I Have An Addiction!

I keep seeing different breeds of chickens that I want to be part of my flock.  I have also become a Hatchaholic.  I now have three incubators going at the same time.  But, not only that...one has turkey eggs in it, lots of turkey eggs!  I have candled them, not all appear to be developing, but I will candle again next week..it is my first time trying to hatching turkeys.  If a lot hatch, I will probably try and sell some.  I set more eggs today, Jubilee and Lavender Orpingtons.  So, I have Java, Crested Cream Legbar, Salmon Favorelle, Dorking, the Jubilee and Lavender Orpingtons basically cooking at the moment in addition to the turkey eggs.  I must be out of my mind.

I want good breeding stock, so I get breeds from different sources...not all of them hatch and a lot are males.  Males do not lay eggs...so I get more eggs to hatch hoping for more females.  It is a vicious cycle of fluffy butts, incubator alarms, taking care of babies, cleaning up, feeding, watering, musical chairs with chicks. But, I am determined to try and make some money off of them, to help with the costs of my addictions.  I hope I can.  I bought a large ice chest and some refreezable ice packs, I may go sit on a corner someplace and try and sell eggs soon.  The Farmers Market will open in another month or so, and I will try and sell there too.  I may have to see about livestock auctions in the area to sell some chickens and hatching eggs.  I am even planting things so that maybe I will be able to supplement all my poultry's feed...they love cucumbers, water melon cantaloupes...stuff like that.  But I have field corn to plant too.

I have to plan a turkey house too, and finish the goose house, and possibly another chicken coop.  Yes, I stay busy.  I have a lot to do.  I still need to finish breeding pens, but I need to build the doors...and I have not started.  I have not planted my garden yet either...but rain has stuck around so tilling is not possible yet, but I did get some garlic and onions planted and some weeding done.  I periodically check my fruit trees too...I can see tiny fruits on most of them and all of my pecan trees have leaves now.  I still want more fruit trees and hope to get a Nectarine and Red Plum tree this year.  Time will tell what all I get done.

I have a granddaughter due to be born in June and just started a project for her too, I guess it is no wonder I am tired, so much I have to do, or want to do.  We have not been eating dinner until late and we got the first four seasons of the HBO series Game of Thrones...we have watched two episodes a night...and been staying up later to do it.  I must get busy, it may storm tonight and I should prepare for it...put on my muck boots and try and finish wiring up the duck and goose house.  I have a heavy duty tarp coming to cover it to keep them dry, but I wonder how something like that would work if we have large hail and high winds?