I am cleaning in the barn and the yards twice a day now to keep the flies down. And out of my cattle’s eyes. It is good work. Strong work. Scooping the pens and carrying the manure and wet straw out to the pile. Cleaning up the last corners.
I take no shortcuts – preferring the struggle of a good workout.
Do you think the ducklings know that the pond is just on the other side of this raggedy hedge.
I still would rather the ducklings did not go into the little pond until they have wings enough to hoist themselves up off the water and onto the rocks.
Even Quacker is seldom in the pond now, waiting for the magic invisible thread of chance and serendipity that brings them all to the water when they are ready.
Jude. Being Jude. We are working on a command that stops him picking up the gate with his nose and shaking it in anticipation of his food.
He is learning.
The turkeys are settling into their new home. There is very little panic peeping now. They are quiet and calmer.
They are so small. I guess it is the difference between commercial breeds and heritage breeds of turkey. These silver ones look interesting. I look forward to seeing them as adults.
A skunk walked through the property the night before last. Boo spent quite some tracking its pathway, in the safety of the daylight, yesterday. To be fair it was so stinky I think I could have tracked the little animal myself. Sniffing it across the farm.
The calves are still having spray applied to their eyes four times a day and are beginning to come up onto the side of recovery from a very nasty pink eye infection. An animal, or human for matter, can be contagious for up to three weeks so they have another week or so in the barn.
Yesterday they were enthusiastic about coming out onto the grass in the evening. This was a significant change. They have been lethargic in their misery though still eating well. Preferring not to go too far from the safety of the dark barn. The big cows hang about around the yards waiting for their babies to be released. Making work for me and my pitchfork. But everyone is settled.
Good morning. Today will be more of the same. R and I have begun to gather all the materials we need to begin the maintenance on the barn and the chook house.
Trying to keep these old buildings in one piece for another decade.
Have a lovely day.
Celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
20 responses to “A summer Day on the Farm”
It wasn’t nearly as warm and made the cleanout work a bit more tolerable. I remember cleaning out hog sheds when i was in high school. It was toughest in the cold of winter. Sometimes things were frozen down tight.
We had a pet skunk my older brother caught. He was mowing hay and accidentally killed the mother. He had it de-scented by the vet. It was a fun pet. The cats hated it.
it would be a fun pet! Tye cats must have been appalled!
You would think that ducks could smell water…
The smell of skunk is thoroughly unpleasant – almost like burning tyres plus something else equally nasty. I’m glad Boo didn’t find it!
Oh that’s it! It’s the smell of rubber. I was trying to put my finger on it. Yes burning tires nasty things. Weird they smell so nice. I mean weird they smell so bad and looks so pretty.
That was such a lovely soothing post, thank you, though not so soothing for you; as l always say…. Good that you have R to help. Fancy Jude still being able to learn lessons, dear old thing! Ducks to water! Ha ha.
That was such a lovely soothing post, thank you, though not so soothing for you; as l always say…. Good that you have R to help. Fancy Jude still being able to learn lessons, dear old thing! Ducks to water! Ha ha.
ahhhhh – calm
I so enjoy these regular working days on the farm, seeing everyone doing what they do best which for the animals is mostly just eating and sleeping! I do understand better now about the turkeys size, thank you. I had forgotten they are heritage and as I watched the Tenners vid last night I kept thinking that they weren’t the size I expected for even baby turkeys. Things make more sense now 🙂
So good to see Ton Ton out and about! He’s getting up there in age, isn’t he? Our Dolly is slowing down quite a bit and her back hips are weakening. Her hearing is also going. But amazingly she still chases any squirrel she can see. She is 13 now. But she still follows me everywhere I go, just like Boo does with you. Dogs are wonderful!!! 🙂
Yes, Tonton is getting quite old. Showing his age. Actually just wants to lie down and sleep all day. Very seldom follows me unlike BooBoo of course he follows me everywhere. Just like your dolly.
I just can’t imagine how you keep up with such a schedule for each of your charges. Or, for that matter, how you find the energy to keep on going day after day. How long do you plan to continue before your hang up your boots for good and take a nice rest?
I don’t think I would know those were turkeys! You never have to worry about going for a walk or getting your 10,000 steps, I bet. You probably get at least double that.
I average about 15,000 steps a day. And that’s just farming. Generally, I’m too tired to go for a walk after all that 😂
I always love to see your dear dogs, as I miss mine so much (each & every one of them), here in my dotage & small condo. I remember when our beloved Bob got sprayed by a skunk. I dabbed him all over with a big bottle of V-8 juice, (tomato juice bath powerful stinky skunk spray cleanser insisted our old neighbor down the mountain). And then a good scrubbing with bath soap & warm water in the tub, & drying off in a big beach towel. Still wrapped in the towel, he was held & cuddled dry by my son on his lap. Next day mid-morning a pick-up truck came up our mountain road. It was the school principal bringing my fifth grader home because his teacher & classmates could not bear him in the classroom. I guess his jeans had skunk odor on them from Bob before his bath, which I hadn’t detected when I drove him to school that morning, because I am still quite smelling-impaired from a really bad case of the Hong Kong flu years ago. “Mom, everybody said I stunk like a skunk,” P. said with his lower lip stuck out. “But at least I got out of school!” he added with his biggest toothy grin. That’s our skunk story. Boo better watch out he doesn’t have to take a tomato juice bath!
I imagine pinkeye must be quite painful, and the poor calves probably enjoyed the dimmer barn light. I’m looking forward to the day when you show us the ducklings’ joyful discovery of the pond!
Pink eye eyes do not do well in the sun at all. Though there are less flies in the field. So I let them out at night when it’s dark and hopefully less flies
One time our cat got sprayed by a skunk. Oy vay!!! What a smell! He was delirious with the strength of it in his face. It was early morning – I got the kids off to school – but then the local piano teacher came along. She used our parlour and piano to teach kids from the school just down the road. Ferrying them back and forth through the day. When she came in our front door she could hear an awful yowling coming from the bathroom. She peeked in to find me – Wheater – and a shower stall splattered with what looked to her like animal innards! I didn’t have any vegetable oil in the house that day – and so had used spaghetti sauce. Scared the dickens out of her! But it did help – somewhat – to give poor Wheater some respite. 😉
Oh no!! That is hysterical!! Bother that cat!!
I’m wondering if the fly masks they sell for horses would work for your cows..or maybe they make fly masks specifically for cows?? Might be worth a look.
Everything looks so lush and green and animals all happy. So funny that the ducks haven’t discovered the pond..I guess that debunks the saying..like ducks to water. 🙂
Thank you for the update about the calves pink eye. You and R are on a roll!