Animal Updates.... And Big (900lbs) News

It seems that budding farmers veer in some direction or another - veggies, animals, orchards, honey, etc. - something calls them.  I like animals.  I've moved all of the chickens around and everyone is confused (I think I did it wrong).  Each night I have to go and round up/catch chickens and put them where they should sleep - i.e. where they wont die from being eaten.  I really enjoy it though.  The other night it was cold, dark and rainy... and no, I wasn't after racoons, but catching stray poultry.  It hurt and it was late, but I loved it.  Each farm really needs a variety of things, not just animals or plants or what have you, but a ballet of critters mingling on the land.  But... I like the animals.  I like how they recognise me and understand that I care for them.  They're funny and interesting. 

The current inventory is the turkeys and chickens, which you have heard about plenty, but there's also the goats, Molly and Nibbles:

I've moved them to the pasture in a makeshift rotational grazing system.  This usually calls for lots of electric wire and fencing, but I have this old dog pen that did have turkeys in it - now it has goats.  The girls took a little adjusting to it, because they prefer being close to the house, but here they serve the farm much better: they convert the grass into fertilizer and I move them each day to fresh grass.  I go sit in there with them and read sometimes because they do enjoy the company and I enjoy the book, but they need to be out here, not up at the house getting pampered.

 But, the most exciting news is this....

Aren't they beautiful?  The generosity of friends and Divine Providence made it possible for us to take a step towards are deepest agrarian longing: cows.  More pictures soon - stay tuned! 

The fiscal cliff approaches tonight.  Many fear recessions, chaos, and whatever else the politicians have convinced you to fear, but I have the freedom of cows- milk, fertilizer, meat.  Bring it.