She is growing so fast. Going on 4 months her puppy body is turning gangly and discombobulated. It is as if her front end and hind end are working against each other. Her teeth are coming in and her paws are still polar bear like. She is smart, independent and drives everyone in the barnyard a bit crazy from time to time. She likes goat feed and cat food and raw eggs. She beats Ernest tot he duck hut every morning to look for a prized egg which she neatly pokes, then sucks out the feast. The pigs crunch the whole egg, then somehow eat the food while spitting out the shell in one step.
Marcella is learning not to chase. I can't watch her 24/7 so about twice a day I hear a loud yelp from her in the barnyard. Usually it is her overzealous behavior around Rosie. I've told here a million times, "Watch out for the grumpy pig," but she keeps trying to make friends. She'll learn.
We haven't had any accidental deaths- I worry a bit about the ducks since they came to me clipped. She is intrigued with them, but also likes anything that moves fast. Usually her romp is over fast and if I am there it is a stern,
"NO chase!"
and she immediately sits. She is after all, a puppy. I know by about a year I'll see a huge difference. She had her first real encounter with the main flock this weekend. I put her out in the barnyard with them-not the lambs or moms at this time, too soon-and I took a seat to observe. One of the yearling ewes head banged her and Marcella got up to leave, and that ewe came after her again knocking her to the ground. This sent her running, crying to the barn. Watching them learn is not always easy, but you have to weigh safety with learning and let them figure out the dynamic. She is big enough to get rammed a few times without harm. But she's not mature enough to be left unattended for a day. So they spent the afternoon together, and things calmed. She learned that the ewes are bigger than the Pygmies and mean business.
She already sits in certain spots-the fence line when the dogs or Martyn are out and about. And why not guard a wheelbarrow-its a very important item to us.
