On The Beaten Path

The donkeys are not the only critters living life in single-file.


It seems that quite a few of our friends are traveling the beaten path these days.


The Nigerian goats are enjoying the trails that we blazed for them after the storm...


and have added a few of their own trails.

As for the chickens...
not a one of them will stray from the main thoroughfare...
often resulting in massive traffic jams!


With the exception of a couple of brave souls,


the guineas are roosting in the chicken house these days.
These two brave rebels spend their nights on top of the yard.


For the past several months, the chickens in this lone henhouse have
only been laying an average of 4 eggs daily....
until the snowstorm.


Ever since they have been "cooped up" they are laying almost a dozen daily.
This leads me to believe that prior to the snowstorm
they were laying elsewhere.


I am thinking that perhaps there is a rather large clutch of eggs 
somewhere in the woods, maybe.


The pond is mostly frozen these days,
with the exception of an area kept fluid by an aerator.


Here is where our 5 domestic ducks spend their days...


along with 6 to 10 wild mallards
(several of which have come to call the pond their permanent home.)


Daytime temperatures have reached the 40's this week...
so the snow is steadily melting.
It will still be a long time before this one is gone, however!

Comments

colleen said…
Looks like everyone has a way to cope with the snow. It always makes me shiver to see ducks in such cold water and they don't mind it at all. It seems strange to see the snow amounts other places got and us being in northern Maine didn't even get a flurry.....we do like to share.
Lynne said…
Great pic of all the chicks in a row!
Snow days might be around for awhile here . .
Another snowfall last night . .
3-4 inches is much more doable than 20-30 . . .
This N That said…
Enjoyed the pictures!! Had to laugh at the chicken parade...We are knee deep in snow now instead of thigh deep!! It's amazing how fast it disappears altho I expect the plowed snow will be around forever..Enjoy your day...off?
You got some amazing clicks.!!
Love to read about your daily experience.
Thanks for sharing!!
Linda said…
The chicken pictures are great, made me laugh. I do love guineas. My mother always said they wore polka dot dresses with a red bow at the neck.
diane in wis said…
I just love all the single-file-ness happening at your place. the chickens really gave me a laugh. I always love your pictures! So great!
Ellen in Oregon said…
Thank goodness for all those pathways you shoveled. Otherwise, there might be farmwide gridlock. In the 3rd shot of the Nigerian goats, is the last (black) goat pregnant? She looks like she is about to have twins. I suspect you'll tell me this is a male goat I'm inquiring about (LOL). My fave photo is definitely the chicken walk- all lined up & nowhere to go! I hope you find where the hens have been stashing those eggs before the warm spring winds arrive or you'll have a fantastic collection of stink bombs. I am so hoping that all the remaining ducks survive the winter with so many predators out in the woods. After seeing all those photos taken by After seeing all the photos from your night cameras I would be afraid to spend the night in your woods. Amazing & creepy all at the same time.