A Windy day on the Farm blew in thoughts on Jersey Heifers and Farm Fresh Eggs

It was a lovely day. I must stress that: LOVELY!

The temperature was fantastic, it was overcast and it rained. I adore the rain,
and the horses loved it today after just an unbearable week of heat!

It was one of those nice and windy storms fulls of vastly spaced, huge raindrops; the
kind of rain you can walk in and barely get wet.

Just before the storm, we were out and about around the barn.

Stella, down from her hillside, enjoyed some interaction with Christian.
She is the most friendly, loving heifer I've encountered.

She will hopefully be bred AI with sexed semen in the next 3 months. She is nearly 14 months old now.

She is a small heifer, even as far as Jerseys go. This suits us fine because we had originally wanted minis, but they are out of our price range.

The nuns from the Holy Annunciation Monastery in PA, where we purchased Stella,

came to delivery 2 mini Donkeys last week, and they were thrilled with Stella's condition and size. She is truly lovely Jersey!

  * * *

To remind those who are local:

We have FRESH EGGS FOR SALE

Our hens are healthy and lovely. They are well cared for, get fresh veggies and grass and have a huge coop and a large outdoor run. They get out to free range sometimes, but to keep local hawks from picking them off, they are in their run and coop more often than not.

You can be sure, the taste of these eggs is SUPERIOR to any store bought eggs, and they are much safer. Studies show caged hens (cages so small the hens cannot move, and they never see the outdoors) have salmonella positive result 23.4% of the time. The rate drops to only 4% of Organic flock and free range flock is 3%.
Below is the conditions of the hens laying the STORE eggs:

LINK to photo credits

Juxtapose that image with our hens and rooster from today below:

Our eggs are $2.00 a dozen

I expect to raise this price soon to $3, but if you

become a customer now, you can lock in this price and

be sure to have REAL eggs from humanely raised hens!

* * *

Next on the "Let's talk about everything" agenda. . .

I am thinking about fall breeding in regards to our goats:

We decided to NOT breed our Arab mare this summer because

of the low demand for even quality horses right now, and I

did not feel right adding to the very poor market right now; however,

Livestock is still selling fairly well, so the question is whether to breed

all of the goats or pick and choose.

I believe we will only breed 4 does/doelings. See how those sell.

We have a waiting list as it is. I'm afraid of being overrun with

bucklings in the spring and having to make tough

choices about pets homes, breeding homes and left over bucklings

being used for meat. . . breed less does, have less chances of being

overrun with bucklings.

Of course, I still do not know who to breed the doelings we had

born here to. . .Our junior bucks seem unmoved by the RUT season.

That leaves us with a few non-producing members of the doe herd, but I am

okay with this.

   * * *

The Donkies are here, and how cute are they?

Justice and Jeremino: WELCOME to the farm!