Piggies sure are smart

Yesterday morning started out normal, Stella woke me up at 8 am, I walked upstairs to get her and change her diaper.  I always look out the bedroom window when I get up there.  From the guest room I can see every animals house.  Unable to believe my eyes!!  The gate to the pig pen was on the ground!!!  Prosciutto and Capicola are in the lower field with the llamas, the dogs are on top of the situation, watching the pigs every move.  The dogs are not herders, just guardians.
I slap a fresh diaper on Stella and rush down the stairs with her in my arms.  After throwing a coat on and grabbing Stellas juice from the fridge, I buckled her into the car, grabbed the pig food and drove towards the pig pen.  The pigs see me and know it is breakfast time.  The fast little buggers run from the chicken house to their pen in what feels like 15 seconds.  Thanks to the bucket of veggie burritos, hamburgers, jerk chicken, and French fries, the pigs are safe and sound in their house again. 
They used their nose to lift the gate right off the screws!  Genius!!  We have fixed the gate and hope for no more problems like that.  I only worry because there are a few places where they could get out of the main fenceline.  Pigs become feral in 4 weeks...
Never dull on Black Opal Farm

Saint Anthony and Saint Francis

Welcome to Black Opal Farm, Frank and Tony!  We aquired two muscovi ducks yesterday from a friend.  This type of duck does not need a pond or lake, just water to drink and bath in.  Right now they are in Boudreaux's old paddock which has been vacant since he passed away back in August.  I opened the gate this morning for them to have free range of the entire farm, but they are still hanging out in the paddock for now.  They will come out when they are comfortable.

Stella loves ducks.  This is why we decided to bring them home from my friends, Carole, house.  Carole had to catch them with a net to get them in the box.  Stella was so upset!  She started crying and ran to the box wondering why the ducks were in there!!

Ready to Winterize

Well, Autumn is here and it's time to winterize the farm before it really gets cold. 
1. Check the fences in case we have any fallen trees that have gone unnoticed.
2. Stock the shed with hay for the llamas.
3. Plant garlic in the front garden.
4. Check all pipes and maintenance at the old house.
5. Replace the plastic waterers with galvenized for the chickens.  The plastic breaks every year when the water starts to freeze.
6. Build some sort of lean to for the piggies.  They are in the woods, but the trees only provide so mush shelter.
7. Repot plants and begin to move them from outside to the sunroom.
8. Get all the fluids changed in the tractor and truck.
9. Get those dogs groomed.  The hardest task of them all.
10. I feel like I'm forgetting something...

I'd like to get all this done before we have a house full at Thanksgiving.  James family will come up from La, TX, mine from NC.

We found new homes for 3 roosters over the weekend.  I would like to place one or two more and then get a few more hens.  One should have 1 rooster for 10 hens, our population was growing even.  No Bueno...