Jammed Up at the Trough

I laughed yesterday at the jam-up at he food trough, and took some photos to show you the commotion.  I poured sunflower seeds mixed with beet root pellets in the food trough for the girl goats, and Turkey and the chickens got in on the action.  

I spread food on the ground for the all the birds too, but Turkey knows that she doesn't have to hunt for pieces in the grass if she heads for the goats food, and stuffs her beak as fast as she can.  Her excited calls and squeaks as she fills her crop draw the attention of the chickens.  

It makes for a crowded scene as the goats nibble their treats.  The chickens are good about grabbing a quick bite and getting out of the way, but poor Turkey gets so greedy she doesn't retreat and sometimes gets her neck trapped between the bars on the food trough and a goat head.  She turns red and struggles, but frees herself before I need to intervene.  

The goats are unconcerned about the comfort of a turkey, and eat fast to make sure they get as much as possible.  The bars on the top of the trough prevent any one goat from defending the whole trough by swinging their heads back and forth and blocking each other from the food.  

The baby goats steal a nibble here and there, but don't really fight for the food like the big goats will. 

Peaches stuffs her jaws then comes up for some air.  Other goat heads and bird beaks quickly take her place. 

When she is ready for another bite, she squeezes her face back into the bowl, displacing snouts and beaks with the force of her appetite.  Even though both of her daughters have horns, she still wins all battles of will, and reclaims her spot in the trough.  

Wendigo, if left on her own, will growl and snap at the goats and chickens until she gets all the food on one side of the trough, and Turkey gets the other side.  The poor goats stand out of her reach and stare mournfully at the food.  I don't know why a dog wants to eat seeds and beet pulp though. Maybe she thinks it's going to be delicious because everyone else is so excited to have it they pile up in a feeding frenzy!