Life on a homestead includes farm animals, and those animals expect breakfast every morning. So, after I drink my cup of coffee, I head out to serve the morning meal. The animals are always excited to see me, although they're probably more excited about the bucket of feed in my hand than about me personally. No matter, their reactions to my approach are pretty entertaining, so I decided to give you a peek at who and what greets me on the farm every morning. Here goes...
Look at this slobbering pig! You'd think she was half starved by the way she acts when she hears me coming up the path. She's not, by the way...she gets plenty to eat, but she always wants more. She makes such a racket squealing and snorting that I have to feed her first so she'll calm down and I can have some peace while I take care of everybody else!
Next stop is the chicken coop, where the Lavender Orpingtons are kept. I always show up with a scoop of feed, but as soon as I open the door they hop down off the perch and race past me. I guess the lure of fresh spring grass and bugs is too hard to resist! And I even fancied up their coop so they'd enjoy their time in there better. Oh well...
Here's the fun thing about my morning. I usually have broody hens sitting on nests this time of year, and when the chickens scatter out to the yard, I peek in the nest boxes to see if any eggs have hatched. This was the sight that greeted me the other morning! Five newly hatched lavenders still wet behind the ears, catching the breeze--and a quick snooze!
Sometimes I find things along my route where they don't belong--like a peacock in the tool shed. That ever happen to you? If it ever does, just corner him, wrap your arms around his wings and belly, hold his feet together, and gently lift him up. Easy as pie...just watch out for his talons--he'll scratch you up in no time!
Ducks love water, and my Cayugas get so excited when I show up. They can't wait for me to toss out some feed and fill the water trough, and then they quack and splash out their thanks when I'm done. They're so joyful about it, it makes me feel like I've really done something great for them. It's nice to be appreciated.
Finally I make my way back to the house, pausing under the arbor to scoop out some dog feed. The dogs make the rounds with me, herding the chickens, barking at the pig, chasing the ducks, and even snacking on the spilled feed! Once they get their real breakfast, I step back into the house and get my own. Then my day really starts rolling...
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