26/08/2025
Late summer update on the farm. Lots of stuff to share.
As we head into the dog days of summer, things are still busy as can be here at squirrels haven. From goats to chick's to bees... We've got it all.
Lessons are being learned by the newest edition to the goat family. Somehow in all of the chaos over the past week, unknown to me, my electric fence had stopped working. Today's investigation lead me to the source. At one point during Aspen or Sprockets escape attempts from large pen to small pen, a small section of chicken wire ended up touching the electric fence. This in turn, absorbed all of the charge and left the fence useless. I found sprocket on the wrong side of the electric fence today, then again on the right side. This led me to investigate.
Mr Young Sprocket, is stubborn and persistent. He wants what he wants when he wants it. That means if he wants to push through the side of the mounting pole, or under the electric mesh fence (which wasn't working) he's going to do it, so he can get some grains from the chickens food. He is tiny after all and perfectly fits through my toilet seat "access hole" for the chickens.
Well today he learned that mesh fence, indeed does work. One larger shock when he insisted on pushing the pole to the side and attempting to push his way past it, left him running. The a second time when he decided he just wanted to sniff and nibble another section of the mesh fence..... Left him offended. Luckily the ladies were there to calm his little nerves and teu to form, Mr Aspen, accepted him like nothing. As you can see in one of the photos they are laying together.
In other news, we've got some new babies here at the farm! Also unknown to me, I had a sneaky chicken sitting on a nest... Today she parades those babies out with her 🤦🏻♀️. Anyone want any chicks?
Mama and her single baby duckling are making it work this time. She's co-parenting with a chicken. The lone baby chick, being raised by a guinea is doing well. We will keep these w babies. One more duck sitting on 2 eggs, and hopefully we are done with chick's! I'm soooo over babies.
Bees are busy and gave plenty of warning today that I was getting too close. Lots of face bumps today. They were dealing with some wasps as well, I saw them balling or fighting with at least 3..... So I've left them alone today. I'll likely be fully shutting those lower gates in September, leaving just the small upper opening, once I get some feed on them. Next week we begin the "fall feeding" to get numbers up for winter.
Garden is a hot mess.... It's wasn't a good year. I've got plenty of tomatos and peppers, I just need them to ripen as I planted quite late. More beans to be picked as well. Lettuce I'm struggling with, but basil.... I've got in spades!
