New Goats. Fox At The Coop.

Welcome back.  Sorry I was gone for a few days.  It has been busy around here and I have to admit, I had a couple lazy days too.

Today, Saturday, I had 2 new goats arrive on the farm.  Meet Penny (black) and Hope.  They are both 5 year old pregnant does due end of March.  I couldn't resist.  They are so friendly and sweet. 

Hard to sell baby goats if you don't have babies!  Now I'll have babies.  Plus I have the two that my first doe had a month or so ago.  I really need to look back through FB and write down the date the babies were born so I can keep better track of all the goat details.  I'm learning as I go.

Along with these two ladies, my daughter purchased a mini for her son's first pony.  Meet Bonny.  She is at my daughter's farm.  I hauled my goats from my daughter's house in the back of my Caravan.  Not the first animals to ride back there and I'm sure it won't be the last.  lol

Bonny is also 5 years old.  My granddaughter hopes her Aunty will let her ride it for a while. 

The other morning I heard the chickens squawking so I looked out my bedroom window just in time to see a fox jumping into the air and grabbing one of my chickens. I flung open the window and started yelling at it, ran down the hall, grabbed the dogs and headed outside. The dogs finally got scent of it and took off through the woods. The fox dropped my hen and I see her headed back home. I'm out there in my jammies calling my hen...come on girl you can make it! Come on chicky chicky! All the while the fox is trying to circle back to get his breakfast he dropped but the dogs keep chasing him away. 3 times that fox tried to come back for that hen. I finally saw the dogs chasing the fox across the side road and up through the woods. Neighbors had cleared their land so I could watch all that was going on. Trying to do a head count and I realize 4 specific birds are missing that I know of. :-( The hen the fox got was one of the ones that refused to go in the shed at night. They all get thrown in now except for the few on top of the shed I can't reach.
Unfortunately, I went out back of the coop to just double and there was a pile of feathers back there.  That stinkin' fox came back and got that hen.  I took for granted that she was safe because she made it back.  Poor girl.  
This morning I found a dead hen in the driveway.  No obvious marks or cuts on her.  No idea. 

The last snow storm we had we got about a foot of snow.  I went out and locked up the chickens as usual.  This time for some crazy reason, one of my bantams flew up and was on the roof of the coop.  It was still snowing and I could not reach her so I had to leave her out.  Come morning I went out and all I could see of that hen was her head and her tail!  The poor thing was frozen into the snow on top of the shed!  What is it with these crazy chickens lately?  
I had to take a shovel and dig her out.  She was fine.  I caught her and held her for a little bit to help warm her up.  

In the photo you can see where I had to dig her out.  

On a good note, the chickens are laying pretty well again.  I got 17 today and 25 yesterday.  I picked up another customer today.  I delivered 2 dozen to a neighbor and they want at least a dozen a week, maybe 2 dozen.  I was able to bring 7 dozen to the store the other day.

I got a little bit of baking done this week.  I finally got doughnuts made for my husband.  He loves my donuts and we haven't had them in quite a while.  I make doughnut holes.  It's easier and faster than rolling and cutting.

This is an old recipe from our town cook book sold years and years ago.  It's the one I've always used.

I also made molasses spice cookies.  My granddaughter ate most of those.  lol  My husband wanted some tonight but they were all gone.  He had to settle for popcorn.  lol  

Well, the battery is low on my computer and the pesky dogs want out.