Cranky Donks and Mandevillas

 Well boys and girls, I've been ruminating for quite a while on backing away from the blog.  Numbers are quite low.  And then there are the computer issues.  For instance I just tried to load a short video and the techno gods are doing their best to thwart me.

So for today, we'll keep it short but sweet.

The inmates like to raise a ruckus at breakfast time clearly telling me I'm late (even when I'm not).  These were taken before we opened the pasture.  Even though they only get two hours of pasture time, their frame of minds are much calmer.

Here they were allowed a bit of walkabout time (again pre-pasture) before breakfast.  You can see Gabby give Spice a little shove out of the way.  Poor Spice.  Although for the past week when they're called in from the pasture, Spice is always first to come trotting in.

And yes, they love to get brushed.  Always.  Forget breakfast when the brush comes out.  It's heavenly.  

Either tomorrow or Wednesday I'm headed to a local greenhouse for a mandevilla.
Last fall I saw an art shop's front door framed by two mandevillas and I kinda fell in love.  Yes, they'll probably be as  finicky as Stella the hibiscus.  She actually bloomed a few days ago! 

Stars of the Show

 The three donks mostly cooperated during an impromptu photo shoot the other morning.

Let's see if you can identify who's who.

Long time readers may be able to identify the girls, even with winter coats still thick and bushy.

OK, from top to bottom -- Spice, Gabby, and Sugar.  

I do not brush the donks during the winter months, not wanting to disturb the insulating abilities of those thick coats.  But now the brushing begins and they l.o.v.e it.  Ignoring breakfast to stand in line for their turn. Then when the brushing reaches each one, they stand absolutely still .  You can almost hear the ooh's and aah's.  And the donks shed out so much later than their horse relatives.  It's usually July before these three achieve their sexy sleek summer look.   

Clucks in Heaven

 The clucks couldn't be happier.  All natural impediments to wandering far and wide have disappeared -- snow, ice, and mud.  It's free range time!

About a week and a half ago I began the delightful job of carting out winter shavings and straw from the coop.  Because I tried the deep litter method (modified) over the cold months, there is one heck of a lot to clean out.  So I started with the easiest -- the porch. 

two wheelbarrow loads

This was the perfect  time to let the girls run free into the donkey pasture -- their first foray of the season.

Boy oh boy, they had a ball.

It must be noted that little bit of clean-up set me back in persuading my back to forgive and forget an incident the previous week.  I'm no glutton for punishment so thought the porch would be benign.  Wrong...

Needless to say phases 2 and 3 of 2023 Coop Clean-up are on hold.

Regardless, here is the current cluck daily routine:

Breakfast at 9:00 a.m. with 20-30 minutes of you're on your own roaming time (within fenced areas) 

Free range 1-3:00 p.m. with afternoon treats served by the congenial waitstaff at 3:00 

Followed by sunbathing/nap time

forgive quality - shot through fencing and netting

Yes, apparently it's in the cluck handbook that snuggling is mandatory during outdoor napping.  Hard to tell from this angle but they've fashioned a nice bowl shaped pit in the corner of the run for this purpose.  I had no hand in it.

I cannot leave you without yet another photo or two of the gorgeousness of my orchid.  

And this is only half of it.  She's outdoing herself this year.

Scenes From a Teeny Tiny Farm

With more sunny days leaving their mark in Michigan, the donks are spending less time in the barn and more time sunbathing.

I'm still reveling in the disappearance of snow and ice so am not quick to complain that spring has not fully sprung.  And yes we have mud.

Long time readers know with certainty that these donkadonks love love love their Sunday slop.

Sugar makes it clear she does not want to share hot slop with some ridiculous chicken

It's hard for me to capture nice close-ups of the chicky chicks so I took the opportunity while Stevie was in a nesting box.  I don't think she was happy with me.  Egg laying is a private affair and, in fact, some chicken keepers put curtains over their nesting boxes.  But for the few moments it took, I  chanced  her disapproval.

I hate to actually say this out loud, but for the past few years I have lost a bird every February or March.  Knock on wood we've escaped the curse this year.  Please!  I don't think I've implemented any new epic procedures.  Except I've been more diligent in adding powdered supplements (from Fresh Eggs Daily) and diatamaceous earth to their feed, and have added cinnamon and cayenne somewhat frequently to their treats.   Could that have made the difference?   Hmmm...

My current experiment revolves around providing classical music to the chonkeys.  Thanks to good buddy J2 I have an AM/FM radio in the coop.  So far the hens haven't reported back on their fine listening experience but I expect I'll get emails shortly.

