Monthly Archives: September 2014

Old Feeder Reuse

Those of us who spend our mornings scrubbing out and refilling waterers, shoveling manure, and topping off feeders, have one view of the utilitarian metal items in our backyard chicken pens. We don’t think about bringing them inside and putting them on our dining room tables! However, these days rusty farm implements are chic. Yesterday, at the Brimfield flea market, I spied an assortment of feeders, no longer fit for animal use that were being sold for more than the price of new galvanized merchandize at Tractor Supply. I have to say that tidied up, this makes a charming plate rack.

old chicken feeder

I spent several hours wandering the booths. I bought two eggs cups (of course!) and a vintage agriculture brochure. And then I went to Tractor Supply, where they have shiny feeders and waterers, which I didn’t need (remember all of that scrubbing in the mornings?) But, I did buy something new and made of metal. I bought a farm gate for the goat paddock, which to my mind is very beautiful, indeed. We’ll see if it is goat-proof as claimed. Pip and Caper love a challenge. You’ll get to see the new gate after I put my teenage son to work digging post holes and installing it!

Training The Beast

I believe that you get to know your animals through working with them. Good training opens up lines of communication that go both ways. To hone my skills, and to really think through what I’m doing, I’m enrolled in the KPA Professional Class. The course is geared for dog trainers, but we’re also expected to have one non-dog species to train. As you know, I have quite a few to chose from! I’m about 40% of the way through the course. Scooter is beyond delighted that after seven years of living here, with his only job that of being cute and pestering Lily, that I’m finally training him. Who knew he’d so eagerly whack his paw on a post-it note when I say target? I’ve also trained Caper, and a goldfish. (I’ve trained the chickens, too, but not for this course.)  I’ve been investigating how this positive reinforcement training applies to horses, so Tonka is learning almost all of the behaviors that I’m teaching Scooter (although Tonka is a tad too big to duck under my bent knee while I’m sitting on the floor!)

There’s one animal here at Little Pond Farm, in the very pond that the place is named for, that I haven’t yet trained. The Beast. My eleven year-old koi.

The Beast has recovered from her summer sunburn.  If anything, she’s larger and more active than ever.

fish in pond

 

She certainly has an appetite that suits her size. The fish get a couple of handfuls of floating pellets daily.

the Beast eating

I decided to get to know the Beast better and to let her get to know me. Asking for a complex trick isn’t necessary, nor is clicker training. I simply use that age-old technique of patience.

I bought some shrimp pellets. They don’t float, so I can hold out my hand underwater, with them in my palm. I wait. The Beast comes. She has big eyes. She looks at me. She looks at the food. I let a few trickle down to the rocks. She eats. She comes closer. She’s willing to say hello when there are shrimp pellets involved.

I wonder where the conversation will go.

feeding koi

 

(Steve caught this moment with his iPhone and the bird-spotting scope that’s in his office.)

Demise of a Puff Ball

About two weeks ago, something white sprung up in my lawn.

first

 

It wasn’t large. Yet. But I knew what to expect. I got out the ruler.

August 20.

Puff Ball Aug 20

 

August 22.

puff ball 22

 

This is a puff ball mushroom. It’s edible, but it won’t be appearing on my plate. Eleven years ago I went to a special dinner put on by a mycological society. Eight courses, each prepared with a different, professionally foraged wild mushroom. I was the only person out of the forty in attendance to have a reaction. I ended up in the hospital with severe pain and a migraine that didn’t go away for three days. Fortunately, I didn’t suffer any permanent damage.

So, the puff balls that appear on my lawn get to do what they do naturally. After getting humungous, they change color.

August 25.

puff ball 25

I might not want to eat it, but someone did, and drilled a hole to get inside.

 

August 26.

puff ball 26

 

August 28.

puff ball 28

It was an exceptionally dry and hot week, so the skin on the puff ball crackled and flaked.

 

August 30.

puff ball 30

 

Finally, it rained, and the puff ball let loose its spores and disintegrated back into the earth.

September 1.

Puff ball sept 1

Drama happens all around.

 

Note: Spaces remain in the Chicken Keeping Workshop and the Advanced Chicken Keeping Workshop on September 28. Sign up now!