Illinois...

[Faraday40]

So far all the hatched chicks are happy & healthy. Even the one with a red navel (now scabbed) is eating, drinking, & running about.

Hatch update:
I expected most chicks to hatch on Sunday. Since this was just a fertility check, I didn't use my regular incubator. (It's big & was deep in the crawl space.) I think this "back up" incubator I used may have some hot/cold spots. I moved all the eggs into my "good incubator" = a home-made cooler-bator, during lockdown.

2 seramas hatched on day 19 (on time for seramas)
3 orpingtons hatched day 20 (a touch early)
2 more orpingtons hatched on day 21 (on time)
1 last orp hatched day 21 night or day 22 in the early morning (a bit late)

I thought things were done..... Normally almost all the orp chicks pop out within 24 -48 hrs of each other. They may all arrive a little early or a little late.... but never so scattered.


So this morning (Day 23) I certainly didn't expect to find a lavender-ish orpington and 2 pipped Leghorn eggs in the incubator. The Leghorn x orp mixes have since hatched & are massive. As I type, there's another egg that just pipped around 1:30pm this afternoon.
Lavender-ish orp (could be a laced lav orp)

Leghorn x Orp mix

The incubation continues on...
(The 2nd Leghornx xOrp is going to stay inside incubator for another day. The pipped egg will likely hatch - but who can guess if the last 2 eggs will.)

I've never had such a spread out hatch! Am I correct to guess that my incubator has hot/cold spots? The only other difference (besides incubator) between this & my other hatches is the crazy weather during egg collection. We went from blizzard conditions, to below zero, up to 45'F + rain & melt & flooding, then back down below zero in a matter of days. I was collecting for 8 days during all sorts of outdoor conditions. I didn't bother to store the eggs in the basement. The house is a little cool because it's winter, so I simply kept them on the kitchen counter. Any thoughts?

 

[chickendreams24]

If Bella's anything like our former Great Dane, she'd be dragging your niece down the aisle! Of course I also like the giraffe idea. I didn't know they were your fav animal too. As a kid I wanted to live in Africa and study giraffes just like Jane Goodall and her chimps.

Next time you process roos - just pluck some hackle, saddle, body, & sickle feathers. Feathers are easy to store away in Ziplock bags. Since they're sealed, I don't bother washing them until I'm ready to use or dye them. If you decide to go another way, you can always toss them later. Small feathers can be put into sprigs/sprays or made into large flowers. People pay a lot of money for this & it can be done with free feathers, floral tape, wire, & some tacky glue. Sometimes misc. accent stuff like old buttons, lace, etc.
View attachment 1691930 View attachment 1691932

Remember that "Christmas" is a mostly white turkey. Remind him to behave around the hens because you're looking for nice big feathers!!!! You may scare him straight or collect more feathers with a turkey dinner. Either way, it's a win for you!

LoL yeah I'm thinking I'll tell Christmas that he had better behave himself.

Yeah unfortunately I don't have any lavenders to process or any blues etc. Maybe though.

So far all the hatched chicks are happy & healthy. Even the one with a red navel (now scabbed) is eating, drinking, & running about.

Hatch update:
I expected most chicks to hatch on Sunday. Since this was just a fertility check, I didn't use my regular incubator. (It's big & was deep in the crawl space.) I think this "back up" incubator I used may have some hot/cold spots. I moved all the eggs into my "good incubator" = a home-made cooler-bator, during lockdown.

2 seramas hatched on day 19 (on time for seramas)
3 orpingtons hatched day 20 (a touch early)
2 more orpingtons hatched on day 21 (on time)
1 last orp hatched day 21 night or day 22 in the early morning (a bit late)

I thought things were done..... Normally almost all the orp chicks pop out within 24 -48 hrs of each other. They may all arrive a little early or a little late.... but never so scattered.


So this morning (Day 23) I certainly didn't expect to find a lavender-ish orpington and 2 pipped Leghorn eggs in the incubator. The Leghorn x orp mixes have since hatched & are massive. As I type, there's another egg that just pipped around 1:30pm this afternoon.
Lavender-ish orp (could be a laced lav orp)

Leghorn x Orp mix

The incubation continues on...
(The 2nd Leghornx xOrp is going to stay inside incubator for another day. The pipped egg will likely hatch - but who can guess if the last 2 eggs will.)

