. But cull to a show bird could be an unknown issue for us with an egg flock. Slight color even....
The Big E in Springfield, I've been there...oh, wait...about 45 years ago? I feel old.Today was a good day considering that we got some rain early in the day... misty sprinkley stuff mid day, then some real rain with some lightning lighting up the sky by the time I came home... Rather nice that it basically stopped while I was taking down the meters and putting them in the car...
This farm has had over 4 inches in the past week... got several of the "heavier parts" of the clouds, since the rain that hit us on Saturday. They have been drier than we were this year, and this rain has been welcome... not much in the way of down pours, but some steady stuff with time in between to soak in. Still that is about 4 x what we had...and is getting muddy out there....
4 inches is alot in 4-5 days... would be good for some drier weather to let it get soaked in down through some layers of soil... especially with the storm possibly coming if "Helene" turns into the hurricane as they are saying. Heard on the news that Gov DeSantis has already issued emergency warnings or whatever it is , for something like 60+ counties...
They would like a little break in the rain though... they are getting ready to head to Madison, Wisconsin for the World Dairy Expo.... taking 3 Brown Swiss animals... they have some REALLY good ones.... for the show on the 28th.... this is one of the biggest dairy shows, if not the biggest, in the US... very prestigious....
So went to Sharp Shopper... got the bread I wanted... Tues and Sat is bread day... those fancier more expensive loaves of Pepperidge Farm that are like 3.79 or 4.19 or something in the grocery store... are 1.79 because of them getting close to going out of date...plus other stuff that is discounted... sometimes I get some bagels or english muffins... So I got several loaves and will put some in the freezer and give DS a loaf . Got some stuff for him, and some stuff for me... Came home, got it in the house and then put sample bottles in the car and left to go to the farm. Stopped at the bank as I went by and put back some of the money I took out for Saturday, since I didn't buy any chickens... but will be getting some in Nov from one of the breeders that had a bunch for sale... he shows and the ones at the Swap were nice... but were his "culls"; so I asked if he would have a good trio of them.... Buff Leghorns.... or 2 pair... in Nov and he said he would bring me some. So, I will be getting chickens at the poultry show in Nov..
Also, he is going to the HUGE poultry show in Columbus Ohio... and is going to keep his eye out for some of the "Vorwerk" chickens and some NH's for me too. He is a poultry judge, and was a good friend of the dairy farmer that had all the breeds of poultry that I got my original NH's from...50 years ago.... who became a very special friend in my life.... and died unexpectedly of a heart attack about 15 years ago...
I think that next year I am going to make plans to at least go to Columbus and see the show...They have 3-4,000 show birds there..... Want to go there at least once in my life.
There is another big show that I went to a couple times, in Janurary at the Eastern States Expo ground in Springfield Mass...Usually 1500-2500 birds.
So, I will be ready for some more chickens, and if he finds anything in Columbus, I may get them the early part of Nov, instead of the 3rd weekend.... I feel good about it and am in the process of getting a large poultry run put together and set up and then will work on the other couple of coops and things that have been sitting on the trailer for several years at DS's barn..... so I can run several different breeds. I miss the chickens and want to get back into them... and am planning on things getting done this year, one way or another...
Deb keeps telling me she will be glad to come over and we can start taking down the ceilings upstairs in the bedrooms.... I may just get her to help me with this stuff first. I think that she wants something to do with herself when she is out at the farm that she is not having to do "alone" all the time....
Testing went good and came home in some pretty hard rain by the time I got here... Heard it a little while ago, but it has let up right now. Forecast shows some more serious stuff in the very early hours of the morning.
Vet pregnancy check tomorrow afternoon...all pregnant please....
Got a text and my 225+ cow herd that tests every other/every 3 months, wants to test...I told them Mon or Thurs next week... they said Monday... so I set them up for that... I have to change the brackets on meters for the Thurs herd... not sure if I am going to do them just Thursday or Thurs eve/Fri morning...their call.....
Then DS will be taking some stuff to the sale, Friday...... depending on the weather maybe... some steers, the crazy heifers, and any open cows...
I've got to drop off the meters for the farm down the road that is "borrowing them" to check milk weights on their cows... to use over the weekend... then will have to get them back and change brackets BACK again for the farm for Monday... and I have to leave here by 11 the latest to get there to set up... it's a double 12 so need 24 meters and hoses for them....
Tuesday is chiropractor... Wed is the CT scan for the shoulder... DS has a dr appt but is going to get the neighbor to take him in case he cannot drive home... I offered to change my CT scan, but he said that Rodney doesn't work on Wed, he works part time.... and he has gone with him before so likes to take a ride... So, okay.....
Need to get a shower and go to bed... Hopefully it won't be pouring rain in the morning, I can bring in the samples and get them packed and drop them at the vineyard around noon, before the vet comes.. I can help do stuff in the barn then just run them the 2+ miles up there for when they open at noon... Vet is at 1....m/l... never know when there is an emergency....
