Last of the hatchlings

 As you can see, we have yellow ones (?), brown stripey ones (Welsummers), grey/yellow ones (Araucanas), black ones with yellow heads (Verwerks), orange ones (Buff Plymouth Rock x Light Sussex), and black ones (Liz's Black Orpingtons).

 A few more hatched overnight and one this morning. The remaining eggs had either not developed or the chick had died in the egg, (my last Wyandotte included).

 So at the moment they are in their plastic box, mostly huddled under the hot plate. Some of the older, more adventurous ones have found their way on top of the hot plate where they have a birds eye view of their adopted siblings. Keith is already looking at the next breeds he would like to try next year!

As I sit here there is a loud cheeping from the last surviving chick that has been drying off in the incubator. It's either cold or lonely, probably the last. Alden has just popped it in with the rest of the chicks and the incubator has been removed for a thorough cleaning.

Poor Catherine the goose has become so broody that we let her sit on Zita's egg. Neither goose has laid since Wednesday.

So the egg count -
Chickens - 39
Ducks - 22
Geese - 2

At the moment, through selling the eggs, the birds are almost self-supporting. I have some standing orders and people who always come to me as and when they need eggs, and a neighbour sells them to her friends at the golf club for me.

Ja-ja has been running around, like the mad duck he is, chasing Pidgeons. They only fly a little way off but it drives him crazy and he hurtles around the field chasing them off.

The sheep are shedding their coats, I have quite a large ball of fluff now that I will have to something with.