Happy Chickens

I have some very happy chickens tonight  I finally got all the big holes in the fences around the chicken yard all plugged up yesterday and clipped all wing feathers last night. So about 5 this afternoon, I opened the coop door and let them out. It took some a little longer to figure out how to get out. But they did. And they were a bunch of happy birds.

They ran around chasing bugs and eating grass like they haven't had any in years. 5 of the newer chickens had never been outside before. And the rest it had been a long time. It was like they didn't know where to go first.

 Here is Mr. Rooney and some of his girls. He'd go find some tasty little morsel and call them all over. He's such a good rooster.

 This is Russell Crowe to the left with some of his girls. He's still young and not into sharing just yet. But he will.

And these little guys are just a few of the Freedom Ranger chicks. At 4 weeks old, they are quite big. They have been outside a week now in a fenced in area. Today I put up netting along the wooden fence where they can't go through into the back goat lot. I let them out this morning and they didn't know how to act. A few went out, then they'd run back in. They finally figured it out and had a good day eating bugs and grass too. When it got close to dark, they were ready for their dinner and all followed me back to their pen and ate. They are growing fast.

So today was a good day for the chickens here at Outback Farm.

Milking Adabelle

I milked Adabelle tonight. I had milked her a little right after she had her kids. She had never been milked before. She just stood still then. Tonight she did not! She's a kicker! But I held onto the milk pail and she never got her foot in it! I had to milk with one hand but got it done. I think she'll make a great milk goat. She has a great compact udder with nice teats. I got about 2 1/2 cups. I can't wait to try again in the morning. If she works out, I may see if I can just buy her back. They are never going to milk her. They really need brush goats anyway. Or sheep.

Now I am off to cut wing feathers off all my chickens so I can let them out of their coop for awhile in the evenings. I worked on putting netting and chicken wire on all the fence with hole big enough for them to get through. There have been 4 hens getting out the past few days. They go back in the coop at night though. And I saw one already over in the other garden. So off with their wings! Well, feathers anyway.

Adabelle

This is Adabelle. She was born here about 4 years ago to my doe Ocho. I sold her to some friends up the road. She just had twin bucks the beginning of June. Her first ever kids. I think they might be John Henry's or could possibly have been Tom Dooley's. She has elf ears and so do the kids. So who knows. Both the bucks were up there with her and another doe.

So the kids are old enough to be weaned and they were not going to milk her. And I need more milk. SO I asked if I could keep her here and milk her and the boys could be weaned away from their momma. He said yes. So I went this morning to get her. Abby and Sandy apparently don't remember her so I am keeping her in a separate lot next to the does til they get used to each other.

And while she's here she might as well be bred back again. So I'll put her back in with John Henry and put Zarah in there too. Sounds like a plan to me. I just hope now that she will keep producing milk. She should be quite full by this evening milking time. She looks good for having had twin bucks still nursing her.

SO I have added 2 more goats to the farm.Lots going on right now. And breeding will start next month.