nesting box

and like putting all their eggs in one basket.

On a peaceful day before the fly attack

Loss and Love

 We had to say good-bye to Gunner last week.  I'd like to tell you more about the boy, but not now.  Maybe next week.  We're all missing him.

To be honest, I had been remiss in filling the inside hen dust bath.  In fact, I wasn't sure it wouldn't be a waste of time.  Who would be bathing in the coop in this summer weather when during free range time you can bathe anywhere.  But I persevered and did my blend of wood ash (a great way to clean out the wood stove), sand, and diatomaceous earth.  Lo and behold, clearly its being used.  Oh, by the way, I also added some herbs said to be good for mite control (heavy on the rosemary).

.The flies are in full force now so donks are constantly bothered in spite of the fly spray applications.  A nice breeze on a lazy Sunday morning was helpful in allowing for a pest-free breakfast.  Volume up to hear contented chewing by Sugar.

Speaking of eating, if you're on Facebook, take a peek at Jacques Pepin cooking videos.  They're usually under five minutes and I am always fascinated at his down to earth cooking style.  And of course his ease in the kitchen is enchanting.

*  *  *  *  *  * Just Say Yes *  *  *  *  *  *

I'm glad friend Bev alerted me to this non-dairy ice cream.  Whoa -- delicious!  Yes, it's a bit pricey but  an infrequent indulgence.

Yoo Hoo, Chickie Chicks

 Donkeys are deliriously happy.  First cutting hay has arrived.  Fresh and oh so green.  It is positively lip smacking good.

And speaking of lip smacking, if it's summer it must be tabouli time.  In our house there are certain dishes one only enjoys during certain seasons.  Tabouli is one.
But wait.  We don't prepare it in the traditional fashion with lots of parsley to be eaten as a salad.  No no.  It is stuffed into pocket bread (with your favorite condiment) and eaten as a sandwich.

From my 1978 Moosewood cookbook:

Throw in whatever veggies you have in the frig and you have a tasty summer dinner.

I've said it before (probably on many occasions) that the general public does not give chickens their due when it comes to intelligence and personality traits.  My girls are chock full of personality and sometimes smarts.  And, so you ask, who of the flock knows her name? 

Without question Sweet Pea.  But she's been with me seven years.  And comes when called (well, when she feels like it).

Next, I think Fluffy knows her name.  She has only lived here since August 2019, adopted from the Michigan Humane Society.  No she doesn't come when called, but whenever she's around while I'm doing chores and I say her name, she immediately chats back.  Every time.

Fluffy top

Violet, bottom

Peggy Sue was one of the girls we rescued from a farm that was getting sold in 2018.  We literally got the last four hens of a 100 chicken flock.  Peggy comes when called, although sometimes I have to call three or four times.  But hey, same with the dogs.

The moral of the story -- don't shortchange the girls.  They're talkative, like to help with chores,  strongly bond to people, and best of all, are often hilarious.