Progress

 

Much progress this week.  The piglets are weaned (so I think that technically makes them shoats), and the baby chickies are out.  The piglets have been much more graceful about weaning than the calves.  No dramatic squealing or hoarse complaining at all.  Star seems extremely glad about the whole thing.  They were starting to annoy her, and I can relate.  Clothilde is two-and-a-half and still nursing, and beginning to annoy me, too.  If she were just nursing, I wouldn't mind.  It's the way she kicks her feet around and thrashes.  I remember that from nursing my other babies.  Two-and-a-half is an obnoxious age to nurse.  After that, they calm down.

The baby chicks are thrilled about their new moveable coop.  They look so tiny in it.  These are the next batch of laying hens.  As much as I like the beautiful eggs from the Americaunas, they always have problems, and are really mean to each other.  We went with Barred Rocks again this time, because they are just really good chickens.  Intelligent and healthy.  We need chickens like that right now, because we don't have much time to baby them.

The weather this morning made us all feel strange.  It's like Northern California in summer - very dry and much cooler than usual.  It's good working weather.  The garden is almost complete, and there are only a few other big projects to finish before we leave in a few weeks.  I think we can do it.