Onbei
a farm
-And o
bazar
Joyce B
Seems to me I recall reading
that having a stork nest on your
bam brought good luck.
If memory serves me right that
belief originated in areas near the
sea, where fish-catching storks
make their homes.
Now, we have occasional visits
to the ponds by green and great
blue herons. Spunky, white cattle
egrets stalk the milk cows during
summer months, feasting on bugs
stirred in the pasture grasses by
the cows’ feet. Once, to our
amazement, we spied an osprey
make a dive to the pond, grab a
fish, and flap to the top of a dead
tree in the fence row to enjoy the
fresh dinner.
LAND PRIDE
Fluted
Seed Cu|
Depth Gauj
End Wheel
PTO Driven
Knivi
IPENWSYLVAWAI
Stralay Firm Supply, Inc.
1780 EM Canal Road
Dovar, PA 17316
717-292-2881
Sana Equipment
3 MUaa S. of Hope on 232
Rt. 232, RD 3, Boa 78
Naw Hope. PA 18838-9303
218-688-7801
Kallar Brother*
R 7 Box 405
Lebanon, PA 17042
717-949-8501
Marahill Machinery, Inc.
Rt 684
Honecdala, PA 18431
717-728-7117
But not a sign of a good luck
stork. Wonder if a guinea would
be a suitable substitute?
Our flock of rive guineas is apt
to turn up just about anywhere on
the farm, including on the bam.
On bitter cold or rainy days, they
hang around the old bam, scratch
ing in comers and crannies for bits
of grain dropped by heifers and
seeds fallen from hay and straw.
They seem to much prefer - like
most of us, I guess - the more
pleasant, sunny days, days on
which they can roam the farm
stead without wet, bedraggled tail
feathers. Often I'll glance out the
kitchen window and see them
cruising the meadow, pausing
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Wm. Hobanaack'a A Sona
1080 Grealay Avanua
Ivyland, PA 18974
215-878-1810
Plkavllla Equipment Inc.
RD 2, Oyatardala Road
Olay, PA 19547
215-887-8277
Paul Shovara Inc.
RD 2
Loyavlllp, PA 17047
717-758-8117
Tractor Parta Co.
336 Central Road
Bloomeburg, PA 17816
717-784-0260
Swalganl Brea., Inc.
RD 83, Box 13
HaMax.. PA 17032
717-888-3414
near the “crick” to scratch for a
tidbit or pecking at bits of gravel
on the Held road.
Another favorite guinea stomp
ing grounds is the sloping hillside
above the house, where contoured
fields of com stubble and hay
wind out over the high horizon to
the northeast The residue of stalk,
husk, occasional ear of corn
missed by the harvester, and
clumps of dormant alfalfa and
grasses apparently offer a bounti
ful guinea buffet.
Still, for all their natural
instincts and abilities for living off
the land, the guineas are blatant
opportunists.
On both the coming and the
going trips between the meadow
and fields, the flock of five inevi
tably follows a meandering route
passing beneath the backyard
birdfeeders. While the finches and
sparrows gobble away overhead,
those guineas scout every inch of
turf under the feeders.
Recycling, maybe, is what the
guineas do with sunflower seeds
and millet escaping the feeders.
And what they miss, or don’t get
to first, is equally enjoyed by the
half-dozen backyard hens and
their handsome rooster husband.
Unlike their flighty predeces
sors, these guineas aren’t too
proud or wild to come hunting a
handout. Occasionally they put in
Stauffer Brea. Inc.
1066 Lincoln Way Waal
Chambaraburg, PA 17201
717-2634434
SlaHzlua Farm Sarviea
coehranville, PA
717-693-2407
Triple H Equipment
23(8 Robert Fulton Hwy.
Peach Bottom, PA 17563
717-848-3775
MaYeereley A Bone
Weet Cheater, PA
215-128'2000
INEW JERSEY]
Owen Supply Co.
Eaet Avenue A Broad St
Woodetown, N.J. 08098
609-7(6-0306
an early morning appearance out
side the calf bam, screeching a
demand for a favorite delicacy -
dead flies. Apparently they
remember their chick-hood days
last summer, and how tasty were
the contents of catch pan under the
electric fly “zapper.”
In lieu of the preferred snack, I
usually toss them a couple of
handfuls of calf grain. Often
they’ll turn their skinny heads, jut
sharp beaks into the air, and slink
off in opposite direction.
Okay, so I recognize rejection
when I see it
Come late afternoon, the five
begin wandering toward the old
bank bam, returning daily to their
favorite nightime spot, the top rail
of a section of old freestalls.
Sometimes, the old wild-bird
instinct to roost high in a treetop
takes over. Wings spread wide,
emitting loud squawks, a guinea
Sheep And Wool Growers To Meet
PLEASANT MOUNT (Wayne
Co.) The annual roast lamb
dinner meeting of the Wayne
County Sheep and Wool Growers
will be held Thursday, March 15,
at 7:45 p.m. in the Belmont Fire
Hall (one mile west of Pleasant
Mount on Route 370).
Tickler Tines
>eed Tubes
ist Notched or
imooth Roller
Ca(dwell Tractor A
Equipment, Inc.
480 U.S. Route 48
Fairfield. N.J. 07006
201-227-6772
Warren County Service Center
228 Route 94
Columbia, N J 07832
201-362-6916
Radio Tractor Salee
North White Horae Pike
Hammonton, N J 08037
809-561-0141
Frank Rymon A Sane, Inc.
RD 3, Box 355
Washington, N J 07882
201-869-1484
Reed Brothere
Petticoat Bridge Rd
Columbus, NJ 08022
(09-267-3363
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 3,1990-B3
will take to the air and land on the
calf bam roof. These, silhoutted
against the fading sky at dusk, the
bird screeches and shrieks.
Whether it’s calling the others
to join it, or just showing off. I’ve
never decided. Eventually the
guinea sails gracefully back to the
ground to join the rest. They’ve
flown right by my head en route.
One recent morning, as daylight
was pushing up over the woods,
an unusually early - and loud -
series of guinea calls splintered
the dawn quiet. It took a moment
to pinpoint the source of the racket
- a lone guinea perched on the
peak of the dairy bam, facing east,
crowing at the top of its lungs.
Lots of bams sport decorative
weather vanes. Ours is graced by a
guinea, welcoming the new day
with an ear-splitting soprano.
No stork, but it’ll have to do.
The program will include a
report of the 1989 Wayne County
Wool Pool and films covering
sheep and wool management.
Association business will
include election of directors, rec
ognition of 4-H members who
exhibited their sheep project at the
1989 Wayne County Fair, com
ments on the 1989 county 4-H
Sheep Program, and a report of the
1989 Wayne County Wool Pool.
Tickets for the annual affair are
$6.00 and may be purchased at the
Wayne County Cooperative
extension office. Deadline for
reservations is March 9.
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