I Spy Udders!

LadyBug (below right) and JuneBug (below left), ND's, are bagging up nicely! They are both making a significant difference in their udder daily. These girls are 2 of triplets. I usually refer to them as twins being I have the 2 but reality is trips. They actually look like a 2-headed goat but there are really 2 bodies here:

This is JuneBug's 2nd pregnancy. Last year she aborted fully developed quads who were getting their hair and appeared perfect. She had a TERRIBLE time over it. I had to leave her with them for a while so she could process it. My commiserations and attention weren't making any difference and she just needed the time. So I came to the house to get my camera and shed a few of my own tears. It was really sad listening to her crying over them. It was actually a wailing type cry and just a heart breaker. I so so hope she has healthy kids, an easy kidding and DOELINGS! Trips would be AWESOME!

This will be LadyBug's 3rd kidding. She had twin doelings the first kidding, twin bucklings last year and this year just HAS to be a doeling year again. (Hey, there were 13 bucklings and 1 doeling born last year! Then the lost quads were 3 bucklings and 1 doeling.) LadyBug is the doe who was badly injured when pg with her first pregnancy. She is disabled but kidded with no problems last year. I just worry a bit about her because of her severe injuries and the wear and tear on her body.

I still have LadyBug's twin bucks from last year. I really like them both. Patches is to the right with my info. He's a colorful fella! Wrapper is the chamoise (brown w/black trim) buck who broke his leg last Summer and spent 2 months in the house with hubby and I getting it healed. I hope I don't have to pick amongst them as I don't think I could. I like them both immensely. They have a LOT of similarities and yet also have some uniqueness that I really like. They are both very handsome dudes!

Kernals, the new boy is the sire of LadyBug's and JuneBug's kids. I can't wait to see what they produce. Kernals is gold and white. JuneBug is a broken buckskin and LadyBug is a broken, spotted chamoisee (polka dotted according to non goatie people).

After 13 bucklings and a doeling last year, I am DETERMINED that I DESERVE a doeling year! I'm POSITIVE I should never have so many bucklings ever again. That was beyond ridiculous! I don't even want to see any little bucklings this year. They just aren't in my plans!

I guess I better get ready! Being they'll be March kids, the weather can be pretty cold yet. So they'll need some little goatie coaties to wick the moisture away and help while they adapt their body regulators to keep them warm. I'll need to have all the towels, kidding supplies, etc ready for a moment's notice. After all, these 2 girls live life on their own terms and to their own drummer so they won't be thinking of what is convenient for me! Neither does the goat stork!

Illusive Birds

Geese? Goslings? Hatching Eggs? They ARE illusive when I want (PREFER) to buy them locally and not pay shipping or have newly hatched babes shipped up here in the cold North! They also want a small order charge added and additional per gosling postal fee. It runs the price right up FAST.

They are also VERY illusive when I look in my pocket!

I wanted a trio of Sebastapols. I LOVE LOVE LOVE their curly feathers. Add that regal stature and those lovely feathers and you have a very BEAUTIFUL bird. BUT, when I started the serious search, I found day olds are $50 each and already sold out! Plus, you have to have a curly feathered bird AND a smooth feathered so you don't get bone deformities as the curly gene and bone genes are in the same spot on the genetic allele.

People on Craigs List aren't very good at responding to the ads they post. If the item is gone, it would be nice if they'd pull the ad or at least hit reply and a "sold" response.

I'm also trying to find out if therer would be any at some of the small animal swaps or such. I hate to spend several hours on the road to get to one if they don't have any geese there!

I've had BAD luck with getting hatching eggs shipped to me. The PO seems to think they are soccer balls or something!

I'll keep looking... I have found a place that has some but don't know their name. I can't look them up so have to catch them home to see if they'd sell a few goslings or eggs.  Maybe they'd sell a trio???

And I'm off to google a fairgrounds that I heard might have some at their sales... another 2 hour drive!

