Our sweet little Huckleberry is just over 18 months old now. He still looks like a big lamb to us, but he is feeling like quite the big boy.  We were so happy when our adult sheep Bonnie and Piper took him into their little flock when he was quite young and loved their baby Huckleberry (while also firmly teaching him sheep manners as a rambunctious little boy).  The three of them, along with Annie the blind dwarf cow, have the most adorable little family.  

​Lately I've been noticing Huck do something strange - he will sometimes put his head on the backs of Bonnie and Piper when they are all hanging out together.  It seems innocuous but they immediately push him off and give him a firm nudge away from them.  So I did some research to figure out what this meant in sheep language. ​

Indy lost her rooster pal Elton earlier this year, and it was hard for us to watch her grieve him.  But Indy has always been a social butterfly and so we knew she would bounce back once she was ready.  We do have two rooster bffs who live separately and though they seem very interested in having her join them, we worried about them being too much for her and also potentially causing issues in their friendship.  So she gets to visit them through the fence.

But, Indy quickly joined the turkey flock and started sleeping with them at night.  She is particularly close with Louisa the black turkey and they are often seen pecking around the yard together.  It's fun to watch them all walk a path with their little chicken friend stepping in line like it's no big deal. Indy can be a little spacey at times and gets distracted; then once she realizes she is behind everyone else, she sprints adorably to catch up.  

Indy hasn't stopped there, though - she has also been spotted hanging in the barn with the sheep and sometimes our goat Edna.  The sheep have always loved the birds, especially Piper (we suspect maybe she grew up around chickens or turkeys in her first home) so we know they welcome her company.  

Fiona had her specialist appointment with an internist, and we were really grateful for the insight she was able to give us.  She sat down with us and went through all of Fiona's history, gave us her honest opinions, and answered all of our questions thoroughly.  

The good(ish) news - she does not think that the issue is with Fiona's kidneys.  Her kidneys aren't great, but they seem stable and its not presently as classic CKD (chronic kidney disease).  However she is clearly very sick and losing a ton of weight.  
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So, what is it then?

Fiona is still struggling, and it's painful to watch.  She has days when she seems herself, but still isn't eating much and doesn't have much energy.  An ultrasound revealed that her gallbladder has worsened, and she now has an appointment with an internal medicine specialist on Monday.  

Formation: The "Snoutpost"
Frequency: Rare

After two months of chelation therapy due to zinc poisoning, we got some concerning news about Betty.  Her zinc levels are still much higher than we would like them to be. 

The new bird barn is finally complete - and Sherman has officially moved into his new "Love Palace" alongside roosters Jareth and Sebastian.  This gives everyone some much-needed space and allows Betty to come spend the night in Sherman's new place from time to time.  And both Sherman and the roosters have an expanded outdoor area that gives them more room for activities!

Updates on turkeys Betty and Louisa, Huckleberry the lamb, Fiona the dog, and Stacy the goose

Formation: Triangle
Frequency:  Rare