No, That's Not Weird At All..........

Our brood lamp hasn't arrived yet. Should be here by Tuesday.
HOWEVER....a peafowl chick finally hatched.
So, I am wearing a smocked top sun dress (with spaghetti straps and really cute...got it on zulily!), so, to keep the wee bugger warm, I have wrapped it in a soft piece of fabric and tucked him under the smocked part. That way he is kept warm and I can still get stuff done around the house.

Yes. I have a peachick in my cleavage.
Not weird at all....is it?

Good News, Everyone! and Bad News, Everyone!

The Darlin' Mans retirement papers have finally been approved! We can see a tiny wavering light at the end of a very long tunnel finally!  Come November he will be done, done, DONE! Between now and then, he has to go to some classes, get medical reports filed for his disability and get the rest of his paperwork for various things completed.
We are relieved and anxious and happy and full of anticipation for the future.
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Bad news...
Yesterday evening I found Ugly Betty dead. It looked like she blew out her oviduct.I found her in the little coop I built for her and her kids. Yesterday morning she was fine.

Betty the first time I saw her...hence her name. In full molt and looking quite bedraggled and sad.
I had scant hopes for her then, but she won me over with her determined attitude and mother hen skills.

Betty, feathered out and looking good.
She set and raised clutches of eggs and was an attentive mother.
We have some of her *kids* still, Inky, Bo, and her new ones, Cinder and Ash.
Goodbye Betty, we will miss you!

Well, That Was` Enlightening!

It seems like my rant offended someone and they quit *following* my blog.
Ah well, maybe they will go follow someone else that doesn't offend them
I just don't have time or patience enough to be "politically correct". If I occasionally post a rant expressing my opinions and it offends someone, tough.
Grow up people and realize not everyone on this planet has the same opinion about everything.
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On to the farm!

The heat is killing my goats milk production. Feed and water...they get plenty. My girls just want to browse a bit and then rest in the shade, get up to drink, go back to the shade, lather-rinse-repeat. Their milk production is down by at least one third.
They sleep a lot of the day and are a bit more active than normal in the evening hours.
Anyone got suggestions on how to get their milk production back up?

My birds....sheesh!
They are ALL laying like gangbusters! Peafowl, chickens, turkeys, ducks....a crazy amount of eggs! My incubator is full, Heloise the goose is setting a nest, Daphne the duck is setting a nest, even Tinkerbell the turkey is setting a nest! The peahens just lay an egg and wander off. Wish I could get them and my gimpy turkey to set!
All the chicken eggs....well, I have sold some, given some away and I use them in every recipe I can find.
Having deviled eggs with dinner tonight. Had chopped eggs in our salad last night and egg salad sandwiches for lunch yesterday. I know I shouldn't complain, but I wish my hens would slow down just a bit!
I am down to 15 hens and I am averaging between 10 and 12 eggs a day!
I am using some turkey eggs in baking and the occasional peahen egg in baking, too.
The Darlin' Man ordered another incubator so we can try to hatch out more of the peafowl and turkey eggs as those chicks sell for high prices around here.
For when they do hatch, I am converting our front porch into a brooder room. We have the hanging lamp and ordered a bulb for it when we ordered the 2nd incubator. They should be here by early next week.
Have to get another plastic wading pool for the actual brooder, though.
Debating about what to put in the wading pool brooder for the hatchlings to walk on. Some people use wood shavings, some use sawdust, some use newspaper, some use straw. I will probably go with newspaper. Never had a brooder before, so all suggestions are welcome!

I plan to get out and take some pics of Nugget and her brood and some of the other critters later.
Hoping all out there are having a good day!