Musical Chairs?

"Ol' Ms. Winfield, has a farm, e-i-e-i-o. And on this farm she has a goat whose name is Harry, not Joe."

Harry and Hugh exchange greetings.

Harry  has pals with him tonight. Finally. Hugh Jackman was my first choice for pairing with Harry because the two are well-matched in size and appearance, but Brad Pitt wasn't about to let Hugh go off on an adventure alone, so he got in on the act.

A quick study, Brad saw when I lifted Hugh out of the buck pen that it would not be hard for him to exit the same way. After all, the residue of uneaten hay had accumulated along the lower fence enough that he could reach across its top. One hop and the little dickens was over and out. I left him to wander while I got the smaller goats together.

Harry and Hugh getting acquainted.

Hugh and Harry hit it off immediately. Their similarities make them an attractive pair together, and I would almost swear that their similar size cemented the friendship. Under the trailer, they bumped heads but without the rearing and ramming normally associated with goat play. Even when one of them did rear back and posture, the meeting of heads was always gentle and friendly.

Brad was easy to move because he is taller than Hugh, and his broad horns make super handles. He and I actually traveled nicely together--he with four hooves on the ground and holding my hands around his horns. Once inside the under-the-trailer enclosure, Brad glanced over at the two black-and-white goat boys, then focused on the serious business at hand: eating hay.

Alpacas check out their surroundings.

My evening was not finished, though, as more moves were slated. Romeo and Hamilton, two of our male alpacas, were chosen to move on up to the greener pasture. Although Hamilton was wary of being haltered, both males traveled well on the lead. The three of us ambled together through the fallen leaves, down past the penned-up roosters and the house, and entered their new pasture at its front gate. I made them circle the perimeter with me, and locate the automatic waterer, before letting them loose to enjoy their new digs. Far better than the dry lot where they have been staying, this pasture has a smattering of green grass left, and bountiful quantities of new-fallen leaves.

The equine Welcome Wagon: mares and filly approach to meet their new alpaca neighbors.

The horses were curious about their new neighbors and ambled through the woods to check out the action. Before all of the greetings could take place, I left the four-legged animals to their own devices. I had chickens to gather.

A few weeks back I purchased a two-piece already-assembled hen house. Since then I stained it to protect the wood and installed a four-foot fence much of the way around it, finishing the loop with two three-foot pig panels. Now I'm encouraging the hens to settle there at night. Eventually, they will remain in an enclosed yard throughout the days, too--we're none too thrilled to be losing hens to the dogs, especially now that Biscuit has told his pals that freshly-killed chicken is indescribably tasty.

Hens beside the new hen house.

I was able to gather two hens tonight, in addition to the one who stayed of the pair I had "settled" there yesterday. Chickens, even those who know you're after them, are easy prey once the sun goes down. They sat on my lap to have their wings clipped, then traveled together without incident to the new spot. I will be curious to see how many are still in place behind the fence when I come out in the morning. As they frequently roost atop four-foot tall fence panels, the fence is actually there to merely encourage them to stay, and to deter the dogs.

By the time I was done this evening and ready to come in the house, my head was spinning with the game of musical pastures we had just played and a version of "Old MacDonald has a Farm" was formulating itself on my tongue. Luckily for those within earshot, I am easily distracted, and did not pursue the song after I got into the house.