Chick n' Ewe eggs

The chickens on our farm are very spoiled. When Jerry brings greens home from the store (the 'throw aways'), the chickens get first feeding. And they get Poulin grain, oyster shells and what ever else they can find to eat. And, all 60ish are free range.

Occasionally the eggs are super dirty. Time to change the nesting material.

This is 'normal' dirty

This is clean and almost dry.

A little Dawn and some warmish water is all it takes to get the eggs clean and ready to use.

Some dry time in a dish drainer....

    And they are packed up and ready to go to MHT.

 This cooler holds 15 dozen.

         The refrigerator at the top of the driveway got 5 dozen more. Not bad for a week, in the winter time... We get $2.50/dozen at this time. I am hoping not to raise our prices anytime soon. (o;

Happy Friday the 13th

Winter has finally arrived in NH. About 6" of snow yesterday and freezing rain today. So very glad I don't have to go out. Even my chickens are not going out. No interest whatsoever! They have fresh water, food, and some scratch to scruff up the shavings and poo when I go out to collect eggs, and to open or close their doors. The rescue chickens now have a red heat lamp at night, and any day that it is below zero, as they still have no butt feathers. )o:

But, I walked up 9 dozen eggs to the fridge at the top of the drive, and so far there is another 3 dozen in the cooler. There will be more eggs when I go out later to check on them and then to close them up for the night.


AND...I found my scale last night!! That means this afternoon I will be weighing fleeces and hopefully getting them posted tonight.

TTFN

Shearing has started!

Maggie is looking out to see if it is her turn, or not. Not yet Maggie!

Any seed left in there? I am naked and need something to warm me up!

 Look at all of the lanolin stripes on her!

 Lizzie, one of the 2 boarders gets her haircut. Look how quietly she is laying.

Candice, a Horned Dorset, just lays there as well.

Yummy fleece!

Dolores, the other border, says to Stormy, ''I know you! You were my first boyfriend!!"

 A naked Lizzie, Gracie (Horned Dorset), and little Mouse (Romney/Dorset). with old lady Maggie (our original Dorset/Romney) in the middle.

Dolores

This is Lillian's fleece. That whole center stripe was removed during skirting.

Lillian before shearing. The tips are slightly matted, but they open during the washing and picking stages.

Heifer

Nope! Don't want to be sheared.

Poppy. Romney.

This is why we shear in January. We are able to see everything that is happening to them without having to touch them. This is Patience's back end. She is a 2 year Dorset and this is her first pregnancy.

Happy 2012 one and all!

                                        May your new year be full of wooly goodness!

May 2012 be full of health, happiness and prosperity.

  May your health be good. May your happiness be from within and not from things or people. May your prosperity be no more than you can handle and that you would willingly share with others.