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Thursday, April 13, 2017

My Egg Basket Runneth Over.





Wasn't I just whining about the lack of production in the hen house?  Well, shut my mouth.  It seems that Spring is in the air and in the nesting boxes, if nowhere else.  I am now averaging between 18-24 eggs a day, plus my 3-4 duck eggs.  Egads.  Unfortunately, one of my better egg customers is no longer - he had a little black market restaurant going on and got ratted out.  Poor guy.  I may have to start making angel food cakes commercially.


I've been putting off dealing with my egg-eating hen, but I think I will have to look that problem in it's beady little eye this weekend.  She is setting a bad precedent and will have to ... go.  Bunny the rooster is turning into a little jerkmo, too.  Sigh.  I am about to be rooster-less again and it's not necessarily a good thing.  I find that, when there is no rooster to rule the roost, so to speak, the old girls start to go around beating up on the younger girls.  Way too much drama.  Perhaps it would be better to line up a replacement fella before Bunny hits the bricks.  Something to mull over at o'dark thirty.


I've been making small inroads into the tremendous amount of work that needs to be done to garden and barn.  So far - two raised beds have been cleaned out and are almost ready for planting (onions and beets this weekend).  Only six more to go!  I have to transplant a blueberry bush - I must have hiccupped when I planted them originally - one is way out of place...  I need to move the hoops to the new lettuce/pepper/eggplant bed and get more rebar.  I am also rethinking the cukes this year.  I usually put them at the end of the bean bed, but I may build a small raised bed just for them.  Or plant them in containers.  As always, I need not only a Plan A, but B, C, and D to be safe.  More seeds will be started this weekend, along with a start on the poultry housing clean up - the main Duck Hut needs cleaning out something awful.  And I do mean awful.  I know that I will need a full weekend for the chicken coop, but I think I can squeeze in the individual small huts and coops in Duck Village when I have an hour or so.  I also need to get ready for my order of meat chicks that will be arriving sometime next week.  My system has been fine-tuned and (knock on wood) has worked well the past few years - raise them to a feathered stage in the brooder; move to the small coop with screen door and lamp until they get most of their feathers (and hopefully, the weather warms up); then out to the hoop house with electric poultry netting and freeish-ranging until they are off to freezer camp.  This means setting up the brooder condo (goodbye clean laundry room), cleaning out the small coop, sprucing up the hoop house, testing the energizer battery, locating the netting, blah, blah, blah.


I'll try for pics this weekend if progress is made.  Even if progress isn't made.  It's not always a pretty business, is it?  But, Heaven help me, I love it.

16 comments:

Mama Pea said...

Yay, large egg supply. Boo, best egg customer who is no more. We're experiencing a glut of eggs right now, too. Good thing we can eat eggs in one form or another three meals a day. Eggs and toast for breakfast this morn, egg salad sandwiches for lunch and quiche coming up tonight.

Weather-wise, you're definitely ahead of us by a couple/few weeks. No way can I work in the garden or think about planting out there yet. Down into the 20s for the past two nights.

We've been working on wood . . . and ignoring the clean-up we could be doing in about 17 different places.

Yes, lots of pics of this coming weekend's activities, please. :o)

Debra She Who Seeks said...

I foresee chicken stew in your future!

Sue said...

It's all or none in the egg world, isn't it?
Sorry you lost your best customer. Slap up a sigh--I'm sure you'll have "takers"

jaz@octoberfarm said...

i wish i had an egg abundance problem! sounds like you are getting lots done. i've been crazy busy too! i guess it's that time of year.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

I just boiled eggs yesterday. I love to have them on hand for quick pick-me-ups when working on a lot of projects. Yum.

farm buddy said...

When I have extra eggs, I add them to my dogs' breakfast and dinners. I usually make them soft-boiled eggs! Your other option is to get a couple of pigs, which you might want to think twice about!

Susan said...

Well, it was 28 this morning (Friday), so planting is being put on hold. I may still try and get the onions in, hearty things that they are (please god).

Susan said...

Debra, she is only fit for soup, but that's okay with me!

Susan said...

Sue, it sure is. If I was smart, I'd freeze some for the dark, eggless days of winter.

Susan said...

If we lived closer, I'd leave you stacks of them on your front porch!

Susan said...

So far, I've had hard-boiled eggs, egg salad, custard, scrambled, fried, poached. I always have a hard-boiled egg or three in the fridge!

Susan said...

FB - Two of the dogs get a sunny-side up egg on their breakfast every day. Bertie does not care for eggs. Ah, yes, pigs. As tempting as the thought may be.....

Rain said...

Hi Susan! :) Wow...you are BUSY. I'm so glad that you love what you're doing! I would too. :) That's a heck of a lot of eggs, I wouldn't know what to do with them all. I'm looking forward to work in the yard and garden soon myself. Hope you have a nice weekend!! :)

Theresa Y said...

Happy Easter to you and all your little beasties! With all those chore I hope you have a little time for yourself to enjoy the holiday.

Sandy Livesay said...

Susan,

That is why we love our property, and animals.....it's not always heaven however, it's ours and we're loving it.
I see you're working hard again!!! Wow, now that's what I call a nice amount of eggs to receive daily. With all your eggs can you sale them at work? I see plenty of egg dishes in your near future....LOL!!! I wish I lived closer, I would love to buy them off of you.
Hugs,
Sandy

baili said...

Happy Easter to you my friend!

your egg basket looks cool!

you are doing lot to well come your spring my friend and wishing you a lovely blooming season ahead very soon.

i will wait for your garden pics as you are planting many interesting stuff .
i never planted vegies so reading you giving me idea to try