Alpaca Lawn Mowers

The herd grazing the barnyard grass. 

We've had such warm weather this month and the grass in the yards around here has grown enough that I noticed some people mowed again this third week of December.  Last year we were covered in snow all month!

Since the alpacas seem to be only interested in eating grass I've been letting them out in the yard to "mow" the lawn, much like folks used to do with sheep long ago.  The alpacas nibble the grass down very short.

This morning though I notice Hollywick munching some ajuga, also known as bugle weed.  I love this semi evergreen ground cover. It is very hardy, covers the ground quickly, blocks most weeds and has beautiful blue spikes of flowers in the spring that go so well with daffodils.  

Belle and the ISA Brown hens hang out near by.

I had not however, counted on the alpacas finding it tasty.  A quick check of a couple of plant sources told me that all was well - ajuga is not poisonous to animals.                                                              

Rest In Peace Goldie

This morning when I stepped into the chicken house to feed and water the flock I found my sweet little chicken friend Goldie had died in the night.  Goldie was the matriarch of the flock and would have been eight years old this spring. She was the last of her hatching.

I call her my special friend chicken because she followed me around the yard like a dog and would stop and squat for me to pick her up and carry her when she became tired.

Goldie was the adventurous one who spent most of her days scratching through the yard and flower beds, rather than the open pasture, where she could find quick cover from hawks and coyotes under the shrubs or the back porch.  The ISA Brown hens took to her right away.  She was theit leader in foraging and they followed her willingly around the property while the rest of the flock has always preferred to stay near the chicken house.

Goldie, a Buff Orpington,  greeted me always with enthusiasm, spreading her wings and running across the yard to say hello and ask for a hand out.  This fall I noticed she had a hard time getting around and had quit spending any time with the ISA Brown group.  I knew she wasn't long for this world.  I buried her this morning where the yard meets the woods on the east side of the house and marked the grave with some flat creek rocks. Rest in peace little friend.

Too Much Land

My house has been for sale for a year as of November 1.  In that time it has had only three showings.  Yes, the price is well above average in this market, but so, at least to my way of thinking, is the house. It is afterall, a fairly good reproduction of the Locust Grove history house in Lousiville, Ky sitting on 8.3 acres surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery anywhere in southwest Ohio, includes two barns and pastures and a chicken house.

Last week we had a broker openhouse to introduce the house to a variety of realtors and review some of its important features.  We also wanted to get an idea of what realtors in general thought of the house.  The general consensus was that the house included too much land!  This was amazing to me, because I thought its secluded location at the end of a quarter mile lane with barns and pastures for animals of all kinds was a real plus. I envisioned the house being purchased by a 50 something couple with young grandchildren who would love to come to their grandparents"farm" and see the chickens or maybe even ride a horse. I guess I was wrong.  Animals do tie you down if you don't have good back up care givers.  The result is I'm looking at stripping away half the acreage and selling it as building lots. I think I'm the only one left who values it as Locust Grove Farm, much the pity.