Some Random Things

Tomorrow (Wednesday) thru Saturday we will have a bit warmer weather. Thursday we are to have rain. Rain on our frozen dirt road equals ICE ICE ICE! Not good. I hope it melts quickly so I don't have to drive on it or that the sand they put down will stay on top of the mess and still be helpful!

I'm definitely ready for a few warmer days though as I have 3 goats who I really need to do some hoof trimming on again. It'll be nice to be able to not be bundled up so I'm the size of Frosty the Snowman to do the job.

I also need to wrangle some more wire and it will be nice to be able to do so without the bulk of a winter coat.

It's been a rough couple of days here. I had bought the dogs some treats at the dollar store. I got a package of pig ear strips along with others. I was saving them for special occasions. I forgot that I gave them some at Thanksgiving and it upset their guts. Well, I gave them one Christmas day and the more than upset their guts. This has been a NASTY, gross issue. Why do I tell you this? Only because I thought you might want to be very careful of what you get your dogs for treats! I quit using the rawhide chews when we heard all the problems with them coming from China and being recalled. So now I'm not going to be buying any like these again either. When I buy them bones, they sneak them outside and bury them. I guess the buried bones are a much better deal though! We're just going to boycott the rawhide chews and now the sliced up pig ears. Nothing like giving my dogs a tainted treat for a Christmas present! Poor pupsters!

We aren't doing anything special for New Years Eve. We need to get to town this week to pick up some prescriptions so will pick up a couple things for a special treat. I think I'll pull a turkey out of the freezer for New Years Day. With the way the pullets are laying, I may do a few deviled eggs too. Being the oven will be going, maybe I should try out one of the sugar free cookie recipes I've acquired! Cookies are something I've missed the last 6 months. I found some sugar free chocolate chips so am ready for cookies. Doing nothing exciting is fine by me! I'm just glad that we finally have a New Years that hubby is not laid up, nor deathly ill. A quiet NY evening will be just fine!

Good news! I've spent a significant amount of time online incubator shopping. I've made up my mind. I'm getting a Genesis 1588 without the turners. I kind of like doing that turning by hand as I've gotten into this thing of talking to the eggs while doing the magic, good-luck chant of "Grow babies, grow!" over them! It gives me a chance to watch for any problems (rotting egg = NASTY) before they are a BIG, stinky problem. I also candle them as I go. Anyway, I do want to look on eBay before I order from the other company I chose (Cutlers), just in case.... I also found a catching net for poultry on there for $13. I've seen one used and it sure was a handy thing and I'm debating if I want one. It could be VERY handy and could be one of those things that one wondered how they did without it in the past. I can usually pick up most of the hens in the pen and barn if I want too. The roos tend to try to stay out of my way and they are the hard ones to catch. With my disability and balance problems it might be worth the money. I've wanted to make one, but the problem was the weight of a homemade one and my shoulder issues. This is a a pretty light weight one so maybe I should.....

I'm soooo ready for hatching to start!

Funny as it is, I was trying to take pictures of the chickens so I could count them! I sure can't get an accurate count in person! I need to know how many roos I have to get rid of so I can put an ad on Craigslist. That will help a lot! I also have to decide which I'm keeping!

I'm also trying to figure out which are the roos and am trying to put them outside in the buck pen with the others as I figure who who is who. I'm then going to start moving the hens so I have them all inside and separated from the roos. I need them to be without a roo for 30 days so that when I start to collect eggs for hatching that they will have been fertilized by the rooster who is the same breed and for a few, the right color and breed.It actually takes at a minimum of 3 weeks and in a few instances longer for the hen to be clear of unwanted "swimmers". It would seem like this would be an easy project, but it's not as it requires figuring out the young boys, catching them and transfering them from pen to pen. I'm also trying to decide which of the Cochin roos I want to have a harem and which I need to part with. There are more roos there than I had thought! If the horse trailer wasn't full of hay, it would sure be helpful for this shuffling around!

I also need to put some plans down on paper so I can arrange a hatching schedule around eggs I want to obtain for hatching and my own I'd like to hatch! I have to decide if I want to set a full hatch (48 eggs) all at once or if I want to stager them some. Do I want to set the full 48 or maybe 16 per week or even 24 every 9 days. I am saying 9 days due to the 3 day lock down for hatching. I'm thinking of moving them into the hovabator for the lockdown and hatch. I have to plan for brooder space for the hatchlings too. I can't just hatch eggs and have no where to put the chicks! Decisions decisions.... What do you think?