Don’t anticipate what you will feel when you retire. My appetite for doing stuff went way up when I wasn’t dragged down by working elsewhere.Yes it's hard losing them, I have about 4 regular customers I sell eggs to, and a few others I get eggs for when I have extra. We keep the silkie and Mrs LC's eggs that are tiny, for ourselves.
I likely won't be replacing them anymore going forward. I figure I am good for a bit of eggs for the next couple of years. As they stop laying I will drop customers and just keep my longest customers until I no longer can supply them. That will be in a few years I would say - by the time the chicks this year are 3 I won't have enough eggs to sell regularly. By then I will be retired and likely won't want to be doing much in the way of working in the barn esp during the winter, the horses will be gone by then.
Then again who knows - if I win that lottery I can afford to hire a stable boy
I can't believe that my silkies will be coming 5! Even Holly is soon going to be 1 yr old. Time sure does fly by.....
By the way, I strongly recommend easing down by doing some part time or project based work if you can get it. I still do some projects for my old employer.
I know at some point my ability will diminish, but for now I enjoy doing chicken things and garden things the way I want them done not in a big rush because of work.
I am off out now to do a bit of tinkering with the second rat proof feeder. Mr. Chips is now heavy enough to open the treadle. Possibly the others except Cookie too. I will observe today and find out. Oh - just looked at the cameras and Geronimo/Geranium/name tbd? Is heavy enough but not Bucky/Becky/Betty/name tbd?, and certainly not Cookie.
Tax: Geronimo/Geranium/?