Friday, April 12, 2013

Nature Study Outing - Back at the Farm



A day at the local farm park always means lots to see and do!  We hadn't been there since fall, so it was great fun to revisit old "friends" and see what was new in the barnyard.  There were several friendly steers lodging in the barn this time, getting ready for this summer's fair--one spent his time lounging in the sun with the guinea fowl, but the others were up near the gate happy to be petted.  


Another fun attraction today was a tom turkey up on the roof of the outlying sheep shed, strutting his stuff for the other turkeys below.  Then he gave a loud gobble and a flock of chickens came running from the park to the shed below him.  The children dubbed him the King of the Barnyard.  


A pair of adorable little pigs, a ram up on its hind legs eating tree leaves, rabbits nibbling at bits of hay poked through the grate by our little ones, our favorite Muscovy ducks, and lots of eggs in the coop!




We planned to finish our stay with a bit of time at the playground, but just as we got settled, dozens of school children visiting on field trips swarmed the area.  We hightailed it out of there and spent the last half hour in the orchard, with the kids playing hide-and-seek and picking wildflowers amid the sweet scent of orange blossoms.  As we left, my daughter said, "The orchard was so much more fun than the playground!"  :)

Lots of great questions from the children today:
How can we tell ducks from geese?  Males from females?
How far can turkeys fly?
How long can hen eggs last scattered around the coop?
Are male mallards the only ducks with green heads?
What happens to the steers after they're exhibited at the county fair?
What are those chickens doing?!?  (Yep, it's mating season at the farm!)

1 comment:

  1. fun! i love the questions... :)
    thanks so much for sharing!!

    ReplyDelete