Sugar Maples are the trees that get tapped for maple syrup. They are also the quintessential New England foliage tree that blaze orange in the fall. My animals don’t care about that. All they know is that Sugar Maples are delicious. I had to prune a branch that was leaning on a fence. I put it in the Little Barn run.

Candy hopped right over. Stand close and you can hear her crunching and munching.

Edwina stopped sunbathing to investigate and declared the leaves quite tasty.

I gave a branch to the goats who liked the leaves and the bark.

The goaties also appreciated a flexible and fragrant scratching stick.

Lily, however, doesn’t see what all of the fuss is about. She prefers her sticks dry, fat, and thrown through the air.

Pumpkins were on sale at the supermarket, so I bought two for the girls. I’ve read that pumpkins are a natural wormer but I’ve yet to see evidence. I’ve read the claims, but no one has done a fecal test on a flock with roundworms, fed pumpkin, and then done another fecal to prove that it works. (If you can point me to research, please do!) But pumpkins are plenty good for your hens, anyway. The carotenoids in the squash are as nutritionally important for the chickens as they are for us. When the hens eat pumpkin their yolks turn a deep dark orange, quite in the Halloween spirit! But the best part about feeding pumpkins is the entertainment that it provides for your flock and for you.

The Gems were immediately interested in this big orange thing in their midst.

They soon began pecking a hole in the hard shell. This keeps them busy and out of trouble. It’s always a good thing when Agatha has something to keep her occupied. This is the best type of treat for your flock – one that’s stimulating and long-lasting.

I put a pumpkin in with the retired girls. Candy likes gnawing on the shell.

But the old hens were nonplussed. Tina walked right by.

Edwina kept on sunbathing. She knows that pecking a pumpkin is hard work.

So I got out a cookie cutter and my rubber mallet,

and made an opening for the hens.

Edwina said that it was now worth getting up for. I do spoil the old hens.

Since everyone liked the last post, I have a few more photos to share.

One of the joys of walking through the barns at a county fair is seeing the pride that people take in their animals. We were there on the first day and so got to see people decorating the stalls.

I’m always amazed at how the dairy cow’s whites are so… white! This one is getting a clipping after her bath.

These are working farm animals. They arrive dirty. This ram didn’t have a clean spot on his body.

The bathing and clipping takes skill and patience.

Once the work is done, the sheep wear protective coats.

Some sheep have snazzier outfits than others!

I’ve never seen a goat with a coat on. I’ve a feeling these girls are quite opinionated about the fashion they’re willing to wear.  Simple silver collars are all that they will put up with need.

Last weekend I left my phone and my laptop at home. I didn’t check FaceBook. I didn’t blog. I unplugged and went to the fair. Although there’s a midway and concerts at night, at its heart it’s an old-fashioned agricultural fair. Indoors there are the displays of homemade foods which are just for looking at.

But outside there’s plenty of food vendors. Steve’s French Fries, made with Maine Potatoes (of course!) were possibly the best French fries that I have ever eaten.

My teenage son liked them so much, he went back for seconds. He also had a jumbo donut, pizza, ice cream and fried dough. It’s fun eating your way around a fair with a teenage boy! I sought out the apple crisp made by the church ladies.

Four years ago at this fair I saw a stall with Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats. I fell in love. That’s why I now have Pip and Caper. So, Steve was a little concerned when he saw me looking at these two cuties,

with this sign overhead.

I did not make an offer. There were other animals to fall in love with. I’ve never been a cow person, but this girl’s face made me melt.

And this boy looks like he stepped out of a Star Wars movie.

These rabbits are just as furry, but a lot smaller than the Scottish Highland cow. I didn’t bring them home, either.

There were plenty of goats.

This photo shows why fairs are so essential. I was talking to the farmer (in the overalls) about bloat (and getting much good advice) when this family walked up. Perhaps this little girl will grow up to be a goat farmer one day.

There were sheep to see.

There were also pigs, oxen, alpacas, guinea pigs and chickens. The draft horses filled two barns.

And when we finally couldn’t eat anymore and we’d finished admiring all of the animals, this is what the drive home looked like.

It was a fine weekend.