December 31, 2009
Vigilante Farms, that leading Bethel producer of rural whimsy, is pleased to announce that the cycle begins once again.
Just after 4:00 this evening, Grace presented me with her first egg of this season, her 31st overall. 548 grams. I grabbed it while it was still warm, so it is a candidate for incubation. I think I’ll put these eggs into the incubator in batches of eight, which is about how they do it in the wild. It could be tricky to house several batches of chicks differing in age by a month or two, but that is a problem I’d love to have.
Who knows if this year’s emu eggs will be fertile? All these emus are a year older now and, unlike last year, are definitely old enough. Grace is sequestered with Foghorn this year instead of with Big Burp, but I’ve yet to witness any emu nooky, ever. The only obvious pass I’ve seen either male emu make was made by Foghorn, and that pass was directed at me.
Bucko doesn’t know it yet, but he’s getting lucky tomorrow, New Year’s Day. Probably with Claudette, my #1 doe. You use your #1 starter on Opening Day, right? We’ll see if these electric nest heaters can work their magic in the depths of February. Remember, rabbits are born hairless and stay that way for their first week or so. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?
The chickens have pretty much stopped laying. Not unusual for this time of year. At least, they have stopped laying eggs where I can find them. One by one, they seem to be trying to move into the goat barn. The goats are, of course, thrilled.
I still have yet to see any duck enter any building, despite cold, snow or wind. There is nothing but their pride keeping them from going into the chicken coop, the goat barn, or the dog house. Twice a day I have to knock the ice out of the pigs’ rubber dish so that I can give the ducks water in which to swim, and they generally do just that.
The old guinea barn is now empty, having most recently housed broilers and then turkeys. I hope to use it to grow out rabbits, then brood emus, then brood turkeys before I once again grow out organic broilers in it.
Lo, the Vigilante Farmer hath said unto the animals, “Go forth, be fruitful and multiply, so that I can eat your multiplicands.”