I do not oppose the use of infirm, unwanted horses for food, but I do object to the methods of slaughter. What is humane for a cow is not necessarily so for a horse. I care for racetrack pensioners on my farm, have fostered rescued horses, and wish there were more options for all "retired" or otherwise unneeded horses to live a happy life.

Dear porkpal, Shannon is correct in the inhumane method of slaughter. As I stated some people who thought there pet Horses and ponies were going to a retirement home or to live the last few years were tricked.
Organized crime do not care about how the animals were slaughtered and now the truth is coming out day by day and it is horrific.
I am a game shooting man porkpal, and I believe in a quick and humane death, not what these people are doing to these animals.
Yes I will no doubt eat horse meat again when I go abroad, but horse meat that has been humanely sourced and killed.
Regards.
Neil.

Just to prove spring is on the way, some Iris in flower yesterday in the afternoon sun!
Regards.
Neil.

Hah! maybe in England! We're having rain and snow and falling temperatures here. But I do love the picture.

Those are beautiful.

I love the irises. It looks like spring here: green grass, trees starting to leaf out, and several of my roses have been blooming for over a week. I have, however, never been able to grow irises here.

Hi, I'm one of the chicken people. Right now we're trying to settle in some new hens, they're Amaraucanas.

Here's a picture of Captain Jack. I'll have to take pics of the hens, they are just now starting to go outside a little. The farmer we bought them from had them cooped up all the time. LOL

Captain Jack is a handsome man indeed!

Very handsome rooster, Christine. My DH would probably like to clip a few of his lovely long feathers for his fly tying!

Thanks porkpal and mcash. He's been a really great rooster; he seems much smarter than the last one we had.

Margaret, I don't know if my DH has thought of that... yet! haha!

We named him Captain Jack because those long feathers around his head, along with the way he stomps around with his chest out, reminds us of a Viking

I just showed DH the rooster and he said they are very good feathers!

I'm sure Captain Jack will be pleased by his approval.

Lovely bird,Christine. I appreciate much about chickens, from a distance...

Please join us in the monthly journal!

Ah, but there is no substitute for fresh farm eggs. That is how my neighbors appreciate my distant chickens.

Thank you Kathleen I'll go look for you all in the monthly journal.

Yes, Captain Jack is fluffing his feathers in approval.

Very true, porkpal, there is no comparison for fresh farm eggs, especially those running around eating grass and things that lurk within.

i bought chickens for my daughter last year. She gives me eggs. Perfect solution for both of us

A silly chicken story: normally when I go down to the barn each evening to close in the chickens for the night, they are already quietly waiting on the roosts. The other day, however, I was met by wild continuous cackling so I hurried to see what was up. The large fake owl that I hung over the coop area to deter the sparrows had fallen in the wind - and lost its head. All the chickens were crowded into one coop the farthest from the plastic predator and were still sounding the alarm. Even after I removed the owl (and his head) the silly girls would not settle into their usual coops and so they all spent the night crammed together. I wish the owl worked as well on the sparrows!