Anyone who knows me has figured the ranch here is not really more than I can handle, we have one horse "Flash", you may remember him looking a little like Moe in my post Bad Haircuts, one chicken "Stew" she has been around for several years and is now more of a pet than an egg layer, she was once part of the team Stew and Pot who got their names one day when Cindy caught them beating up another chicken.
In the afternoon she sometimes lays an egg during her normal hen duties, she pecks on the back door when she is hungry and when it's time to roost for the night she comes to find Cindy and squats down to be picked up and carried to the coop. Why does she crow like a rooster? I really don't know, but if she wants to lay eggs and crow about it, that's Ok with me.
We also have our little dog "Dixie", she is a thirteen year old dachshund that we have had since she was five weeks old, talk about spoiled I suppose that is how it is supposed to be though.
There is our livestock inventory, one horse, one chicken, and one lizard hearding dog, life is hard folks and I love it.
Now what we are overrun with is rabbits.
This actually began a few years back when Cindy found a small rabbit peeking out from under my shop, a bunny if you will, when they are little I guess they are not a rabbit but a bunny, they are bunnies when they are small or if it's Easter, we have to remember that when it's Easter every rabbit is a bunny.
Cindy began coaxing this bunny out with chicken scratch, a little at a time and suddenly the bunny began waiting on her to bring the chicken scratch.
I know, you are asking "shouldn't you be feeding the bunny carrots?" Well she tried this but the carrots just laid there untouched, Cindy even laid carrots next to the chicken scratch, you know in case the bunnys eyes were bad, this didn't get the carrots eaten either, the bunny sat on the carrots and ate the scratch.
This is now our morning feeding schedule, I bring carrots out for the horse and then give him his alfalfa, the rabbits and birds eat the chicken scratch and when the chicken finally gets up she pecks on the back door and Cindy brings her morning breakfast of Cheerios, everybody likes cheerios.
A few days ago Dixie and I were making our daily walk to the trash cans, Dixie waited patiently while I moved the first can, she pounced on what she thought was a rogue lizard, the fight was on and she completely obliterated the leaf that had been hiding behind the can.
The bunny looked at me, then at Dixie who was barking through the fence, I thought the bunny would make a dash back towards my shop but No, he made a run directly to Dixie, ran through the fence and right through Dixies front legs, the chase was on, circles through the patio chairs with Cindy trying to catch Dixie who was trying to catch the bunny.
How many pets do you have?
I love your menagerie! I never knew chickens could have little personalities all their own. And who doesn't need a horse around to remind you of the Old West?
ReplyDeleteWe don't have lizards here, thankfully, but I know if we did my Levi would be on the hunt just like Dixie. He's been known to pick up toads and bring them in the house. With his long schnauzer beard I can't see them until he drops his treasure on the carpet. You wouldn't believe all the stuff he brings in....sticks, stones, leafs, etc. We have tons of bunnies in the yard and Levi thinks its his duty to let me know when one comes bouncing by.
Oh Lordy Jean, I have come to learn that every single animal has their own personality, leave it to us to have the "unique" ones ha ha.
DeleteI think your Levi would be a lizard chaser too, dogs seem to love this.
OMG thnnk you for that hilarious view of your little slice of paradise. It soundds wonderful. We have no pets anymore but a goodly selection of wild birds, rabbits, raccoons, moles, mice, possums....you name it and we'vea been visited by it lol. And no, we don't feed them.
ReplyDeleteGood morning Delores, thank you and you are very welcome, we also have a wide variety of wild critters here too, it is amazing how many actually come around.
DeleteMy biggest problem is stopping Cindy from buying things such as rabbit food ;)
That is my kind of ranch!
ReplyDeleteHey Joe, I could stay right here and never leave, that's how rough we have it, maybe we could hire you on as a ranch hand.
DeleteYour talking about your hen made me miss mine, it has been years, but I love chickens and they make excellent pets.
ReplyDeleteWe are blessed with views of cattle and horses, so we have that pleasure with none of the labor.
Our dogs, Jack and Jill, and our cat Tacky comprise the animal life around here. We have a vagrant cat every now and then. The latest visitor is a black cat that looks exactly like Tacky - it could be a sibling. I have my suspicions that she was a drop-off from one of my neighbors ...
I agree that hens make excellent pets, we began with six and Stew is the last remaining, she is roughly nine years old and such a character.
DeleteI bet with your pets there is a never-ending source of laughter and loving, the strays can sense the happiness from your pets and most likely want to join in.
A bunny who ignores carrots? That is funny stuff! I remember from years back that you had a daschund. I do not have any pets, but if I did, it would definitely be a pair of daschunds named Spiro and Millhouse.
ReplyDeleteHi Bijoux, Dachshunds are great pets and a pair would be twice the loving, Dixie is such a good girl you are definitely remembering her.
DeleteSpiro and Millhouse, those are cool names for a pair of doxies.
Maybe Cindy needs to cook and season those carrots. LOL
ReplyDeleteYou never know Jean that just may work ha ha.
DeleteWhat a warm, fluffy, funny account of the rancho life! Makes me want to come and visit! I have two dogs, they kill any fence lizard stupid enough to climb on their fence. I rescue the lizards, but they come back to die another day. This year, I have tons and tons of rabbits. If I come home at dusk, they all scatter, so many, both cottontails and jack rabbits.
