Buff Ameraucanas

Yes! Besides a lot of new chicks, we also purchased a new color variety of Ameraucana. I must really say, I'm getting quite the addiction to Ameraucanas. Why? Because they're good sized, lay good sized eggs, and they're very sweet, friendly, and laid back. Unlike Araucanas, cockerels get along better, and unlike Araucanas, they're not practically bantam sized. But still, I do love Araucanas as well!

Anyway, here's my new pair. I got them from a well respected breeder, Jean Ribbeck. (Known well as Pips&peeps from BYC) They're Buff Ameraucanas. A very rare color, and sadly also very underrated. Because most Buffs lay a poor egg color and the color in general is rare, they're rarely spoken of. If anyone mentions the color, it is usually another misinformed owner of a typical Easter Egger. (Who of course is NOT buff colored)

The pair are in quarantine right now, so the photos aren't the best. . .

The evening sun just feeds to his gorgeous golden glow!



The two. . . Perhaps two in love?



. . . Or a pullet who thinks beards are tasty. . .




Now that we're done with that excitement for the night, let's take a very brief tour on how others are doing..

First, our Tolbunt Polish are still growing! This here is Spike, my frizzled cockerel.





And this is Bowie, my Smooth cockerel.






Looking out at some girls free ranging. . .





Her secret hidey hole.



Searchin' the tree trunks. . .



Our colorful Blue Wheaten Marans cockerel. . .



Crowing. . .



Sultan, our "White Wheaten" crowing. . .



Our Wheaten Marans crowing . . .



Even Bowie crowing!



And at last, here's a little sample of all the egg colors we've been getting. Isn't the purple looking one just awesome?

More about our Yak!

Okay, so remember our Yak? Remember him as a cute little curly-coated calf? Well, see him now!



Our Yak, running around. . . And yes, he's very athletic, even with all that hair.





At the top of the hill.



This is our Yak bull, Djimon. He's now over 7 months old, halter trained, and we're still working on training him to pack, and when he's older - Training him to ride. We're also still on the look out for a Royal (pinto) colored heifer for him.

He's doing great though! His horns are huge, longer than two hand's grasp, and he's tall enough now that if you stood over him, you'd have to ride him. And he's still growing! He's pretty lonely though, as he'll grunt constantly if he sees you or thinks he hears you sneaking around. Once you approach him, though, he's pretty social and friendly. Even if it means working with him, which he sometimes gets moody about. Working with him usually includes putting a bareback pad on him, getting him used to touches all over his body (desensitizing him) getting him to walk, stop, and turn on command, and stopping his terrible habit of grazing his head and horns against you when he wants things his way. Yes, Yaks can be quite stubborn and moody - And that is a dangerous thing if you don't get it behaviorally treated. Yaks grow to have very large horns that they will carelessly swing around unless you teach them otherwise.

Currently he shares a large pasture with countless chickens, several goats, and he used to also be with our Sebastopol geese, but we've decided to move those on up to the main front lawn.