Where did the time go?

I love John Denver music. It has so many memories.

Here's an update on everyone.

Hubby almost got laid off at work. He was able to avoid it again, but they announce a layoff about every 18 months or so.. we're thinking about the possibility of another job. But not very seriously. Mostly we are thinking of ways to save money and make more money.

C is in Kindergarten. She loves school and loves riding home on the bus. The other day I was helping out in her classroom and was there until it was time to go home. so naturally she would be coming home with me. Well as soon as she heard this plan she started crying and saying she wanted to ride the bus home. Crazy kid. I finally was able to bribe her with a trip to McDonalds (that didn't happen, but that is a different story).

A is in Preschool. I help out there 1/2 the time for 1/2 off tuition. She loves it. She has gotten better at sitting still and focusing. She also is minding better. When she started she had a hard time focusing. It is still a problem, but not nearly as bad. She will sit still for story time and circle time. When everyone is in groups, she does a good job staying in her group. But it's not strange to find her group hopping.

I'm still going strong. I'm trying to get ready for a craft fair in 2 weeks. I've been making wool crafts and everything else I can think of. I've got gourds, indian corn, hair bows and wool felted bags.

Nothing is quite finished yet. I suppose I should focus on that next!

So onto my other business proposition.

Eggs, Chickens, and Hatching eggs.

1 dozen regular eggs can bring in $2.

1 dozen hatching eggs can bring from $4-5 .

Needless to say I'm trying to gear up to be able to to the hatching eggs.

I just don't have the space I need.

I think I'm trying to do to much. Hubby is building me a 3rd chicken coop, but I can easily justify a 4th.

I've also got about 28 eggs in an incubator that I will raise until they are pullets and sell for $15 each. The roosters will stick around for about 4 months and then hit the freezer.

Its all about being self reliant. But if I ditched the rooster idea I could have more room for other chickens.

My problem is that the breed that will be the most popular is the rhode island reds. In order to gather the hatching eggs they have to be in their own separate coop. So thats one coop down. Also, they have to have a dedicated rooster. There goes my only rooster.

The other coop is for the misc hens. They are for eating eggs. I had thought to sell their eggs cheaper but there are a lot of people out there with broody hens in the spring who don't want to get a rooster and don't want to spend an extra dollar for Rhode Island Red hatching eggs. But the new problem is that the rooster is in coop #1. so I guess I need another rooster?

Anyway, coop #3 is the problem. I've been using it for the roosters, but in a few weeks I'm going to have a ton of baby chicks (I hope) and I'm not sure where they will go after the brooder. Hubby is going to harvest some non-laying chickens in about a month. Maybe the 3 extra roosters will have to be harvested early.

I guess it could work out. I'm still working things out.

Is it just me ? Every time I eat something with pumpkin and spices I get the worst heartburn. It's awful.

Anyway, I'm officially the crazy chicken lady. Not so crazy though if I can bring money in with it.

Right now the only money going out is the money for feed. That will be expensive over the winter. But I have a lady who has a small hatchery operation who is after my RIR hatching eggs even during the winter. So I may be able to pay for their feed like that.

The only problem I have right now though is the fact that I seem to be trading her eggs for chicks (More RIR for my hatching eggs scheme). 1 doz eggs for 1 sexed bird (guaranteed hen). I think it could work though. I just have to treat it like a business and keep books.

Lets do that here.

Right now they are going through 1 bag of scratch grains and 1 bag of layer feed every 2 weeks. That comes to $50/month (with a $5 off coupon).

So far they are not bringing any moolah in. Except for the 1 doz eggs I sold to the hatching eggs lady, but do those really count since I'll be bartering for new hens with that?

I'll be posting an ad on Craigslist to sell fresh eggs tonight.

Sorry for the rambling chicken post.