ReplyDeleteHi Inger, we also have more rabbits than usual this year, mostly cottontails, I have only noticed one jack rabbit so far, the lizards seem to taunt and tease our dog, have you noticed this with yours?
DeleteLove.
ReplyDeleteHi Regine, Good to have you stop by, hope to see you again.
DeleteYou'd think we'd have more bunnies, living here in the middle of nowhere, but I've only seen a couple. The dogs chase one nearly every evening, but we rarely find a carcass like the mice and baby moles left for us on the porch.
ReplyDeleteOur menagerie consists of Juno, the border collie/lab mix; Jack the red heeler/dachshund; three cats (Simba, Stockings, and Dusty) rescued many years ago from the woods down by our mailbox after a kitten-dump; Billy the goat; Barry the mini pony; assorted chickens (about six left at last count, plus six new chicks); a turkey; and two guineas. Oh, and a whole bunch of squirrels who eat the chicken scratch, while the dogs watch them and make a half-hearted lunge every now and then.
Hi Val, it appears that you have quite the menagerie there, Jack the red heeler/dachsund is one I have never seen but I bet is a very good dog, the squirrels are apt to tease the dogs I am sure, it seems that chicken scratch is a universal feed all the small critters like.
DeleteI have just one pet, Angel, a large tabby cat who is spoiled almost rotten. I say almost because I have trained him to stop when I raise my hand in a palm out stop sign and say NO very firmly, usually when he is heading towards the table and I have my dinner in front of me.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was little we had three pets, but they were family pets, not owned by any individual; a German Shepherd dog, a ginger tabby cat and a pink&grey galah, which is an Australian cockatoo. Since then I've only had one pet at a time unless it's goldfish, then most often a half dozen of them.
Hi River,it is a good thing to have some control on your pets, especially a signal that keeps your Tabby from enjoying your dinner, I bet you get a lot of loving from him otherwise.
DeleteJimmy, this is an adorable description of life at your home.... I read it three times and enjoyed it even more each time. Of course, I am jealous... apart from Charlie the Cat I have no other pets. Even the wild rabbits have disappeared. Birds and the occasional fox is our lot now. Gone are the days when I could boast about my menagerie.
ReplyDeleteGood morning Valerie, I am so happy that you enjoyed reading this little glimpse into our home, I imagine Charlie is a great companion, these pets have a way to work their ways right into our hearts.
DeleteWhat a lovely post. I was raised on a farm so I can relate about pets. We don't have a pet anymore. We had our Little Bit, a flat coat retriever, for almost 13 years. She was very old when she passed. We now have a stuff black lab that we call Little Bit. She's on our boat and travels with us wherever we go.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Comedy Plus.
Have a fabulous day and weekend. ☺
Thank you Sandee, our Dixie is thirteen now, it's a shame that they age so fast, having a reminder of your Little Bit traveling with you shows what she meant to you.
DeleteI am glad to have you pop in, please come back anytime I am sure you are familiar with a lot of us here.
Loved visiting your ranch. That is my kind of ranch where all critters are mostly safe and welcome to live long and prosper.
ReplyDeleteI have one elderly cat with asthma and a hyper dog. Fortunately my property is fenced so the dog gets to tear around trying to dig up moles, voles, while chasing bunnies, lizards, and frogs primarily for exercise. Nothing seems to be in real fear of the Callie though I wouldn't mind if she would take out an occasional root eating vole.
Hey Patti, it sounds like Callie has it made and knows it, we have gophers here and even though Dixie thinks she is a gopher getter they are mostly safe, Callie and Dixie would make a good team.
DeleteThis post was funny; I thoroughly enjoyed it!!
ReplyDeleteHi Fran, I am happy that you did Lady, it is good to see you my friend.
DeleteFun post! Animals sure do add pizzazz and humor to our lives, don't they? Those names Stew and Pot are as good as our son's ducks' names: Cheese and Quackers. He and his family had chickens, too, and they were amazed at their personalities.
ReplyDeleteWe've had a bazillion different pets over the years, but right now, we have two spoiled cats, Dot and Dash. (We SHOULD have named them Lucy and Ethel.) They have funny personalities, too, and unusual palates. Dash reeeeeally likes lemon meringue pie.
Have a super weekend.
Hey Susan, the personalities of animals amaze me it seems each and every one is different, kind of like us humans I suppose.
DeleteDot and Dash are cool names and Lucy and Ethel makes you grin by just hearing the names, lemon meringue pie now that is funny.
Good to see you Susan.
I grew up on a farm. I remember, chickens definitely have personalities!
ReplyDeleteWe used to have cats, but no longer have any. My son in Greenville has a cat, his name is Meatwad (the cat, not the son).
Isn't it funny the different personalities that the chickens do have.
DeleteCats make excellent pets for a lot of people, or is it that people make excellent pets for cats?
Meatwad is a good name, for a cat that is.
I have no pets. Never wanted the responsibility plus my daughter was always so alergic to pets. I would actually love a pet chicken. Just cant have them in the city limits. Ive also always wanted a cockatoo but they are too messy.
ReplyDeleteLisa
Hi Lisa, pets are a lot of responsibility and your daughters allergies would make it impossible to have a pet.
DeleteWeighing your options on having a pet is smart, I'd rather see you do this than to get one and then wish you hadn't.
Good to see you Lisa.