Beautiful December day

It’s a beautiful day here in Michigan.  For the 26th of December it can’t be better.  It’s about 45 and sunny, the little snow we had melted and left behind green grass.  I wanted to be outside this morning so I did some barn chores, moving hay around to make room for my little wagon inside, cleaning a dog kennel, digging a hole under the water dish in the chicken coop, spreading clean shavings in the coop.  Not really outside all the time but the sun was shining right inside that barn door.  

All the chickens, turkeys, ducks, guineas were outside in the “greenhouse annex.”  The plastic isn’t totally clear but there is filtered sunlight inside and they were enjoying it.  I dug the hole under the big water dish to make less of a wet spot.  I covered it with a grate and set the water dish on it.  Now all the duck splashes will go in the hole hopefully.  The clean shavings may reduce some of the mud in the dish.  The hoses all ran which makes cleaning things easier.

 I sat down to rest a moment and the momma stray cat came into the barn with a little bird in her mouth.  One of the half grown kittens ran up and she gave the bird to it.  It completely ate that bird in less than 5 minutes, only a few feathers left. It was either a sparrow or a chickadee, hopefully a sparrow - they are still flitting around in the chicken coop despite cats.   I talked to mamma cat and told her I was leaving her plenty of food for her and the kids and I’d appreciate it if she left the birds alone.  I doubt she cared.  She is constantly hunting.  Some cats are good hunters, some aren’t.  The mice and rats have pretty much disappeared around here too.   If the sitting frizzle hen hatches eggs I was going to let her raise the chicks but the cat may be a problem.  They are in a pen but I have no doubts the cats could get in if they wanted to.

 My canaries like the spring like weather even though they are inside.  The young male is finally getting a stronger song although it still is a little strange.   For a while I thought it might be a singing hen because he sang so softly and the song is weird.  But I think he is indeed a male because today he is much louder and has been singing a lot.  Petey the older male has been singing up a storm.  They will be ready to breed soon.  The hens are carrying feathers around.  I need to get some better breeding cages.

The dogs have been running in and out all day, and I bet half of their new Christmas squeaky toys are outside.  Our run of good weather is supposed to end tomorrow with a couple of inches of snow.  The toys will all be buried.  But hopefully the snow will be short lasting - warmer weather is predicted again by New Years.