Our lovely roosters and some of our hens. We enjoy our chickens so much. The fresh eggs are so much better than those bland, anemic yolked things you buy in the grocery store. 

Our chickens free range. They have almost completely wiped out our tick population and it was horrible. They break up into 3 different groups at night when they roost. One group goes to the chicken house, another group roosts behind the barn and the third group roosts on the big bird cage on the porch. ~Pat

It was a warm, sunny January day and Nuisance and Nunsy, TexMaster™ yearling sisters were having a blast running, bucking and playing "king of the hill." They would run to the top of the woodpile, jump down and gallop over to the top of the bathtub and circle back to the woodpile. At one point Alice in Wonderland, a Myotonic doe strolled by. Nunsy made it clear that Alice was not invited to play with them.~Pat

Susie is one of our Anatolian Shepherds who guards our goats. She is the daughter of our very first Anatolian, Samsun. He was a fabulous guardian, who is greatly missed. Susie is very serious about her job. She mourns whenever there is a loss and is excited when the new babies come along. And on rare occasions she will put up with us doing silly things to her.~Pat

The past couple of days have been heavenly. Lots of sunshine, temperatures in the upper 50's. The babies are loving snoozing in the sunlight. Sunny days makes both the animals and the humans very happy~Pat

I discovered a handy new tool. I use 200 lb cattle tubs in my pastures since my hay quality is really poor. The extra protein helps the goats to better digest and utilize the lesser quality hay. The past couple of years has really been hard on us with the drought conditions. I am just so thrilled to find ANY hay at all and the search has not been easy. I really dread this summers hay search as well as we are predicted to be in for another year of drought conditions.

Back to the tool. My goats lick the tubs down as far as they can reach but once they get them licked down to a certain level they have to throw their front hooves in the tubs to continue to lick them. This tracks in goat berries, dirt, leaves, etc. Not to mention the little ones that jump in because they can't reach into the tubs at all.

My handy Black & Decker® 12maxV Piranha® does the trick. It cuts right through those hard plastic tubs like butter. It is light weight and fun to use. ~Pat

More on Mint Julep. In the past she has been a buck producer. Quality bucks but bucks no less. I have begged her to bake me some little doelings. Even considered selling her on several occasions since I can't seen to get any girls out of her. 2012 she blessed me with two gorgeous daughters. They don't quite have momma's personality but some of that could be because they have lived all their lives out in a pasture with very little human contact. ~Pat

Mint Julep is one of those kids that just pops into the world and expects everyone to notice them. She was an adorable baby, and now a beautiful doe and producer of lovely kids. This year one of my other does, Nikka kidded with triplets sired by one of Mint Juleps sons, Teddy Bear. One of those triplets, a doeling has that same "look" about her as her fraternal grandma, Mint Julep. I couldn't be happier.~Pat

Fritz is my "shadow" dog. He always knows where I am. If I go into the feed room he knows whether I am going to come out the front or back door and is waiting for me. I went down to pasture 3 last week to take some photos of the goats and made him stay outside the fence. He was good and stayed like he was told to but he never let me out of his sight.~Pat

We decided that Leroy deserved his own bed now that he is a house dog. For Christmas I bought him a large, super soft bed and put it under the tree. Fritz and Sissy liked it. Allie liked it. Audrey Jane liked it. Leroy to this day has never laid on it. He just squeezes his tired, old body in Fritz's bed to sleep.

About 3 years ago an old, partially blind chocolate lab starting hanging out at the ranch. We tried our best to discourage him to leave. He would come and go but during his second year visiting we decided to give him a name and offer him a treat now and then. Last year he moved into the house. For an old garbage eating dog he has wonderful manners. He sits and waits patiently for his meals. Gets along with all the other dogs and loves the baby goats.