I've never had such a spread out hatch! Am I correct to guess that my incubator has hot/cold spots? The only other difference (besides incubator) between this & my other hatches is the crazy weather during egg collection. We went from blizzard conditions, to below zero, up to 45'F + rain & melt & flooding, then back down below zero in a matter of days. I was collecting for 8 days during all sorts of outdoor conditions. I didn't bother to store the eggs in the basement. The house is a little cool because it's winter, so I simply kept them on the kitchen counter. Any thoughts?

Sounds like a great hatch!! But yes my guess would be that the incubator has hot and cold spots. I can't wait to see that possible lavender laced feather in. But the photo on my phone looks a bit dark for a lavender. I'm guessing blue? Very beautiful chick.

Okay guys we've got some great news and some bad news.

I'll start with the bad. Last night we had another predator attack and loss. Our mauve cuckoo Orp rooster was taken and while he was never a bird that we had planned to keep he had been spared to keep last year's bachelor group in line so he would have been two this year. He was an amazing boy and more than once alerted the flock and saved hens from the hawk attacks of last summer and fall. We believe he died to save the other three birds in that pen with him as they all escaped. Including a blue laced hen(our own breeding hapf Wyandotte). Today I will go pick up as many of his beautiful feathers as I can by the run he was in. His saddle and hackles aren't there but some of his sickles were along with quite a lot of other feathers. Hopefully they haven't blown away.

Now to explain why they weren't locked up. The two coops were but that is the run in the old grainery building. The bachelor group moved back after the big freeze and have been doing well. However all the ice storms we had while they were moved froze the door open about 4 inches. We couldn't close it but since they had been safe up until now we thought they were okay. We couldn't get in there to get them.

Last night when we got home the hen and a cockeral were out across the yard roosting on a stock tank. When I carried them back is when we discovered the rooster had been taken. The other cockeral was in the run again/still idk if he ever came out. They usually slept on a roosters about 3 feet high but there is a higher roost in the run that's about 5 feet.

I feel very bad about the rooster. While he was supposed to be a meat bird we had grown to respect and like him and he was always nice. The other leftover cockerals from the bachelor group last year have all integrated with the main flock and were safe in the big coop. They will be separated again when the weather gets nicer and fattened before butchering. Not that they're thin now.

We had to break the run door kickplate board off to get it to close but we did close it and lock them up last night.

This fox has been coming every other night like clockwork. So tomorrow night we plan to try and get the awful thing. I hope it's just one and not a pair.


Now onto the good news sort of. LOL

Yesterday atternoon we found out that the meeting about the egg farm was at 7pm. Pretty short notice but DH2B, my Mom (who was visiting) and I were in attendance along with most of our neightbors and a good portion of people from the town.

This was kind of a meet and greet q and a session. First they showed us a PowerPoint slideshow and talked about their proposed plans. Then they took questions. I had some great ones!

Okay so first some info they shared.

The whole thing will be fenced and yada yada yada. It's supposed to be a family owned farm they run I think it's three different huge facilities and this one will be the largest.

They're talking 3 million(yep I said million) birds when it's all complete. It made me feel physically ill.

Only one person spoke up at the meeting that was for the company. I know there were others there but pretty much everyone seems against it. Of course unfortunately that doesn't matter and it seems like there's little hope it won't go through.

However there were some good points brought up and made by everyone who asked questions myself included. We are the people that will be closest to this place although it's on the other side of a small railroad and a tree line.

Some of the comments/questions posed for it include the effect on the aquifer as we are all on wells using the same aquifer. The proposed final number of birds will drink approximately 200,000 gallons of water a day and 10,000 gallons of water a day will be used to wash eggs. During weather allowing months they plan to then spray or spread the water onto the field. They kept bringing up how the farm irrigator that is there right now can spray more water than they'll be using etc. But it was total bologna. An irrigator might run every other or every few days maybe 3-6 months of the year and that only if we don't get the rain(some farmers also use them to apply liquid fertilizer) DH2B's family hasn't since we've been together. They kept bringing up the irrigators so I put them on the spot and brought up the fact that the water spread on the fields filters back down through the soil and limestone and back to the aquifer and the water that the plants absorb goes into the natural process of water that then evaporates into the air and falls back to ground (somewhere) as rain. 200,000 gallons of water give or take a say is a ton to pull from any aquifer even a healthy one like ours.

They don't keep a vet on staff.

