Can a Horse Fetch?
November 19, 2012Rio, my Spanish Mustang, has decided he enjoys a little game of fetch.
Giving-Up a Rooster
October 15, 2012Photo by Audrey Pavia It’s time to give one of my new roosters, Henryfonda, away. When one of my hens hatched three chicks several months ago, despite the odds, I had fingers crossed they’d all be hens. I ended up with two roosters and only one hen. When I first got chickens, I wanted just […]
Success Story
October 1, 2012Photo by Audrey Pavia My little, hurt hen (Lola) wasn’t too mangled when re-introduced to the flock after recuperating. One morning, about a month ago, Lola, one of my young hens, came out of the coop hopping on one leg. She was easy to catch, and I put her in a crate and took her […]
My Lame Hen
September 17, 2012Photo by Audrey Pavia My lame hen sits in her carrier waiting for the vet. This is the first time in my life that I’ve owned chickens, so I don’t know if it’s common to have periodic problems with birds in such a small flock. Over the last few years, I have lost two hens […]
Weekend NATRC Trail Ride
September 10, 2012Photo by Audrey Pavia My campsite at the competitive trail ride this past weekend. As bucolic as it can be on my urban farm, there’s no point in keeping horses if I’m not going to take them anywhere. So, this past weekend I loaded up Milagro and took him to a competitive trail ride. Milagro […]
Summer Rain
September 3, 2012Photo by Audrey Pavia Rio got very excited over a recent summer shower. Southern California summers are typically hot and dry, especially in the areas that are farthest from the ocean. My urban farm is part of what they call the Inland Empire – “Inland” meaning it’s far enough away from the ocean that we […]
Strawberries and Spanish Mustangs
August 27, 2012Photo by Audrey Pavia Milagro and Rio, the strawberry killers. Early last summer, my roommate Lisa planted a garden. Using four of the large terra cotta pots that were sitting empty on my patio, she started peppers, tomatoes and strawberries. She diligently watered the seedlings every day and, before long, the bright California sun brought […]
Chicks Grow Up Fast
August 20, 2012Photo by Audrey Pavia My three baby chicks when they were still little, peeking out from momma’s breast. I was outside this morning doing chores when I looked over at the lawn where my flock of chickens was gathered. For a second, I couldn’t tell the hens from the pullets. That’s when I realized that […]
The Case of the Curious Chicken
August 13, 2012Photo by Audrey Pavia This hen has been exhibiting a very weird behavior. I’ve had my flock of bantams for several years now, and I spend a lot of time watching them. So at this point, it’s hard for them to come up with a behavior I haven’t seen before. Yet, that is what happened […]
Gettin’ a Goat Fix
August 6, 2012Courtesy of iStockphoto/Thinkstock These little cuties can be so sneaky! As urban farmers, we are often limited in how many animals we can keep. My 1/2-acre suburban farm is comfortably full with three horses, three dogs and eight chickens. I don’t really have room or time for goats. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want […]
