Last Year vs This Year...

"How come we aren't getting many eggs, like we used to?" he asks me. I said" It's cold out!" "Not all the time". We used to get 2 dozen a day last year at this time."... I thought about that. In fact he was right. I had so many eggs, I was tired of eating them yet very grateful that I did have them. I have a light on to extend daylight, so what could be the problem? Well, some of the breeds I have are not the most prolific layers and...age. I have 3 hens left from my very first chick purchase and 1 rooster from my very first hatch- he was the very first egg to hatch and now, I wish him gone.

He has become a very bad rooster even though he is cute. The boys named him J.J.. I call him Cato, like the character from the Peter Sellers Inspector Clouseau movies. I must carry a stick when I venture into the coop to collect eggs or change water as he attacks and it hurts!! Last week as I was bent over collecting the waterer. he launched himself on my back- sneak attack from behind- this will not do. So, how to rid oneself of roosters, without actually killing them is proving difficult. Everyone has too many. When you hatch, you don't know what you will get...So given his age, here's hoping he drops soon...I don't wish that on many animals except him.

As for the age, the originals will be turning 4 years old next month. I would not be surprised if they left the happy coop for a bigger pasture in the sky... I do have others but some are also getting older...Which means I need replacement stock. I have an order of rainbow eggs that I must pay for. There are riske when shipping live embryos but a change in the gene pool can be a good and necessary thing.

The turkeys are not laying yet and I hope to get the chicken eggs in before the turkeys eggs need to be incubated. Due to the cold this winter, I find things are little later than last year. I had chicks hatching at this time last year... I'm finding it hard to even fathom planting a garden or hatching chicks because it's so cold...30 days until Spring......Oh please warm up.....