There birds are on wire constantly (although they do have a cage free system as well for brown layers and they're not on wire). I asked them how they deal with bumble foot. Dead silence. None of them knew anything about chickens.

The birds live for two years and are then culled. Usually rendered. If they are shipped live they can be used for human consumption. If they are killed there they are put into pet food. Those that die while raising or on an average day in the facility are sent to the landfill or may be rendered for pet food.

Anyone else thinking about the fact that (I think) it's illegal for those of us with trash pickup to put dead animals in the trash?

Then I asked about the light pollution and others asked about traffic. Etc etc.

All said and done when complete the building will have approximately 12 or maybe more buildings. They said the buildings can be up to three stories tall for the laying buildings. Now I know for those of you in the Chicago area might not think anything of that that out here the only things that tall are usually the grain silos and maybe some of the shops that the farmers own and work on their equipment in. Maybe a few buildings in nearby towns/cities.

I grew up in a town that didn't even have a stop light.

I wish you all could have been there and asked questions with me. I feel like only chicken people can really shine the light on what they're doing and the wool they're trying to pull over everyone's eyes.

They're talking about how they dehydrate the manure and that's all well and good and they keep it in a building etc but the building has to open sometimes and the dry manure can easily have tiny microscopic particles become airborne. They kept touting how they developed a technology that allows them to further process the manure into crumbles or pellets all three products of which they sell as certified organic fertilizer. "The pellets are safer and can't become airborne" etc(but they don't propose to do that here so they're just blowing a smoke screen to cover their butts).

I have asthma so this is of upmost importance to me. Just ask @Faraday40 about the wind we often have at our place it's very very windy. Even cleaning our coop I wear a dust mask and if it's very dusty DH2B often makes me leave and he does it. Or we trade off and on and then I take a nebulizer when I go in the house.


Ugh anyway I rather enjoyed leaving the big wigs and their lawyer speechless. They're calling this venture agricultural. This is not agricultural in any sense of the word in my book.
Some people in the crowd also asked if there aren't limits on the number of birda that can be raised per acre. They responded by beating around the bush so I spoke up and said that there are. To which they replied but because their birds aren't ever on the ground in this kind of a system they don't have to follow those rules.

Oh and I haven't gotten to the worst part our neighbors friends that have been renting their house for 20-30 years didn't show up last night. Their house is on the proposed site. I asked them what will happen to the house and the family. They will be evicted and their home demolished.

However they did say that they have no plans to require that anyone get rid of any fowl within the vicinity. So it seems that our flock for now at least is safe. I however have no faith in them and don't trust them at all but at least they said it in public in front of many many people.

Praise God our floor is safe! But I'm still sick to the core about this especially knowing what it means for our neighbors.

If anyone has any questions for me about the meeting or company name please let me know. If anyone has any questions they feel I should post at the next meeting please also let me know.

It was rather funny because after I brought up some of the things I asked or spoke about they refused to call on me for some time or my Mom and we got a good laugh about that.

I'm still nervous and sick to my stomach at the prospect but I feel better about my flock for now at least.

The farmer who's trying to make a buck by screwing over the community showed up last night but sat in the back with his head down. Some friends and us joked about egging his house lol okay yes it's vandalism but you gotta admit it would be almost poetic. Anyone have any rotten eggs we can use?

More later my friends.

 

[Molpet]

LoL yeah I'm thinking I'll tell Christmas that he had better behave himself.

Yeah unfortunately I don't have any lavenders to process or any blues etc. Maybe though.



Sounds like a great hatch!! But yes my guess would be that the incubator has hot and cold spots. I can't wait to see that possible lavender laced feather in. But the photo on my phone looks a bit dark for a lavender. I'm guessing blue? Very beautiful chick.

Okay guys we've got some great news and some bad news.

I'll start with the bad. Last night we had another predator attack and loss. Our mauve cuckoo Orp rooster was taken and while he was never a bird that we had planned to keep he had been spared to keep last year's bachelor group in line so he would have been two this year. He was an amazing boy and more than once alerted the flock and saved hens from the hawk attacks of last summer and fall. We believe he died to save the other three birds in that pen with him as they all escaped. Including a blue laced hen(our own breeding hapf Wyandotte). Today I will go pick up as many of his beautiful feathers as I can by the run he was in. His saddle and hackles aren't there but some of his sickles were along with quite a lot of other feathers. Hopefully they haven't blown away.

