Summer Growth

Well spring is certainly gone and we are knee deep in summer work!  Do you know what these are?  It's a stack of EMPTY brooders!  We're done with hatching and all the chicks, quail, ducklings, and poults are out of the brooders.  What a beautiful sight.

Of course they will be even prettier when they are scrubbed, sanitized, and stored for next hatching season.  We still have free ranging birds hatching their own and raising them, for instance this goofy turkey hen and her two invasive poults....

And our frizzle bantam cochins have 2 chicks hatched and still setting on more....

They are very nervous and protective moms....and a little bit BALD right now...poor things need some little chicken sweaters...

And our half plucked pheasant still has not grown any feathers...I wonder if the pecking it got did permenant damage?

There's a lot of growth in the garden....and it's living up to my garden sign...

We are getting quite a few banana peppers....and they are really yummy this year.

And a little bitty ear of corn on our little bitty corn plants...

The big producers so far is the horseradish....

And my all time favorite Straight Eight cucumbers...

And we have a UPO (unidentified planted object)....it's either squash or canteloupe.  The vine is over 12 feet long and it's covered in non-producing blossoms.

In the goat yard, the buck formerly known as Sparkin Sparta during his tenure at Tails Up Homestead...is now known as Stinkin Sparta.  He is trying to convince some does to come visit but is still under strict confinement until July.  His dance card will be full this year, but I'd rather wait for Dec/Jan kids and at least have November off to play in the house!  Can't wait to see his kids next year...he sure looks mighty good for a yearling.

Speaking of kids, little Cabrito is growing and doing really well.  He is already nearly as tall as Gypsy and Ginger...

By the way the rabbits are looking, we are expecting bunnies next week....

With all this growth there hasn't been much time to post.  Tomorrow is the big butcher day for the ducks, I have no idea how many we've got ready.  The plan is to put all but 3 in the freezer.  It will be a big relief to have that project done. 
Canning season is about to hit full swing with peaches and tomatoes coming up next.
I have a few goats to get ready to sell.
Weeding to do.
Quail and chickens to put in the freezer.
Milking barn to paint.
Weeding to do.
Buck pen to build.
Chicken coop to re-fence.
Weeding to do.
Cheese to make.

The list goes on and on.  Most importantly of course is my responsibility to keep this boys' hands full of cookies!