Well, it only took until February, but winter has finally come to Maine! And the animals don't like it, no sir! One lone, brave rooster ventured out - blending in nicely to avoid predators. The rest of the chickens hid out like...well.... chickens
The geese were out as always, though it is anyone's guess as to whether they didn't mind the snow, or were just showing up the quail, turkeys and ducks, all of whom looked miserable. Though I have to admit, the new tom (who still needs a name by the way!) put on a good show for a few minutes when he thought I might have grain.
Speaking of grain, the goats are always up for grain! They blatted from inside for a bit, and then came racing out to see if they were missing anything. They were sorely disappointed when they saw it was just me taking pictures in the snow, and retreated as quickly as they'd come. With disapproving looks of course!
The rabbits pen was the last stop. Each section of the colony has numerous places for bunnies to crawl in and stay warm, each packed with hay and tunnels that prevent the wind from coming in. So what did we find? Every warm house was empty!
Instead, our heavily furred hoppers were out and about, digging down through snow to nibble hay, playing together in the snow and generally seemed to be loving every moment of the wet, frozen, white winter.
For anyone concerned about colony breeding in cold climates, here is yet another bit of proof that - with the proper breed - it can be a snap. While the real romping was hard to catch on video, it was apparent even when they were still that these rabbits couldn't be happier. They are apparently not even that cold! The babies stayed under cover, but they too survived nicely - even without winter fat and fur - by snuggling up in their box.
If anyone would like to talk to us about colony breeding rabbits, we love to answer questions! I promise, few things will make you smile on a gray day like watching rabbits play in the snow.
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