Now to explain why they weren't locked up. The two coops were but that is the run in the old grainery building. The bachelor group moved back after the big freeze and have been doing well. However all the ice storms we had while they were moved froze the door open about 4 inches. We couldn't close it but since they had been safe up until now we thought they were okay. We couldn't get in there to get them.

Last night when we got home the hen and a cockeral were out across the yard roosting on a stock tank. When I carried them back is when we discovered the rooster had been taken. The other cockeral was in the run again/still idk if he ever came out. They usually slept on a roosters about 3 feet high but there is a higher roost in the run that's about 5 feet.

I feel very bad about the rooster. While he was supposed to be a meat bird we had grown to respect and like him and he was always nice. The other leftover cockerals from the bachelor group last year have all integrated with the main flock and were safe in the big coop. They will be separated again when the weather gets nicer and fattened before butchering. Not that they're thin now.

We had to break the run door kickplate board off to get it to close but we did close it and lock them up last night.

This fox has been coming every other night like clockwork. So tomorrow night we plan to try and get the awful thing. I hope it's just one and not a pair.


Now onto the good news sort of. LOL

Yesterday atternoon we found out that the meeting about the egg farm was at 7pm. Pretty short notice but DH2B, my Mom (who was visiting) and I were in attendance along with most of our neightbors and a good portion of people from the town.

This was kind of a meet and greet q and a session. First they showed us a PowerPoint slideshow and talked about their proposed plans. Then they took questions. I had some great ones!

Okay so first some info they shared.

The whole thing will be fenced and yada yada yada. It's supposed to be a family owned farm they run I think it's three different huge facilities and this one will be the largest.

They're talking 3 million(yep I said million) birds when it's all complete. It made me feel physically ill.

Only one person spoke up at the meeting that was for the company. I know there were others there but pretty much everyone seems against it. Of course unfortunately that doesn't matter and it seems like there's little hope it won't go through.

However there were some good points brought up and made by everyone who asked questions myself included. We are the people that will be closest to this place although it's on the other side of a small railroad and a tree line.

Some of the comments/questions posed for it include the effect on the aquifer as we are all on wells using the same aquifer. The proposed final number of birds will drink approximately 200,000 gallons of water a day and 10,000 gallons of water a day will be used to wash eggs. During weather allowing months they plan to then spray or spread the water onto the field. They kept bringing up how the farm irrigator that is there right now can spray more water than they'll be using etc. But it was total bologna. An irrigator might run every other or every few days maybe 3-6 months of the year and that only if we don't get the rain(some farmers also use them to apply liquid fertilizer) DH2B's family hasn't since we've been together. They kept bringing up the irrigators so I put them on the spot and brought up the fact that the water spread on the fields filters back down through the soil and limestone and back to the aquifer and the water that the plants absorb goes into the natural process of water that then evaporates into the air and falls back to ground (somewhere) as rain. 200,000 gallons of water give or take a say is a ton to pull from any aquifer even a healthy one like ours.

They don't keep a vet on staff.

There birds are on wire constantly (although they do have a cage free system as well for brown layers and they're not on wire). I asked them how they deal with bumble foot. Dead silence. None of them knew anything about chickens.

The birds live for two years and are then culled. Usually rendered. If they are shipped live they can be used for human consumption. If they are killed there they are put into pet food. Those that die while raising or on an average day in the facility are sent to the landfill or may be rendered for pet food.

Anyone else thinking about the fact that (I think) it's illegal for those of us with trash pickup to put dead animals in the trash?

Then I asked about the light pollution and others asked about traffic. Etc etc.

All said and done when complete the building will have approximately 12 or maybe more buildings. They said the buildings can be up to three stories tall for the laying buildings. Now I know for those of you in the Chicago area might not think anything of that that out here the only things that tall are usually the grain silos and maybe some of the shops that the farmers own and work on their equipment in. Maybe a few buildings in nearby towns/cities.

I grew up in a town that didn't even have a stop light.

I wish you all could have been there and asked questions with me. I feel like only chicken people can really shine the light on what they're doing and the wool they're trying to pull over everyone's eyes.

