Look at this beautiful but bitterly cold day. 
It honestly does not look as cold as it was. Though in a month we will look back on yesterday and think.. that was not That cold.
Guinea fowl for Deb and Equus.
And my fat piggies. Officially plonkers now. On Dec 10 two will go for their ride in the Black Mariah. The other two will be here until the end of January. Then Sheila will breathe a sigh of relief when she is allowed to move back into the proper pig sty, that has been set up for the cold.
I have sent away for some worming compound for Kupa (the peacock) . Tomorrow I will begin to train him and the girls back into the Peacock Penthouse so they can be treated up there.
The rest of the flock will have the pellets in their feed. But I need to quarantine Kupa and the girls to ensure that they get the proper amount. This will mean I climb the ladder up to the loft in the barn a couple of times a day, but I think I can do that now and the medicine won’t be here for a few days anyway. Needs must. 
I walked slowly around everyone yesterday and it seems we are ok. The cows are round, the sheep are frisky and noisy, Mama is up and about and Hairy is as miserable as ever. With the sudden freeze there are water problems so there were buckets of water to be carried but I had help with that. Sheila had taken things into her own hands, um hooves, and had knocked her frozen water over so she could chew on the ice. She does not like her new warm water bucket – it is too close to her bed. And too high. And too blue. I will try her with a heated dogs bowl tomorrow. It is lower and she has such a chin. She was never one to play in her water so it will be ok I think.
And the chickens are only laying four eggs a day, but they are very sensitive to changes in their feed and no-one mixes it like I do! So I am sure I can improve on that.
So spoiled they all are. My animals. My flocks. But I know all the ins and outs, all the tiniest of preferences, all the drafts and soft spots. The ones who come through the gates first, and exit last. The ones who are highly strung and the ones who will knock you down. The ones who like to eat from the feeder with the others or prefer their hay on the ground in a corner by themselves, thrown down when the others are not watching. That is my job. I study them. They are my responsibility. It is what I do best. I am one of them.
The Tall Teenager is going to do the feed run today and Our John is back to work. I shall move to light farm duties now.
A secret? Or a secret kiss. Maybe a secret and a kiss.
Your friend on the farmy,
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
69 responses to “A secret and a kiss”
I think checking for ear wax.
I didn’t realise guinea fowl were so big, lovely plump birds. I’d love some of their pretty feathers. Although it’s getting on to summer here, and my winter is never really cold, my chookies get warm mash twice a day, mixed up with porridge and partially sprouted grains. They won’t eat pellets and only pick out the bits they like from mixed grain, then stomp about all day shouting that they’re hungry. People say I spoil them but like you, I consider that’s my job, to make sure they have what they need.
The kiss is sweet, doggy ears must smell good/interesting, my cats always have their noses down the puppy’s ears, sometimes one on each side.
I love these days: cold, crisp, and bright!
Am broadly smiling at the end of this post [OK, ‘mama’ is happy but saying ‘hmmm’ very loudly to herself!] . . . news on so many fronts. Those plonkers HAVE grown and what wonderful meals in the offing. Kupa can’t be that bad since he has joined the ladies in the cold outside. But Celi ~ I mean this quite seriously: you should collate all these priceless Boo and Marmalade photos into an e-book – if someone told you how to market it you would make some money in a slightly easier way than carrying buckets of freezing water on the farmy and children both small and big would get such joy out of this unusual relationship: today’s are absolutely unreal!!!! And is that loglike structure in the living room a scratching post for Marmalade? . . . heaps of love and . . . hmm!!
the log is actually just firewood.. I will start to collate the Marmalade shots but they need to big perfect files to be publishable and dead sharp.. not too many of those! most are hand held.. but we re having fun.. c
OK ~ point taken! BUT: I know how many of the ‘relationship’ I have collected and methinks there are more to come ~ how many readers would quite know and expect ‘perfect’ – methinks it is the feeling world generated that would be the ‘charm’ :)! ? And am happy Marmalade is sharpening his claws on something destined for fire and not your sofa!!!
A week seems to have made a difference… at least you can contemplate business as usual. The outdoor pics look so very crisp… bodies, it seems, in every shaft of precious sunlight, and the indoor pics all the cosier for the contrast and the dynamic duo of cuteness 🙂
You sound relieved after checking everyone out. It’s always a worry when you have animals but it is truly amazing when you have that connections that makes you look twice. Somehow something registers that something is ‘not quite right’ and without thinking you look again to see what it is. That’s what makes it hard to go away. We’ve had frigid cold and wind the last couple of days, today it snowed a couple of inches, just enough to make a mess but it was marginally warmer. I’m in east central Wi. so hopefully the predicted warm up (upper 30’s!!!) will filter down to you. I am fortunate that I am able to buy beef, chicken and pork from a local farm that raises everything on pasture. no hormones or antibiotics. I guess the only consolation re: the large processors is the fact that there are people like Temple Grandin out there trying to make things as humane as possible, at least for the beef. If you haven’t read any of her books I highly recommend them, absolutely fascinating.
no I have not read her books, interesting that it is a woman working to make such an industry more humane.. i look forward to reading about her.. thank you sherry.. c
I have heard that Guinea hens constantly say “buckwheat, buckwheat, buckwheat,” Is that true? I vaguely remember them from when I was a kid and my Aunt had some. They were noisy.
They are the noisiest birds on the property but I will listen more closely next time and see what they are saying.. c
She is really quite amazing, autistic with a phd in animal behavior. I particularly like “Animals in Translation”. She’s been instrumental in designing processing plants that keep the animals calm and feeling safe. She feels she “thinks in pictures” because of her autism which is how she believes animals think.
well i really must get that book, she and I would get on i think!
I remember this kind of cold because we lived for five years in Canada when I was a kid – I just can’t imagine doing that now so I salute you!
I can hear the relief in your voice as you attend to your flocks and animals once more. You are so tuned into their needs and they are so lucky. So you are one of them. Of course you are; why didn’t I see that before? Just remember when you go up that ladder however that you do not have wings! What a blessing that you are not having to milk right now.
This is such a beautiful post, cecilia! Love these photos, especially the last on 🙂
Thank you Amy and welcome to the comments lounge! c
Boo and the kitten have such a sweet friendship. I love the photos. And yes very cold! Yesterday morning here was 10F/-12C so the snow pants came out to walk the dogs. Thankfully the wind died down a bit.
Just LOOKING at your blog…is so peaceful. I love it. I miss my daily stop bys, life is crazy around here right now. Boo and that kitten…just melts my heart! 🙂