I can't wait to be able to clean out the coop!  Never thought I'd hear myself say that!  I kind of used the deep litter method this year -- deep shavings which are turned occasionally.  Very occasionally on my part.  They're deeper than I've ever ever used before and I want to go back to the smallish layer - much easier to walk on.  I'll have to clean in stages though or I'd have to make many many wheelbarrow trips out to the manure pile.  Think I'll start with the porch.  Now if the rain will let up...     

 

Scaly Leg Mites Be Gone!

 I don't want to jinx things, but Marigold's footsies may have turned the corner.  Since we've been treating them over the past two months they have improved pretty dramatically from the scaly leg mites but we hit an impasse with one foot.  The only option left (to my knowledge) was schmearing her with ivermectin.  I had been using Green Goo and Prid.  Of course any and all ivermectin is now securely locked up at Tractor Supply (since covid).  I've been buying ivermectin paste for horses and donks for over 30 years and I still can't get used to this.  Anyway, this photo is from March 14.

See the little "knobs" on the right foot.  Well after one dose of the ivermectin one of them is gone.  Hallelujah!

And the little girl continues to feel perky.

After the girls are let out of the coop in the morning and wander around a bit, she's usually the first one back demanding breakfast.  Well demanding might be a bit harsh; she has a little chirpy voice.

Here are the troops charging out for their morning constitutional.

 The donks will be so happy to have the warmer temps this week to even out the quite bumpy ground in the donkey yard.  When it warms, gets muddy, and then freezes we all have inches deep divets to maneuver.  Spice especially was hesitant to try to traverse the worst area.

Here her sister, Sugar, steals the last bit of Equine Senior.

Although Spice is allowing it her ears are back indicating her displeasure.  But Sugar has established her place as food stealer and both Gabby and Spice usually allow her dominance.

With limited room to place food bowls (out of snow) this is a typical scene of me getting blocked.

 And, no, in the midst of chores it's not funny.

I'll leave you with a quick shot of the living room foliage.  I thought it made a charming scene.

Look just to the right of the white humidifier and you'll see Stella the hibiscus.  She's leafing out more and more by the week.  

Is It Spring Yet?

None of us on the teeny tiny farm are especially happy with arrival of more snow coming in dribs and drabs.  Well, except perhaps Phinny.  I've sat at the computer and watched him bound through the snowy woods, apparently having a ball.  

I, on the other hand, have not been joyously bounding through the snow to feed the chonkeys.  More of a trudge or perhaps a slog.

And because the walkways are narrow in the donkey yard I almost got knocked over by a 300-lb donk who was a bit too eager to get to her hot slop.  It's tricky business out there.

To revive spirits, let's take a look at some true spring photos.

 

Turning to plants, Stella, the hibiscus, continues to green out.  Bear in mind I was absolutely sure she was a goner.  But she just needed some winter sun to perk up and is now, although not lush with foliage, pretty perky.  

And hey!  The orchid is feeling pretty perky too.

 At least in the house there are signs of spring.  Sigh...

****** Vegan Delights ******

Rick made a most delicious and easy vegan bean soup recently.  So I must tell you how to whip it up.

You will not miss the ham.

I can't tell you amounts, except for the beans, so use your good sense.

Boil chopped carrots until slightly tender, add chopped celery.
Drain.

Saute vegetables plus chopped onion in dairy free butter.

Add basil, salt and pepper.

Dump in two 15-oz cans (with liquid) of great northern beans.  Please note:  if not using organic beans, check ingredients on the can carefully to make sure you're not adding icky stuff with the juice.

Add enough veg broth to thin slightly.

Cook roughly 10 minutes.

And voila.

What a Rollercoaster

 In the past 10 days we've had two ice storms and a snowfall of 10".

Scenes from an ice storm

donkey bowls are ice filled and stuck solid to the ground

transporting water and a torch to the chonkey area 

It was impossible to open the chicken porch (ice buildup  blocked the door) and the horse trailer where all chicken food and supplemental salt for donks is stored.

Thank goodness the chicken feed supply in the barn was full.

Scenes from a snowstorm

Thank goodness for the manger shelter Rick built in 2019

It allowed for immediate feeding outside of the barn.  Then I got to work shoveling a couple of other feeding areas.

With a snowfall this big, I had to shovel paths for the prima donas. 

It was tough with heavy wet snow.

Their bowls were lost under the snow.  We finally unearthed all three today.

Chickens faced a wall of snow outside one of the little doors

As it stands tonight, snow has melted somewhat and everything is accessible -- thank goodness!

****** Vegan Delights ******

One of my taste treats.
It's a bit pricey so I ration it.  :)