Hi Sally, I have been away for more than a year. I am so sorry to hear that you have been sick. Hope you're better. I have really missed incubating and just started again yesterday. Wao, I really miss this chathmmmm sitting here staring at the screen for 15 minutes thinking about everyone, and not sure how to say hello or explain my absence.its so funny, it seems like only yesterday I was watching over my first set of eggs in the bator in panic, wondering if I was doing it all right or ohhhh so wrong! Now its like changing the toilet paper roll! (dont ask me why I use that definition, must be the meds!) First let me admit, I have been on other internet support groups, not for fowl but for my health. Been a tough year plus for me, the family and I am hoping on the upswing not the downswing. We did indeed have to sell even more of our birds, I saved a trio of my best Brahma, some Legbars, and of course we couldnt break HarmonyAnns heart and get rid of her serama. In fact from her and Daddy having to take care of the flocks she ended up saving enough cash to purchase more serama breeders. Now I need to get better so I can make her more pens in the serama saloon so she can separate them better. I have in the past several months hatched some more brahma that are looking amazing, hard to believe this is the 4th generation! I have cleaned my first coop last week for the first time in a year all by myself! yes I was in bad shape and it wasnt until this summer that I actually got to go outside and hangout with my kids by the pool and chickens, too many surgeries and too sick to wonder around, I will admit that I am happy to NOT have to do the GROCERY shopping anymore! I hated that and now he does it! My Mom is still coming to do my wash and its funny because she knows I can do it, she doesnt want me to! She is bored now that she retired, and I love her visits almost daily now! she lives less than 200 yards from us! I dont ship anything because I couldnt keep up the npip so I only ship PA and local pick up. Its not even paying for feed right now, not sure if I will keep the CCL either, we have been eating all the eggs except for HarmonyAnns serama, as she is hatching and selling eggs a plenty. I do have a few of our mixed breed Barred Rock hens that are my project birds, I know stupid to keep them and rid most brahma, but brahma eat and poop alot and for eggs the BR project "crested Barred rock" are great layers of huge eggs and meat birds. We also have 26 meaties growing out, they are about 19+/- days old. first time for them, so far so good. Got them from Ideal poultry and they sent extras and they all made it. I also ordered some bantam dark cornish to see if we can raise them for meaties, but not sure bantam was the right way to go. oh well I will grow them out and see what happens. We are very lucky to have great friends and one of them gave us a freezer for our garage to keep our meat! What a blessing that was! Eric wants to try quail again, but I need to research the best tasting. Last time we didnt enjoy the very dark breast meat, or I dont know how to cook it. So I will research them and try some chicks or eggs since I already have the set up and empty. So as u can tell I have the fowl itch back again and heading more to feeding us than selling them! I just wish this AI crap would go away and I dont have that threat to take my flock someday, but we can only practice our best BIOSEC! I dont want to bring anything in or send anything out because of all the states changing importations, its too much to figure out per order and until we NPIP again we are stuck, not that its hard to get, its just a pain I cant do right now. We are still raising a few English Springer Spaniel pups, HarmonyAnn and Daddy had really stepped up to the plate helping with the litter! I know most of you have kept in touch via other social groups and know most of this, but I wanted to drop in and send a hello while I am online to search for feeding of these CornishX meaties and we all know where the best place to research is!!! I forget how I am to feed them as they age and I have to look up quail too! Blessings and Love to all....
