Quail Security Guard...Motley

At the Dancing Goat Farm the chickens are housed in many cages that are located throughout the property. The quails are all housed in a separate area that has about 100 quails that produce eggs which are sold at the local markets. The quail area is an open air enclosure that offers the quails protection from the weather but still allows them to be outside. The quails are delicate and vulnerable to small animals that are looking for a quick snack and it is hard to watch them all the time. Well about a year ago one of the roosters who name is Motley injured his leg with his own spur and had to be separated from the other chickens to give his wound time to heal. Pam decided to put Motley in the enclosure with the quails because it would be a quiet place for him. As time went by Motleys leg got better but Pam also noticed that Motley had started to act very protective of the quails and their enclosure. If anything entered the quails enclosure Motley would crow as well as protect his territory. Since Motley has been in the enclosure there have been very few incidents or attach's. Also when it is time for me to clean, feed and gather the eggs Motley always welcomes me with a friendly chatter and allows me to do my work without any incidents he is a true gentleman. At one time Motley was a just another rooster on the Dancing Goat Farm but after a small injury he found his true purpose on the farm the Quails Security Guard. Well check back soon for more photos and stories from the City Boy on the Farm.

Snack Time

The goats eat special food but hay is always good for Snack Time.

Baby Goat Love

I visited with Philomena and the other baby goats this morning and they were happy to see me.

Protection from Bing

Bing is the Polish Rooster that wondered into my neighborhood and he is the reason we both came to the Dancing Goat Farm. When Bing was young he was bold, out going and very confident of himself. As Bing got older he started to get aggressive toward people and I knew it was time to find him a better place to live. Through friends of mine I was introduced to Pam the owner of the Dancing Goat Farm and she took Bing in with the promise of my help on the farm. Well four months later Bing and I are doing well we have found a second home on the farm. Bing now has three ladies who are also polish chickens and they all share a nice large cage together. When it is time to clean Bings cage you have to be careful because he will protect his ladies with his life. It started to become a problem to get into the cage to clean, feed and collect the eggs. Every time I went in I had to take a trash can cover in with me to use as a shield this was hard on us both and I did not want Bing to get hurt during his fury. If I have learned one thing on the farm you have to be able to think outside the box. After a few days of thinking about the situation of controlling Bing safely I decided to use a plastic milk crate as a temporary holding cage. When I came in the next day I was ready to try out my new idea. I went and got a red plastic milk crate and went to Bings cage opened the door and as I walked in Bing started to approach me but instead of having to protect myself I calmly placed the milk crate over him at which time he just sat down and started to complain. This was a great moment because I now was able to clean, feed and collect the eggs with no problems. When I was done I turned to let Bing out but was surprised to see his ladies sitting on top of the milk crate enjoying the view of their man in captivity. After enjoying the ladies for awhile I let Bing out slowly as I was leaving the cage he just looked up at me turned around and went to get some food. I have been using the milk crate for a few weeks now and Bing has become used to it and calmly waits in the crate until I am done. Well its been another wonderful few days at the farm so please check back soon to see what the City Boy on the Farm is doing.

Two New Babies Staying Warm

Just wanted to share this picture of the two newest additions to the Dancing Goat Family.

Enjoying the Baby Goats

The baby goats love attention and affection which they always give right back.

Getting ready for the Open House

Today was a beautiful day on the farm and there was a lot of activity. I was busy feeding and cleaning the chickens and quails while Steffie was cleaning and feeding the goats. Jose was rebuilding the water tower in the quails cage and leveling off one of their cages. After I was done with my work I took time to play with Philomena and the other baby goats. The older baby goats are now using a large nursing bucket so they can nurse on their own, this really helps when it is time to feed the babies. I also made sure to stop and visit with the baby bunnies who are getting big so fast and really do not look like babies anymore. In between loving and playing with all the babies I repainted two older plant holders and worked on the flower gardens that we have recently planted. Everyone has been working very hard the last few weeks to prepare the farm for the open house that Pam is having on March 29th for her family, friends and customers. So check back soon to see what is happening with the City Boy on the Farm and all his friends at the Dancing Goat Farm.