You guys must ge up earlier than me, cause I had two pages to catch up on this morning.
I did oversleep, though - and I earned the "hungry donkey chorus" for doing so. I love it when they all get going, though - not sure if the neighbors do or not, but I have to listen to their stoopid dogs barking - which they seem to be able to tune out.
Why would someone have a dog that they just leave out to bark and bark and ignore the poor thing? These people have a lot of dogs, and I understand, dogs are gonna bark, but when I know darn well they are outside (I can hear them all out there) and the dogs are barking away and I hear not one "be quiet" or "Hush" - it sort of annoys me. One of the reasons I moved away from the city was because all of my neighbors had barking dogs that they ignored.
I have two dogs - and they bark when there is something to bark at, but that's it. People are amazed that my dogs are so well behaved - I tell them that is because I
Trained Them to behave. sheesh.
Anyway - enough whining....
I am about to get some columbian bantam cochin eggs, LOL. (waiting for a paypal request for payment from her)
They will ship Monday, too, so I can put them all in the same bator - which will make my purchase of eggs from you, Shelley, a few less. I hadn't planned on them, but I'll be glad to get them. Remember the Columbian Bantam Cochin pic of the week recently? those are the parents. They are such beautiful birds, I couldn't pass them up.
I'll have to make different brooding arrangements, but heck, I got enough room for two brooders, LOL.
Maybe the next coop will be a strictly brooder coop - that would be cool. I could have smaller pens around the edges, and a path down the center, with a heatlamp hanging over each little pen. I'd have to make it more windproof/insulated than the ones I have now, but that would be ok.
Ya know, now that I think of it, that would be extra cool - I'll have to tell hubby, LOL the wheels in his head will get working and he'll probably get it done sooner for me. LOL He loves to plan projects like that.
Hubby just bought a distiller last night. (well, on
ebay, I don't have it yet). Our water has been icky tasting because of the whole "lake turned over" thing, so we've been using bottled water for cooking and coffee - it has been great on taste, but at a buck a gallon, he figured he'd rather have a distiller of his own. We got one used for about 150 shipped - which is at least half price. It'll do about a gallon of water in three and half hours - not the biggest distiller, but nice because it will be counter top.
LOL he said if I wanted, he could put a regulator on it and turn it into a moonshine still for me, LOL I said that's ok, I'll stick with the water distiller. If I make my own booze, I like Mead or Hard Cider or other Wines - no moonshine for me. (speaking of Mead, I need to make a batch sometime - haven't made Mead in years).
I look at it as one more thing to make us a little more self sufficient. In an emergency we could take just regular rain water or creek water and purify it. Nifty eh ? It isn't totally "off grid" type of machine, it's electric, but we do have the generators set up in case power goes out.
I saw Miss Celie this morning - the feathers are coming back nicely on her back. She still avoids George, but she'll let a couple of the hens near her.
Those goonies, though... GGGGRRRRRRR I am ready to trap the little buggars and take them all to the auction. They don't like some of the hens - so when it is treat time (or whenever they take it into their little brains to do so) they run and thump the hens and chase them off.
If I had nothing freeranging but the Guineas, I wouldn't care, but with the hens out, they are really a pain in the butt. Plus, they decided my porch is a good place to come and perch. NO!!! I don't think so!!! I don't care if they poop everywhere else, the porch is off limits. You would think with 25 acres they could stay off the porch.
I need to get out there soon and gather walnuts, too - they are dropping from the trees and there are a LOT of them. (did I mention that I have 30+ walnuts trees here?
)
Sam said he'd do it for me, but if I don't keep reminding him he forgets. I saved the feed bags from the cracked corn (they are the cleanest of the feed bags) and I figure to put them in those.
Well, let me hit send here, LOL and then I'll think of something to add, I'm sure.....
ETA - just bought the eggs from Msbear - can't wait!!
Peace -
Meri
