Moving into Fall

I did not get around to taking pictures much this week, and wasn't happy with what I got.  So for our farm update this week, I will share some photos that Kevin took yesterday while he shifted the lads' living quarters. 

For those of you who may not have been following the blog for long, "the lads" are Forest and Ranger, collectively known as ForestRanger - our male goats.  They have been moving around the fields surrounding the house since spring.  We have a few portable pasture shelters (built mostly by Rollie - thank you!) and they move from place to place with fence panels to house the lads and the pigs.  This move was a little different as we decided to partition off part of the does' pasture and put the lads in there.  It's a weedy and brushy place - goat paradise, but it seems to be too much area for the does.

To make this move, the does were securely locked in the shed while Kevin moved the lads into the pasture.  Then he started moving the fence panels over to build a sturdy barrier - no fraternizing until November please!  He drove the cub and trailer right in there.  He had fencing tools and supplies in the trailer and also the pigs' messy slop buckets as the trailer does double duty as a slop wagon twice a day.

Well, Ranger just had to lend a hand...er... hoof. 

Checking out the contents of the trailer

The pig pails smell interesting!

Oh, oh!  Got a little problem here!

Anyway, that was Kevin's Saturday morning while I was at the farmer's market.  Ranger is rutting already, which means he smells really, really bad.  And he likes attention so Kevin got used for a scratching post a few times - so when I got home I discovered that Kevin smelled really, really bad too!

In other farm "news", Kevin reports that the winter wheat is now planted, and the rye will go in next.  In the poultry yard, the pullets are neck and neck in egg production with the older hens.  Half of the hens seem to be molting - not looking very pretty these days.  And we lost one of the turkeys - not sure what the problem was with it.  The other five look good and are so entertaining.  Back to the goats, I am happy to share that Vinca is doing much better these days; she's eating well and seems to have gained some weight back.

There is more, but I think that is enough for this week.  Until next time, be well folks, and never forget.