More Fencing Done And Pictures Of The Animals As I Worked

I was able to expand the sheep area a bit today. Took me all day. Not because it was hard. But just because when I let a bit of length off of the spool, I then have to pull it through the hooks of the step in post ALL THE WAY AROUND the pig and sheep areas. Then it loops down to the next line and I again have to pull in through the posts in the other direction.

There are 5 lines of wire that go completely around the sheep and pig areas so I had to let some of the length off the spool, pull it through the posts all the way around, 5 times. (Once for each line.) Then pull out some more length and rinse and repeat. If I pull out too much length the wire tends to get tangled and I have to stop and unravel it. So I only pull so much out at a time.

But I did get some pictures today while I wondered around in circles. Like this morning when the nest boxes were very busy. There are two nest boxes but everybody likes to lay in just the left one. Sometimes I'll find an egg in the right one. Sometimes I'll find them in a corner on the floor. But I think those instances are only when the left nest box is already full of chicken.

I've also inadvertantly created some monsters. I started throwing a couple handfuls of feed into the pen after I give them their breakfast. Thought it was a nice thing to do for those chickens that kind of get pushed out of the way at the food bowls. Now I've got a small group that comes to the fence every morning, waiting for their hand outs. But this extra food does distract the ducks and guineas too and gives my big rooster a chance to get some food out of the food bowl.

The sheep have started to shed their hair. These sheep are dorper/katahdin mixes they shed their hair every spring instead of having to be sheared like other breeds of sheep. If you didn't know better though, you might think that something had been murdered here.

In the afternoon everybody enjoyed laying in the sun. The pigs took a nap and the chickens took dust baths. Including the babies.

I didn't get done with the fence until well after the sun went down. And I'm not completely done yet. There's still more wire that needs to be let out and pulled around. More step in posts that need to be bought and/or moved. Expanding the sheep and pig areas slowly can be a real pain when I keep having to move things and rewire the fence.

Foolish hubby said I should have just done it right the first time. Yeah, for me to be able to do that will cost us thousands of dollars. We've got almost 6 acres and I just almost have a fourth of that fenced with the electric wire. Not to mention the fact that I want to fence the perimeter with welded wire. So yeah, that's not getting done anytime soon. Just gotta do a little bit at a time.

Anyway, it's bed time and I'm exhausted. Take care all and good night.