Yesterday a friend came around and helped me build Tima’s orchard pen. Actually it is more of a small field than a pen. It is quite large and encompasses two old apple trees and both old cherry trees so she will have piles of shade and grass to lie about in. Though it is lovely to have her wandering about the garden she is not very clever about traffic. She can come out with me when I am in the garden, but she needs a safe home when I am otherwise engaged. 
No bastard minks in the traps.
But all the chickens survived the night in their respective chicken tractors. The dogs are roaming from one to the other during the night and the chooks are literally a stones throw from my bedroom window.
Daisy gave just over 10 gallons of milk.
I collected 14 eggs (down a bit but they are still adjusting to the new living arrangements).
And Marcel and the two bobbies were observed chasing each other about the field in high spirits. Queenie rolled her eyes and went back to finding just a little more grass.
The asparagus is heaving up out of the ground and soon I will be picking rhubarb. Bliss. 
It just occurred to me that once I have cleaned out the chook house, I could let Poppy and Sheila hang out in there for the summer (after I have trapped whatever visits in there each night), before I line the walls to make it into a farrowing shed. It opens into their favourite field after all. Hmm. There is an idea.
Nothing was in the traps this morning. All the hens are happy in their new houses. All the four legged animals are happy in their fields. A good morning (though I am a wee bit late with posting though I know you don’t mind – you are The Fellowship!)
I hope you all have a lovely day.
Your friend on the farmy
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
50 responses to “A Day at a Time”
Old nasty minx would get a shock to find two piggies in there and no chooks maybe it would frighten him away forever….would minx attack pigs…..
I love rhubarb..we grow some in our garden but something is eating the leaves.
have a great day
Interesting that something is eating the leaves as they are poisonous.. c
Well I know its not me..its either caterpillars, snails or slugs
probably slugs – they used to eat our rhubarb leaves in the old garden, and I didn’t care if they were poisoned – they used to make lace out of our lettuces and also the hostas.
Chickens can eat rhubarb leaves and not get sick. Something to do with their crop, I think
That is what I thought..do slugs have any real use
Pigs are omnivores and would eat a mink. Pigs will even eat humans if they are hungry enough!
Here’s a story of chicken eating a fox, but they got lucky:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1254900/Revenge-chicken-Three-hens-cockerel-named-Dude-peck-fox-death-broken-coop.html
It is a wild world! Sheila the Mink Killer! c
I’m sure she wouldn’t hesitate if her new friend Poppy was threatened 😉
I was just going to post that pigs will attack anything that bothers them! They might not eat the mink but they sure would kill them!
✿♥ღLinda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Hmmmm….. now there’s a thought!
Indeed.. c
I was starting to worry that something bad was up when your post wasn’t there as expected. Good to know that all is well and everyone is happy!
Yes! All is well, such a glorious morning..c
We have alternate gale, sunshine and hail here! And it is raining cherry blossom.
Good morning Celi! Sounds like you had a wonderful day yesterday. I hope you can trap those minks quickly, bastard is a very good description for them. One time when we were kids we were playing out in the yard, the lawn wasn’t kept terribly short then. Well a mink or weasel ran right through the yard where we were playing. Mom had come out to hang laundry, she saw it grabbed a broom a gave a big toss and killed it dead in it’s tracks. Mom was very proud of herself. I would say that would be like a hole in one in golf. 🙂
The green of your grass looks so beautiful, just what a soul needs after that horrible winter. I hope Daisy’s milk stays clear, you capture those darn minks and have sunny days ahead. Take care!
I was going to say something along the lines of Mad Dog’s comment – those minks wouldn’t stand a chance in there with Our Piggy. She might not eat it, but she’d kill it, for sure.
Hope you’re having a wonderful Sunny Day. We’re in the home stretch with Angel’s broken collar bone – she’s counting the days until she can resume normal 4-year-old behavior! “On Monday, I can ride my bike again!” 😀
Oh Good, everything rolling along as it should be 🙂 Laura
Enjoy the day!
I can’t get over the impact of ears. Little TIma looks like a whole different person with her ears up. And that shot of Boo in the air earlier this week made me think you had acquired a German shepherd.
You mention the Bobbies cavorting. We need shots of the two of them together.
yes, i will stalk them this afternoon, I LOVE watching them run together, it is a fine sight..i will go out now.. c
Is the bastard mink trap baited? Have you posted a photo of it?
The Bastard Mink Traps are baited with fish.. tuna actually.. and no you are right I have not posted a shot of the traps, i shall.. off I go then back to the killing ground.. c
This is probably too late to do and probably a goofy idea but what if you baited the trap with one of the chicken carcasses, if they are not too far gone or thrown out already? I know….goofy idea! Does Tima still come in at night and if so, you are going to need a bigger cushion! 🙂
The last chicken they killed is laid by a trap.. didn’t work last night and I am not sure how long i can bear it.. c
Will you be putting the tiny little pig in with Shelia and Poppy?
✿♥ღLinda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Unlike regular pigs the Kunekune is a vegetarian who should not eat grain, so she lives in vegetables and fruit, milk and eggs, and grazes pasture. If she eats the grain the Poppy and Sheila has she will get fat at an astronomical rate. They are very lardy pigs, so unfortunately though i suspect sheila want her too she cannot live with them. Though at night she sleeps next door to them.
I’ll bet sleeping next to them really is a perfect set up!
✿♥ღLinda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Good idea about putting Sheila and Poppy in the Chook house. They will leave their scent and go after the minks (weasels, actually) if they do try to come in. After a week of beautiful spring weather, we had snow yesterday and 21 degrees last night. Everything got frozen…darn. There went the lilacs, but the rhubarb is probably OK. I never thought about you having traffic by the farmy. How close is the road…..and now I see all the other houses and barns close by, too. Too bad Tima has to be by herself in her paddock. You need another to keep her company. One is good, two is better. (smile)
The road is down a long lane but the traffic is normal farm traffic, delivery men, john coming home in the dusk etc. Usually Ton or I are watching her but when we are not out there she has a lovely little field now.. c
Ah, you sound so much more upbeat today. And that is good. I cannot believe how green the grass and that you will soon be picking rhubarb. Mine is barely poking through the earth. But then I do live further north.
Boo doesn’t look too happy about having a fence between him and Tima. What’s a Nanny to do?
Jump the fence apparently.. laugh.. c
Just look at that grass. The green is so bright! I can well understand Queenie’s wish for just a little more. And that fence looks strong enough to withstand quite a determined piglet.
Good idea to enclose Tima. You’d have to do it sooner or later and this will keep her safe. Poor Boo, waiting on the other side of the fence. When I was a little boy, I’d wait on my best friend’s porch until he was able to come out & play. He’d do the same on mine. We were next door neighbors and our Moms knew where to look if we went “missing”.
Though it’s a bright, sunny day, it’s very chilly. I was just in the yard checking the roses — 4 still haven’t started to bud — and it was down-right cold in the shade. I imagine that you’re far enough away from The Lake that it’s warmer on the Farmy. We’ll get there, too. 🙂
I have definitely lost two roses and am still looking for signs of life in the grapes but Zia’s apple is budding! Isn’t that grand.. c
I haven’t given up hope for my 4. I’ve had roses bud well into May. I am glad to hear that Zia’s apple tree made it. That’s good news!