Terminology Observation

I was on wikipedia and ran across this quote:

"This article contains weasel words: vague phrasing that often accompanies biased or unverifiable information. Such statements should be clarified or removed. (December 2010)"

I have to wonder about it! I mean is it a comment from a reader not agreeing with the rabbit info provided or is it from wikipedia? I've never seen it before!

So do we have a new term, weasel words? I find it a tad offensive or repulsive. So now are bloggers a bunch of weasel worders?

I don't find wikipedia to be a professional and highly accurate site. No offense, and I do use it. But, I consider the info to be a start for researching and feel I'm then responsible to verify, clarify, or disregard if I can't support it with professional info. In a way, it's rather like reading a blog. It's the author's opinion or writing.

That being, I sure don't consider myself as weasely! I always thought to be a weasel (not the 4 legged variety) was quite negative and suggests being sneaky and conniving! That rabbit article was interesting and informative, an opinion and experience. It was NOT a negative article. I didn't find the words to be sneaky or conniving or anything resembling a weasel!

Interesting, for sure! What do you think?

Another Dilemma - Clothes Pins!

It's time to be hanging a lot of laundry outside and I have a problem! I have got to get some new clothes pins. I'm sure many of you run into the same issue I'm having. I WANT and I NEED some STRONG clothes pins. I NEED them to hold a pair of jeans on the line without using 20 of them and hoping the wind doesn't stir! Today's clothes pins are JUNK, IMHO! These junky one's won't even hold a sock, dish or wash cloth, or the "unmentionables" on the line.

I can't afford to go buy clamps at the hardware store! It does seem like those clamps are about what I need these days! I need REAL clothes pins. I NEED clothes pins for a REAL load of laundry!

And, I need to get the laundry soap made too. I have all the ingredients, just need to get that soap grated!

So what do you all do about this? This is a REAL problem!

Let the Incubating & Hatching Begin!

TODAY is THE day! The incubator has been running since yesterday. The temp is almost ideal. The 2nd thermometer (with humidity) is now recharged and in to temp compare with the other therm.

I'll be going out to collect eggs soon and hope they aren't frozen due to it being so DARN COLD! And then I'll add all my collected eggs to the incubator and wish them a successful hatching with healthy, vibrant little chickies!

They will be due to hatch March 3rd - 4th!

Do you want to see a banner up with all the seasonal ones to tell when the hatch is due to begin? I hadn't decided if I would do that this year. If you enjoy seeing it there, I'll be happy to add it! Just post me a comment OR mark at the bottom of this post in the "interesting" box. You don't have to log in or anything to mark the "interesting" box! :) No capcha code to try to discern.

I'm really looking forward to hatching again. I really need some little chicks to grow into layers and farm entertainers. I do enjoy watching their antics.

Varmit Control Update: No luck last night as we had a snow storm and it got COLD! There weren't even any tracks in the snow. I've more juicy tidbits to add to the container of cat kibble and a juicy pork chop fat strip to freshen up the aroma.

Off to murmur my little hatch well chickies mumble jumble while slowly circulating my hands over the incubator. Gosh, after last year maybe that isn't the best for wishing my lovely eggs well. I didn't seem to have to great of hatches..... Maybe I need a new gimmick or routine! Maybe a better prayer....

So Bummed!

Yesterday I found the Banty Cochin hen in the pic in the preceeding post eaten by a possum. She's the little adorable white hen with her roo. He's pretty much at lost ends yesterday and today. They were really bonded and stuck together amongst the others in that pen. I almost cried. She was a very calm and friendly hen. She followed me around and was fine with being picked up and talked too, as is the roo.

As soon as I can get my big cage from the frozen ground moved, I'll put the roo and my little blue banty Cochin hen with him and hope the 2 will hit it off and become buds.

I'll be getting my incubator out tomorrow and start warming it. Then Friday I hope to be able to set the eggs I have been collecting. The oldest 5 of the eggs will be just a week old so hopefully they are fertile. Aren't the pretty?

I sure do hope I get lucky and have some little banty Cochins in that clutch! There aren't too many banty eggs so I'll be REALLY lucky if I do. There are 2 pairs of banty Favorelles in that pen too so could end up with the eggs being Faverolles.

