Feeding Our Critters

It seemed that we went from 3 animals to 19 in a blink of an eye.  At first, I was overwhelmed and sure that I was going to forget to feed somebody or something.  Now, I find it really is one of my favorite parts of the day and there is such a simple contentment being out in the barn tending to all of our critters.

I do have my own system and have to report unfortunately that the most annoying do seem to come first.  Yes, that means I start with the cats…  Billie Elliot or the Damn Cat who seems to have multiple personalities is fed first, up on her shelf where the dogs cannot get her food.

With my boots on I am met at the kitchen porch by the rest of the feline population.  All of them intent to remind me that they are indeed next and need to be fed NOW, if not sooner, because barn cats do not live on mice alone.

Off we go to the barn, as they are ‘barn cats’ this is where they are fed…

The occasional roll over by Rabbit to make sure he is being followed…

The barn cats are mostly fed in an old wheel barrow, so that no skunks can come into the barn and eat their food.  The reality is that the cats seldom leave any, so the fact that one cat eats out a bowl on the floor doesn’t seem to matter much.  In the wheel barrow..Tigger, Rabbit, Pooh, Roo and on the floor Kanga or Harvey (who has a couple of names)

With the felines all taken care of, I know there are two beauties at the back of the barn waiting for the door to open and be greeted with hay for the day!  Dolly & Dixie

The next hay eater is our cow, who has been waiting at the other door to the barn and is fed in an old bath tub…Elsie Gump.  She cannot do a roll over quite like Rabbit, but she is not about to be forgotten.

Our mighty flock gets fed next…

Left-Over-Lionel, Lucile (s) and Lucy (s)

A quick check for any eggs that have been laid, then I give out water where needed, shut up the barn and say hello to the dear old dogs… Daisy and Snickers.

All done… until the evening…