
The tractors are finally done. So the meat birds have been moved in - 15 to a tractor. It turns out we had 63 birds (extras from the hatchery) so one has 18. We've started them off with water and feed inside the coop to get them settled in but eventually the waterers will be moved outside.
I started the tractors off alongside the big garden so that hopefully the bad bug population will be knocked down. Since the garden is freshly planted, the chickens can't roam freely in there - they dig everything up. Last year they did keep the Colorado beetle population under control, but the potatoes were well established when I let them in. Hopefully bugs migrate from the pasture past the tractors so that those chicks will become excellent hunters and the garden will be spared.
I started the tractors off alongside the big garden so that hopefully the bad bug population will be knocked down. Since the garden is freshly planted, the chickens can't roam freely in there - they dig everything up. Last year they did keep the Colorado beetle population under control, but the potatoes were well established when I let them in. Hopefully bugs migrate from the pasture past the tractors so that those chicks will become excellent hunters and the garden will be spared.

Around 4 pm we hitched up the horse trailer and headed off to John's to pick up the alpacas. We took 3 trips: 1 with the boys (and I can't describe how much spit was lining the trailer when we arrived at our barn!) and then 2 with the girls. We had thought to fit all the girls in together, but since Shauna-Marie is pregnant, we didn't want to risk crowding or trampling. Some of the girls were very resistant to getting into the trailer (Phebee performed an excellent lie-down-I'm-not-moving trick), but eventually they were all moved to our place. And curious to look around and check out the sheep!

Susan's daughter, Cam, meets Johnny. It seems that kids are naturally drawn to the alpaca's gentle and curious nature.