Sunday, August 30, 2015

Goats, Chickens and Summer Heat









Not that I want to to talk about the heat, but it's hard to ignore. We are in the midst of our summer's high temperatures, and humidity, if I am not mistaken. I have melted so many times today... never mind. It's too hot to take account, or complain. Let's not talk about the weather.

Let's talk about darling goats, and their orchard grass, the peanuts I brought them for treats, the way they look as though they are grinning when I take their pictures at breakfast. Nom nom nom, and those funny teeth show between their hairy lips. I think they have the dearest faces. Silly, and dear.

In the afternoon everyone is released from lock up, and they all, goats and chickens, make for the shrubs and trees, for favorite dust bathing spots, and shade. I filled bowls with ice and ran a mister for a time... little things like this are welcome. I should clarify... the chickens like the mist from the spigot, the goats stay clear. Goats are well and fine with this heat, but water? No, thank you!

Our Silver Laced Wyandottes are so transformed from their black and downy chick days. I have been captivated and impressed observing their black feathers changing into white, black trimmed feathers. All the new birds are still a bit smaller than the big fat hens. We aren't getting eggs from the little sisters, yet. And there's probably some molting going on, so that slows down the regular layers. Unfortunately we are also in the middle of a stick flea war. I know a lot of backyard chicken bloggers love sand for ground cover, but apparently sand is also a favorite nesting material of these horrible little biting parasites. More diatomaceous earth! More Vaseline! More patience and vigilance! {If your backyard chicken book says "Easy" in the title... Beware! There's more to keeping chickens than fresh eggs, and dust baths!}

Today, before the heat makes it too loathsome, I will be cleaning out the coops and run, freshening things up. And I will be thinking about our rainy season, which is expected to begin about October... and is also forecasted to be exceptionally wet. El Niño. We need to resolve drainage/mud issues, and think about keeping goats dry and happy, and chickens from washing away in the storms! Rain... now, that's something lovely to contemplate.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lovely. <3
~Maria

Janece said...

GOATS!! I lurve them so much! Their faces make me happy and content!

And the heat? Well, I am not going to mention it and am going to pretend it never happened and won't happen again. ;)

And the Silver Laced Wyandottes are magic. They are beautiful, beautiful girls! I'm sorry you are battling the stick fleas again... argh! I hope you are about to oust them sooner versus later. The new ground cover, recommended by Robin, will it help?

I would love to hear your plotting plans for getting the goats dry and happy... at first blush, I'm thinking they just need to be inside goats for the winter. ;)

Natalie, the Chickenblogger said...

Totes lurvable!

Indoor goats!? Now that would be something! No one lurves goats _that_ much!

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

I must admit, I do adore those fuzzy little faces and those goat grins!