Love those Hummingbirds

We have had so many hummingbirds this year I have no idea where they all come from. It has been a real challenge keeping the feeders filled and the ants out.  Once the flower blooms started dying back the honey bees came for the food to. I decided to start feeding my bees early to prevent them from being so close to the house, it makes Jeff nervous to have them all down there at once.

We finally have our raised beds built, we started with 2 and planted mostly onions, garlic and lettuce varities. Built the 2nd and planted carrots, radishes,beets,parsnips, then decided that wasnt going to be enough. So we built 2 more. Now we have those 4 and have added a huge cast iron bathtub, and an old swimming pool to that oh and one made of blocks, and a few 20 or so pots....them their is the potato, corn, and beans garden all by it's self. Yes, I got carried away.

One of my baby guineas that hatched out. I have about 10 of them and hoping for more to hatch in the next few days.

Beautiful tulips growing in my flower beds before the flash flood came and washed away most of my flowers beds. It didn't touch my gardens and for that I am very thankful. Then a week later we had a terrible hail storm. It seems all the elements are fighting against us. We are still trying to remain positive.

The sign my friend Debbie's painted for my hen house. Everyone chipped in and scraped and painted it first and now it is the most beautiful chicken coop in the world.

Here are our 5 babies. From 9 eggs, 6 hatched and 5 lived. We had to help the black ducks they didn't seem to be progressing. It made me wonder if they could have come from the Muscovy because they take longer to incubate. The yellow are Peking and the gray is a runner. The black are some type of cross.

I have found 36 guinea eggs and we have put them in to hatch. it has been 3 days they take 28 days to hatch.

We have started selling our fresh eggs. $1 a dozen, have sold 11 dozen so far. Sold 4 blue egg laying babies for $2.50 each. If I could catch them I have 6 guineas sols for $10 a each. I also have someone waiting on the baby guineas to buy. I have the babies we hatch last month and our now pullet's. I think I will put them in the paper next week ans see if we can make a little more from them.

Momma and her babies all doing well. I sold a few babies and someone wants to buy about 6 Guinea's. Jeff and I are going to Indiana for the weekend. I will take some photos there. I am hoping to find a nice farmers market. The garden we have planted is huge and I am hoping for big returns. 3 kinds of potatoes, 2 bush beans, 2 corn, 3 different peppers, 3 different tomatoes, squash, watermelon, cantaloupe, cukes, gourds, and onions so far.

I put 9 duck eggs in the incubator and they take 28 days to hatch. They should be ready by May 12th. Jeff , me and his brother Calvin are supposed to go to Indiana the 2nd weekend in May. I hate riding in the car. I be they will talk about trucks and hauling the whole way...Maybe I will catch up on sleep while we are gone.

Our potatoes are just starting to come up. I am hoping to plow and plant some corn and bush beans this weekend. Depends on the weather. I am hoping to get alot planted for a heavy canning season with any luck.

Hoping to can enough for us, Trisha and her husband, my mother and many some to give to friends. Should have enough green beans, corn, tomatoes, and potatoes for all. Sam wants to make more stewed tomatotes they did turn out wonderful.

Everyone is resting in the warm red light after their tiring ordeal of getting out of the egg.

Piles of peepers looking for a mom to snuggle with. My daughter called to say our sitting hen has hatched her eggs today to. We have 17 out of 20 that hatched...

Little wet blobs no one is being named Gracy. They fall all over the place but we could hear them peeping inside the egg before they started breaking threw

A little peep coming out of its egg

I moved the eggs from the egg turner today and placed them on there side in the bottom. They are supposed to hatch Thursday. I was surprised to see some of them moving...a little rocking motion. I am told they are moving into position to hatch.....I am so excited to see

New Baby banties one week old. I couldn't wait for the incubator..it's still going. I will keep it updated. I will have tons of chicks soon. I have 21 in the cooker, at least 1 hen and 1 duck sitting....Hmmmmany one needs mallard ducks?

Here is a diagram of a candled egg. I would have uploaded a egg that the chick had died but, good news all are well at the moment

This is the best picture we got. You can see the embryo well in person. You can see the eye and tiny blood vessels. You can see the air sack as well. Maybe next week we will see the beak of the chick in the sack.

We started candling with this and turned out the lights

Now were making some babies. I will keep you posted on the progress.

We gathered 21 eggs. I believe the one in front is a duck egg if so it will take 28 days to hatch. The chickens 21 days. Hopefully on April 9th we will have babies. To prepare you need to take about 1 gallon of water at about 100 degrees and a cap full of bleach to gently clean the eggs. Then place them pointed end down

In 7 days we can candle the eggs and see which ones are fertile. I will keep check on the temperature leaving the eggs alone as much as possible.

Step One

This is the still air incubator I purchased at Tractor Supply in Beckley. I also bought a automatic egg turner. Total cost was about $100. Using a still air one the ideal temperature for your egg are between 101 and 102 degrees. It comes with a thermometer. Go ahead and hook it up for a day and adjust the temperature until it stays where you need it. Gather your eggs for a day or two.