They're talking about how they dehydrate the manure and that's all well and good and they keep it in a building etc but the building has to open sometimes and the dry manure can easily have tiny microscopic particles become airborne. They kept touting how they developed a technology that allows them to further process the manure into crumbles or pellets all three products of which they sell as certified organic fertilizer. "The pellets are safer and can't become airborne" etc(but they don't propose to do that here so they're just blowing a smoke screen to cover their butts).

I have asthma so this is of upmost importance to me. Just ask @Faraday40 about the wind we often have at our place it's very very windy. Even cleaning our coop I wear a dust mask and if it's very dusty DH2B often makes me leave and he does it. Or we trade off and on and then I take a nebulizer when I go in the house.


Ugh anyway I rather enjoyed leaving the big wigs and their lawyer speechless. They're calling this venture agricultural. This is not agricultural in any sense of the word in my book.
Some people in the crowd also asked if there aren't limits on the number of birda that can be raised per acre. They responded by beating around the bush so I spoke up and said that there are. To which they replied but because their birds aren't ever on the ground in this kind of a system they don't have to follow those rules.

Oh and I haven't gotten to the worst part our neighbors friends that have been renting their house for 20-30 years didn't show up last night. Their house is on the proposed site. I asked them what will happen to the house and the family. They will be evicted and their home demolished.

However they did say that they have no plans to require that anyone get rid of any fowl within the vicinity. So it seems that our flock for now at least is safe. I however have no faith in them and don't trust them at all but at least they said it in public in front of many many people.

Praise God our floor is safe! But I'm still sick to the core about this especially knowing what it means for our neighbors.

If anyone has any questions for me about the meeting or company name please let me know. If anyone has any questions they feel I should post at the next meeting please also let me know.

It was rather funny because after I brought up some of the things I asked or spoke about they refused to call on me for some time or my Mom and we got a good laugh about that.

I'm still nervous and sick to my stomach at the prospect but I feel better about my flock for now at least.

The farmer who's trying to make a buck by screwing over the community showed up last night but sat in the back with his head down. Some friends and us joked about egging his house lol okay yes it's vandalism but you gotta admit it would be almost poetic. Anyone have any rotten eggs we can use?

More later my friends.

sorry for your loss
this winter and ice has been a bear
to the fox and to the company

why wouldn't they have to follow the some zoning rules for number of birds. So I can keep my extra birds in the house and it doesn't count
Keeping you in my prayers

I know what you mean about tall buildings.
I have a hospital that went up north/east of me, a mile away, a few years ago. Still bugs the carp out of me that I can see it.. especially when the leaves are gone and the corn is down. The water is supposed to go north to a different creek. BUT I have a lot more water in the ditch that comes from that way. Floods my lowland ...The creek that come from the east, mysteriously filled up in the middle of a drought. I was in the creek cutting some fallen trees when I noticed this clear water started coming. So either the waterline to the hospital sprung a leak or someone dumped a heck of a lot of water. Wasn't any water where the creek crosses the road a mile to the east on the other side of I 80 (which goes by the hospital and has buried culverts down the center to take the road runoff and dump it in my creek from the east)

 

[chickendreams24]

Ladies and gents!

We finally got the fox that has plagued our flock for years! We've seen it multiple times, chased it through the field after it grabbed a bird, and never had a clean shot at it.

Last night after it killed the mauve Cuckoo rooster between 7-10pm it came back at some point after about 12-1am and got caught in the live traps we had baited with the body of one of the Buckeye hens it had killed and left behind as we chased it through the field last Friday night.

It has now been killed with one shot to the head and won't be a problem anymore. We are planning to save the hide as it's magnificent if anyone has experience with this any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated.

Fox truly are amazing and beautiful animals. I have a lot of respect for them and love seeing them do what God created them to do. However this animal(and it's possible mate) has killed well over 2 dozen birds of ours over the years and the number is likely much much greater. We couldn't allow that to continue to happen of course.

The fox was a male and larger than my Shetland sheepdog. Although not as long of hair. He's beautiful and in spite of everything he's done we want to treat his body with the utmost respect.

If the fox did indeed have a mate I hope she saw him get caught and ran for the hills. If there is a mate and she continues to be a problem we will have to remove her as well. There is ample prey for them here and they certainly don't need to steal any chickens off our roosts.

Pictures to follow in a post later today.

 

[Molpet]

We are planning to save the hide as it's magnificent if anyone has experience with this any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated.

