Christmas is Coming!

I know Christmas is on its way because next Friday 6th August we are off to Essex to collect our turkey babies! and this year we are going to try 12 of their Kelly Bronze turkeys as well as our usual order of White Plumpies!  Hubby didn't want to sell any of the ronze, they were going to be just for us, but 3 people have already asked for one and the friend who we get our locally grown beef from is having 3 as growers!  But I'm sure we can manage with 6! lol

The hybrids are now 19 weeks old and I know one is already laying, so hopefully the rest will follow soon.  We still have some left to sell as I was let down over the 70 I was saving for someone.  I could have sold them over and over, but no, I kept my promise.  I just wish he'd called to tell me he didn't want them instead of waiting until I called to ask when he was coming to collect them!

But hey ho, that's life, and I've sold 30 of them, so only 40 to go!  We may keep some ourselves and re-home the older girls, some of their eggs are getting a bit thin shelled now.

The latest batch of meat chicks are now nearly 6 weeks old and growing daily!  they are doing really well.  They will be ready late September, so the next lot will be grown for Christmas.  They will be coming in the latter end of August.  Oh its all go here!

I'm just sorting out now prices and P&P costs on the feeders and drinkers I bought.  They are made by a British company, are a good price and are very robust, unlike some of the cheap stuff that's on the market at the moment!

I've already sold quite a few, especially the 12litre drinkers without even advertising them!  And I'm using several of them already myself.  The 6 and 12 litre drinkers are really good.  they are easy to re-fill, and very sturdy.  they are all red and white except the Blenheim feeder which is green and white.  If I can sell enough to warrant buying them 50 at a time, I could even sell them at a lower price, but don't tell hubby I told you that!  Luckily, he doesn't usually read my blog!

I had red mite again in my layer's house and in the breeding shed.  I emptied everything out of them and cleaned down with Jeyes Fluid and Poultryshield. then dusted everything in sight (including me!) with Hemexsan, it's the same sort of stuff as Diatomaceous Earth and kills the mites if they come into contact with it by drying them out and desiccating them.

But I think they are back somewhere, as whenever I come back in from being in the chicken houses, I itch!!!  Luckily, most of our houses have been creosoted, so I can buy the proper stuff.  It's not readily available anymore, but it really does work!  Unlike a lot of the stuff they sell you these days at inflated prices!

This week I've been trying to help hubby repair the roof of the turkey shed, but I think he is beginning to realise that he is no longer 30!  He said he wanted it all done in one day in case it rained, but he decided to put 2 vents in the roof, then we found there was more rot in the Sterling Boards than we thought, and with all the extra cutting, nailing etc, 3 days on and it's still not quite finished, but we should be finished tomorrow!  And I'll be pleased about that, because I KNOW I'm not 30 anymore!!