Saturday, January 22, 2011

Recycling

Hey, see this plastic milk crate?

It serves an important function here on the farm:

I use it to recycle hay.

My goat boys, Pete and Reggie, are a wasteful pair when it comes to their hay. They tend to pick through it, eating only the best tidbits, and spreading the rest on the ground or leaving it in the trough of their hay feeder:

Rather than let it go to waste, I scoop the disgarded hay out from the trough...:

and throw it into the milk crate:

Just the simple act of doing this makes the previously disgarded hay more attractive again:

...and often, when I come in to feed in the mornings, I will find little mouth holes where they've re-feasted on the "disgarded" hay:

Once this crate is full of packed and no-longer-interesting-to-goats hay, I (with assistance, of course) move the crate out of the goat house:

and carry it down to the chickens:

This is an enormous treat and delight for them:

"Oooooh....looky, a whole crate full!":

"Stand back, ladies, I'm goin' in!":

The girls are always especially perky and enthusiastic on recycled hay day:

Everyone enjoys doing their part to recycle here on Critter Farm:

You didn't think...:

we just sat around...:

looking cute...:

and eating carrots all day, did you?:

27 comments:

  1. Interesting post, I especially love the steps in the second picture. And yes, the animals are cute too.

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  2. What a great way to recycle the hay the goat boys have lost interest in. (they are so cute!) Your chickens sure look happy with the hay. Around here we recycle it by composting it and sending truckloads home with gardeners.

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  3. Thank you, we have all been wondering what your goat boys have been up to. I tried to give my Addy and Becca carrots and they wouldn't touch them, maybe its a girl thing.

    I was looking at the picture showing the top of Reggie's head and I can't see any sign of scur's, not even a scar.

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  4. My llamas make the same "noseprints" at their hay buffet! I am going to start gathering their leavings and giving them to my hens, what a great idea!

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  5. Your goat boys are cute as usual, but I absolutely love your chickens with their fabulous 'feast'! I swear, those chicken ladies are getting prettier and smarter every day. I keep looking at that photo over and over. And, back to the boys, they do look like they had nothing but 'Unsinn' (nonsense) in mind today.

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  6. Lovely pictures. My hens always enjoyed picking through the straw on "new straw day". They just loved it. Your photos are wonderful!

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  7. Ah ha! Goat Trickery and Planet Kindness all in the same milk crate!
    What a great idea!
    (And lovely pics! Your goats are so cute!)
    :)

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  8. Why, yes I did think that, but I'm glad to know that you're all doing your part to recycle.

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  9. My chickens love hay. I'll put an old feedbag full every weekend with a handful of corn...they are so funny to watch digging for the corn...getting distracted by the hay...then going back in for the corn.

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  10. "Stand back, ladies, I'm goin' in!" Haha! I could just hear her saying that! Those goats are cute even when they're working hard :) And your chickens are beautiful.

    Who knew recycling could be so fun?

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  11. Oh Danni, what breed is the speckled chicken on the right in the very last picture? It looks like she has a pea comb maybe?

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  12. So much is happening at "Critter Farm". Love your stories. Have a great day!

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  13. awwww....share the wealth! i was thinking, don't you need a pig? is there possibly a pig in the future?

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  14. Aww, the look of love in that sixth photo down. It warms my heart! I love the chickens loving the recycled hay!

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  15. Your recycling help is very cute indeed! Isn't it fun that the chickens are so appreciative and let you know?!

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  16. I only feed my sheep hay in the winter time and I feed it off of the ground, outside. In the spring, when the snow melts and things dry out a bit, I rake up the now sun-bleached leftovers of hay and put it down in the barn for bedding. It saves me having to buy straw and keeps any hay from going to waste.

    The frugal shepherd strikes again!

    ;-)

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  17. Wonderful recycling idea. I love it!

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  18. What?! Goats waste hay??? You must be kidding. (pardon the pun) :)

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  19. Ah goats and hay! Yes wasteful little blighters. COnversation goes like this Goats: Where's oour hay? Me You got some already, Goats: But thats yesterdayS Me: Yes but there's nothing wrong wit it, you just shouldn't drop your food on the floor! Goats: But I can't eat if off the floor! She stood on it, and she peed on it! In fact I won't touch it cos they looked at it! Me : Arrggh! Alrigth I'll get you some more! BUT don't you waste this lot! Goats: Of course nit mum, now hurry ups we;re starving!

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  20. Love your blog. Where are you in Oregon. I visit my sister in Clatskanie near Portland every once in a while. Nice change from the desert here in New Mexico. We have 3 horses, and 2 ponies, 3 cats, and 2 dogs. Would love it if I could have chickens and goats, but not enough room with the horses on our 2 acreas. I keep saying maybe some day I can move to Oregon.

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  21. I laughed thru this entire post. I've heard goats are finicky and pick thru hay. I would think they would eat it all. And the chickens, so curious aren't they? Looks like you've got a wonderful group of helpers.

    Thanks for all the wonderful comments you've left on my blog. You had asked what camera I use it's a Nikon D90 with a Tamron Lens. I don't, however, know how to use it to it's full potential yet so I've started my photography blog to get myself taking one photo a day AND learning about my camera in the process. So far so good.
    Have a great week!
    Staci

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  22. Good thinking on everyones part! Glad the girls could help!

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  23. We use milk crates as hay baskets as well, at least for the goats!
    LiBBiE in Oz

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  24. Can I just say that chicken butts are totally cute?

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  25. Oh, I love your blog! It is so soothing to me, which is EXACTLY what I need tonight!

    You should know, I've embarked on reading your blog back to front and am having a great time.

    Thanks for sharing your life and the entertaining cast of characters you have around there!

    Cheers!
    Teri

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