The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Little Clover is doing well! She is growing, and looks healthy and strong. Very, very pleased with my first goat baby! I am watching Star very carefully for signs of imminent birth, so I can put her away safe when it is getting close to time. I have to be so careful around here... there are just so many birds of prey. I lost another chicken to a raven yesterday. It's been better the last few months, because I am home and out in the gardens a good chunk of the time. The ravens are smart buggers, though... they watch, and when the dogs and I go inside, they swoop down to steal eggs or whatever they can get. Bastards. As a result, I have been letting Lily and Clover out into the little field on a daily basis, but ONLY when I am outside for an extended period. It is so adorable watching Clover jump and hop and skip around! She does need a playmate, though! Can't wait for Star to have her baby(s)??

I hatched out a bunch of chicks last month. Then decided I really had no place to put them, so I put an add up to sell them. I asked $2 each for them. I had no idea what to ask! Anyway, they sold in about 1 day.... I had one lady call me to tell me they were too cheap!!! lol! So, I guess next time, I can ask $4 a piece for them... who knew? I like the $4 price wayyyyy better:-)
Currently, I have the 'bator filled with Dorking eggs. I just candled them, and there were 5 that were infertile. The rest look good so far, though. If all goes well, they should start hatching on Thursday. I can get $7 a day old chick for those. I need a bigger incubator!! However, this is my third 'bator, and the first one that actually works, so  am going to stick with it for a while!

I am getting eggs like crazy right now. Last year, I couldn't seem to get enough eggs to save my life, and I lost most of my regular egg customers. So, this year, I have eggs coming out the ying yang. Eggs EVERYWHERE! I am not complaining.... I just have to find a way to start selling more! I am scared to do too many shares, just in case production goes down again, so I have put them in a cooler at the end of the driveway. I sell 2-4 doz a week there. I am getting about 12-14 doz a week, however. Hmmmm.... I need to come up with a plan! Would be nice if I could actually either make money or break even on the damn chickens for once. I have considered cutting down, and getting rid of most of them, but I so enjoy having them around! We'll see what happens....

Before Lily had her baby, I was letting the goats and the chickens out into the garden/yard for an hour or two a day, to eat weeds and grass and bugs. The deer had already eaten everything in the garden, so I decided it would be safe. It was a double edged sword. On the one hand, the chickens did an amazing job in the garden... I think they ate almost all the slug eggs! I am not getting swamped like I did the last few years. YIPPEEEE!!  The bad part, is now that I have started planting like crazy, the chickens just fly over the fence, and go into the garden, and eat my seeds and scratch up my newly planted seedlings. GRRRRRR. I am trying to dissuade them from doing this... I really, really want to make money on my gardens for once! Without everything being eaten by deer, slugs, chickens or dogs! That is my biggest dream for this year. I am still doing my CSA program, but I have only sold 2 shares this year. I think I have been feeling down lately, so haven't pushed or advertised them like I did last year. I need to get on it. I've been having a hard time lately, dog boarding is not busy this spring like normal.... I think it was so mild, no one felt the need to fly to Mexico and leave their dogs with me. I have a free consultation with a new business coach next week. I am hoping she will help to inspire/ encourage/ and help me find new and better ways to promote my product. When I go through these harder times, I try very, very hard to pretend everything is good. I try very, very hard to be positive, and know that things are going to get better soon. Some days I fail in both these areas. Anyway, I am working on changing my attitude again so I can start generating more sales, and maybe even start to make a living....