TSC chickies, here I come! I'll be checking for feather-footed bantys along with some standard size chickes. I'm thinking of ordering from the TSC flier to get some mottled, gold and silver laced and another color of Cochins. I'm hoping they'll have Brahmas too.

Wish me luck. My chickie luck runs really low and I need all the good vibes I can get!

I Can't Help Myself!

Really, I can't! Could be because I really don't want to!

Today I brought in 4 BEAUTIFUL eggs and my banties had started to lay and I found their nest! You know what that means, don't you?

Yup, those 3 cute little eggs and the pretty big brown one are now sitting and waiting to be put in the incubator.

Yes, I said good bye to the ground hog and HELLLLOOO pretty eggs! Simple reasoning of a hatch addict, huh? It simply was so easy to set those eggs aside... after all, I have a dozen in the refrigerator so I'm not shorting us.

I just wish I hadn't lost my last ADORABLE little mottled Cochin Bantum (above). I've got to get some new laying chicks this year and I think I may need to see about some of the Bantams too. I don't have any of the cute colored ones, just the pair of white Cochin Bantams and the 2 pair of Black Faverolle Bantams. And there is also the Faverolle cross roo who runs with the big hens (above behind the mottled hen).
Yes, Spring is coming. Our ground hog prediction was opposite the PA Phil's and our weather man says his prediction is we'll get some more snow before it's over.

So I guess maybe I'm going to be pushing for Spring a bit early. And I do so love hatching and the chicks.
      
Now, how many eggs do I want to set aside to hatch before I start them going? A number of them? A week's worth? Ten days' worth? Such decisions and hard ones too!

EGGS!

In January and February eggs are sure a high point here in the North Country! So far, up until today, I got more frozen eggs than not. BUT, today made a difference. We're above freezing for the 2nd day so that helps tremendously. If I'm not out there to get them soon after laying, I get this:

And another angle of the same 2 frozen eggs:

Frozen solid! The dogs and cats love them though and they get a few.

On the warmer days and the end of last week I was gifted with these:

I managed to find these BEFORE they froze. The egg on the right is a thinner shelled egg than I like to find. I'm out of oyster shell and the feed store hasn't been able to get me any. :( So I need to make a trip to the big feed mill a couple towns away or to TSC. I'm going to need grit and a few other things too. I hate losing eggs to weak shells. I do crush my shells up really well and I mix them into some table scraps and feed them back but they need the oyster shell too.

The end of last week I got these:

I found a new nest and these were the only good eggs. There were several frozen. Bah humbug! But at least I know the girls are doing THEIR job!

I had managed to collect a full dozen so made pancakes. I like extra eggs in my pancakes. They add extra protein and make them a pretty yellowish shade. As soon as I had made the pancakes I was back to no or only 1 egg a day. So, what are they up too? We had a snow storm but that only means it was snowy outside of the barn. Shouldn't that give them more time to hunker down IN the barn where it's dry and warmer and just lay some extra eggs?

Then today when I was getting 2 eggs from a nest I can hardly get too, I hear another hen off to the right. Ah ha! There just be a nest over there. Of course that is hubby's "junk" corner in the barn and I only got a quick glimpse of the hen coming out in a big hurry. FINALLY, peaking between some wood standing on end and JUNK, I spy a nest.... WAY out of my reach. So I had to move and move and move things. Then I got my grill tongs I keep in the barn and managed to pull out these beauties, 2 of which were not from the well-hidden, near to impossible-to-get-to nest:

For egg laying being the hens' job, I sure do have to work hard to bring a few eggs to the house! I can easily say I'm all ready for Easter! I've been practicing egg hunting for 3 weeks now and have successfully managed to put close to 3 dozen in the refrigeration.

I'm also having the urge to set a few aside to put in the incubator! With wood heat and it still being Winter, it's a few weeks too early. So I better get some oyster shell in these girls and get the shell quality such they can be incubated!

And for now, I'm off to find my Easter banner to see how many days until then so I'll know how many more days of practicing the Easter egg hunt I have to go!