So the first exciting farm news is that both of our pigs, Penelope and Porky, are now eating bread.  I am still putting grape jelly inside to encourage them.  But previous Penelope (the smaller of the two pigs) would never touch the stuff.  This is the first time she is eating the bread too.  Last year’s pigs never really ate bread (even with jelly) so this is a major event.

The next bit of farm news is that I have the bamboo bean poles up that the goats kindly cleaned up for me.  I did have to machete off the branches.  I am making these teepee-like structures for the pole beans this year, copying Thomas Jefferson’s garden (per Taste of History).  I am hoping grandkids might like to hide in these “teepees” once the beans have covered them.

This morning I found a present from our barn-now-porch cat Izzy just outside the back door.  It has been a while since I have had a present like this.

Today I decided that the youngest chicks were big enough to move out of their small pen into the world.  Here they are just as I opened the door to the crate I moved them in.  They are a little freaked out.

Here are the first of the chicks coming out of the crate.  It is interesting to note the different behaviors of the different breeds of chickens.  Some responded differently to being caught, and some responded differently to being released as well.  Some are more adventurous and feisty than others.

Their first encounter with a full sized chicken.

Now 12 are out of the crate.

Their first encounter with a full sized rooster.

And now all 14 are out.

The first 12 chicks I released are doing well so hopefully these ones will too.  I am nervous with the bald eagles around but hopefully they will stay safe.