I haven't tanned any hides in 45+ yrs, but I remember you need to get all the fat off of it. I remember this place for supplies https://www.vandykestaxidermy.com/Typical-Scenario-for-Tanning-a-Hide-W52.aspx


or this place to tan the hide ( I never used them) https://www.usafoxx.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=62_109

 

[chickendreams24]

Thanks Molpet!

DH2B and I are going to discuss it tonight but I think we're planning to have this fox professionally done and then start learning this year when we get and raise our rabbits for meat.

We have a friend who's family does taxidermy and they can get it tanned for us with no risk of our inexperience ruining my future gloves.

 

[cavemanrich]

@chickendreams24
I think I need to send you a box of these.

Your fingertips are probably bleeding,,,,,
Unless you have VOICE TO TEXT, on your device

 

[Faraday40]

@chickendreams24
I hope the fox removal prevents future losses and that you can find a use for the hide. Perhaps the taxidermist family you know could talk you through the process.



* edit to add - I spent so much time typing my reply (between driving kids, prepping dinner, & caring for animals) that I missed a few posts in between your message & this. Perhaps I'll take those band aids too. LOL

The town meeting:
Although it was probably called a public hearing or public informational meeting, it's very common for it to be all hush hush with very little advanced public notice. (If the public doesn't voice criticism, then they can conclude the chicken factory is welcomed by all. By not advertising the meeting and keeping attendance low, there's less chance for opposition.) It's obvious why they didn't make the time/place of the meeting easy to find.

What I found odd is that the company didn't send their "A Team." After all, they're talking to a bunch of people who know agriculture, so sending representatives who know little about animal care was silly. It's one thing to talk about aquifers to city people (water comes from the pipes and is purchased via the city), but when dealing with people who own & maintain their own wells, the representatives should have come prepared to discuss it further.

I of course laughed with you about how all the regulations about #of animals per acre don't apply to them because their animals are "indoors." Here, we simply call those indoor animals pets. ..... and I certainly never heard of anyone terminating their pets every 2 years.

Did they talk at all about their biosecurity plan? This is what could hurt you the most. I remember a few years ago there was a huge avian influenza scare. It only took one bird to infect a farm.... and ALL POULTRY at the farm, regardless of species, had to be put down to prevent the spread. In addition, all farms within a certain # miles radius were required to exterminate all their poultry as well. At 1st people thought wild water fowl were spreading it via the Mississippi flyway during migration, but it turned out that very few outbreaks were found in backyard flock where the birds were free ranging. The majority of AI outbreaks were passed via trucks, equipment, & people doing deliveries between multiple large scale poultry operations.

I doubt you'll have to worry much about smell. We lived about 2-3 miles from a water treatment facility where they handled human sewage and even dried out the solids inside a large building. It's a massive plant and I never remembered the air smelling bad when I lived there. Of course, when I took my students on a field trip there (which was fascinating BTW) there was an odor in the air in certain areas. Although odor can easily be controlled, the tiny bacteria and air-borne pathogens are a different story. Trucks coming & going could accidentally transport dander, soil, dust, etc. along. Likewise, I'd worry about the area's water quality. Companies are only required to filter for particular contaminants and stay within a certain range. They never go above & beyond when it comes to reclamation. It's just too expensive. In fact, some unethical companies may feel it's worth a monetary fine to save money on those areas. Even is every procedure is above board, accidents can happen. (Sorry if I'm making you more nervous.)

Ultimately, you need to find out who exactly will be voting on this. (Is it the county board? or the town representatives?) If you can get names & addresses, start writing letters to sway votes. Give those addresses to people on your side.... even offer to help them write letters. The letters only matter if the authors care to give their name & address. (That's why emails & phone calls hold less weight than a well written, signed letter.) The politicians have been hearing all the pros from the company - like jobs, money, tax revenue, road improvements, etc. They need to hear what their voters think. If a politician feels his/her office could be at stake from the voters, then they will ask more questions and may even change their vote. Zoning, ordinances, codes, & regulations are always changing, so it's not really a done deal until things are built and operational.

 

[cavemanrich]

@Faraday40
Today is your lucky day... The Hello Kitty is already spoken for ,,, but you have a choice here...

 

[Faraday40]

@Faraday40
Today is your lucky day... The Hello Kitty is already spoken for ,,, but you have a choice here...
View attachment 1693121

I think I'll take the emojis. I deal with middle school kids, so I get to experience the whole range on a daily basis.