Updates and my evening routine (in pictures)

The two black hens in the back are the broody ladies

This has been an eventful day/week/month in the world of chickens.  I lost a black hen today, found her in the bushes dead.  She looked like she just fell asleep and didn't wake up.  She's one of the original bunch that were a gift from a friend so I'm sad to have her gone.  That leaves 6 hens, 2 of which have decided to go broody.  One of the broody girls has made it 16 days so by next weekend I think we may have chicks!  My other broody girl just went to the nest today so I plan to slip her a duck egg and see if she'll hatch it out too. 

buff orphs to the rescue!

Luckily my young buff orphington pullets are starting to lay and as of now I have 4 of them laying eggs, albeit tiny and infrequently, but they really are making a difference with 2 hens down and 1 gone.  My pekin duck (as mentioned above) is laying eggs daily and I couldn't be happier to see it.  I don't really want more ducks but I do want to see if either of our drakes are doing their "job" so that's why I'm going to see if the broody will hatch one out for me.  Both my husband and son like duck meat so a few ducks each year probably wouldn't be too bad.  I think 7 for us was too many though.

I recieved a gift from a friend of some old cast iron pans in need of repair, they had heard I was trying to make the switch from my old toxic non-stick pans.  I now have them up and running with a fresh seasoning and they are better at being non-stick than my old non-stick pans were already.  I couldn't be happier with their turn out.  I made pancakes with them using both this morning, unfortunately the smaller lodge pan started sticking so it went back in the oven today for a new coat of oil for seasoning.  Hopefully this time I'll have a better outcome.

before milking (not her fullest udder)

after milking

Kissee is going back to the breeder next month to be bred.  I'm going to go with the breeder's recommendation for bucks to see what offspring we end up with.  I know wishing doesn't get one anywhere but I'm really hoping she throws both a buckling and doeling so we can have some goat meat for the freezer.  I've only had goat once and I liked it but I don't know if I actually tasted the meat being as it was a highly seasoned satay. 

I was at the fertility doc this morning, got all my scripts to get the meds so here we go again.  My first official month of trying will be October.  I'm not going to post the play by play, but hopefully it will result in some eventual good news.