Sanibel

The photo was from Sept. 2017.

Every year we have a doe have a fawn(s) on our property. Yesterday while we were working in the garden, there was a very small doe acting strangely in the field, I told hubby that she was probably ready to have her fawn, as small as she is, she had a big belly. So this morning, there she was with her baby, the smallest fawn that we've ever seen. I wish that I had got a picture, so cute!

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I know it's crazy! We've been here over 30 years and it's the first time that it's happened.

I checked my daffodils Saturday. The deer ate them all but 3 buds! 

The radishes, not me! 

You came into our home 16 yrs ago and today we had to say goodbye.....we will miss you badly

Speaking of YouTube
For anyone curious to know what a SC accent sounds like...
 

Here is my new leading man for this season, I just moved him to his own pen with 5 girls last weekend. He is my best rooster of last year, and has the best shape and color of any 8 month old I've ever bred. I'm really looking forward to seeing what he throws this year
The color in his saddle and shoulders will keep coming in, he's still young. His shoulders will eventually be a deep copper, with only a black triangle at the tips of his wings, and those copper feathers coming in behind his saddle will get long, draping down over his haunches. He has a long, broad back, wide shoulders, and the most full breast of any rooster I've had yet. He's a beefy boy, and what I have been breeding for. I've been using heavy bodied hens to get a larger rooster, and I'm so proud of this one. I think your daughter's Captain is very similar. I'm very happy wiith the direction the genetics are heading, and I'm hoping that they produce many more of these larger birds this year. I'm looking forward to a great season at the farm. My waiting list for chicks is already booked through March 20th
 
 
 
 

😀

I'm still sad that this story just disappeared, but I hope that with the DEP investigation results released at least maybe the families involved can push a little further.
I'm posting today because it's been almost a year, and I'm reminded how I came to this forum in the first place. Bonuses came out today, and 60% of the bonus is dependent on making operating income budget. We didn't make budget. We reduced one specific waste stream by 20% last year because of it's hazardous nature, and the lost revenue in that one waste stream caused us to miss budget by over $1 million. I'm the lowest bonus eligible person on this particular totem pole, the only one that actually sees or cares what this waste stream does to a landfill, and it cost me personally $9000 this year. That's real money out of my pocket, not some corporate percentage of loss. I know the next 3 guys above me up the line, and they lost $17K, $29K, and $42K of their bonuses because of the lost revenue from this one waste stream. Staying in compliance, no safety violations, no EPA infractions, all of that combines for 40% of the bonus, 60% is making the op income budget. There are many more people further up the line that also lost, and you can bet much more money, and none of them understand why this waste stream was eliminated. To them trash is trash. Salespeople go out and pick up accounts for our trucks to haul, it all goes to the landfill, what's the difference? It all brings in money, we all benefit, right? I was the only one on the conference calls leading up to the decision to reduce this waste stream that was agreeing with the third party engineers that we needed to cut back. People were getting mad at me. This is the first year that I was in a bonus bracket this large, so it is the first time that I have seen that many zeroes erased from a check, but I understand why it was worth it. No one else does, and unless you spend time in one of these landfills and see what this s**t is actually doing to us, there is no way you could understand.
That's why I pushed this story so hard, that's why I made so much noise about a little mountain town a thousand miles away that I didn't even know how to pronounce. There were no nefarious motives, there was an opportunity to shine a spotlight on an aspect of an industry that affects people all over the country. To the friends and family of Billy, the guys at my landfill continue to remember you in their thoughts and prayers, and to the guys still working... Be safe

As a happy ending to this old thread:  Mr. Vitello, one of my former 5th and 6th grade teachers, kindly supplied the last two Juniata yearbooks, so I now have all the years/yearbooks I looked for for so long.  Thank you all.   

It could be a urinary tract infection which can be treated with antibiotics or crystal formation that might require a different diet. A vet trip is definitely the way to go.

Hey Petee,  how many eggs are you getting? My girls still aren't in full production yet, but I'm getting two or three a day from eight young girls, and the color is getting darker. The eggs are also gaining a little size. 
 For anyone interested, we started a new website for the farm this year. It has pictures of some of our other birds, and the "about us" page kind of tells the story of how we got into the chickens in the first place. I'm going to post the link, but I'm not sure if Steve allows links  to other websites on this site. Steve, if you need to delete it,  that's fine. If you Google "Magnolia Marans" it's the first search result. 
https://www.magnoliamarans.com/
 

CBS News December 30, 2017, 6:51 PM
Vandals destroy 50 beehives in Iowa, killing at least 500,000 bees
SIOUX CITY, Iowa -- The future of a honey business in Sioux Falls, Iowa, is uncertain after vandals destroyed dozens of their beehives, CBS affiliate KMEG reports. The owners of Wild Hill Honey said they discovered that 50 beehives were destroyed when they went to clear off snow on Thursday.
The owner, Justin Engelhardt, told KMEG that the incident basically wipes out his business and that it will be impossible to recover from. He said that thousands of bees died from vandalism.
"I knew it was going to be bad we went around the shed every hive was knocked over, dead bees in the snow, it was terrible," Englehardt said, adding that the couple's shed was also damaged in the incident. He said a window was broken and the lock was damaged.
Engelhardt said there was a security camera installed but it stolen during the incident. Police told the station they discovered fingerprints at the scene and an investigation is ongoing.
Engelhardt told The Associated Press that at least 500,000 bees were killed in the incident, and that the estimated cost of damage was between $50,000 and $60,000.                                                               SEE VIDEO REPORT ;  https://www.cbsnews.com/news/wild-hill-honey-vandalism-sioux-city-iowa-bees-killed/

These 2 cuddling dachshunds really, really love each other
Duration: 00:44 19 hrs ago   Henry and Kiki are 6-year-old snuggle masters. They're always together and it's impaw-sibly cute!                                                                                                                                                                                           SEE VIDEO ;   https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/animals/these-2-cuddling-dachshunds-really-really-love-each-other/vi-BBHshTy?ocid=HPCDHP

I finally managed to find the camera download cable......hanging right in front of my nose!  Aarghhhh!  Old Age!
Guess which egg belongs to the Marans.  We got another one yesterday also.
 

I sat through a very lengthy conference call this morning. The hammer is being dropped from on high about the volumes of wet waste accepted. There is a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth because the reduction in revenue will cost a lot of people a significant portion of their bonus. It will cost me personally several thousand dollars if the revenue isn't made up with something else. Good
A certain incident north of me was specifically referenced. The good news is certain companies are paying attention and reacting. The bad news is that it isn't a federal law, it's a voluntary business practice. When we turn it away, it will have to go somewhere...

1st year layers start medium then go to large-XL. By year 2 you will get XL with a few jumbos. The color stays when you boil them, and they are incredible for baking

Petee should have some in a few weeks  

Huge cabbages!

I know lots of folks love autumn, I do too, but to a point. I hate that everything is dying. I love spring when everything is coming to life. I had my annual cry in my garden this week. It's just so sad that it's almost over and we have to wait until next May to plant again, 8 months away.   

Oh no, Bon! I am so sorry. 

Be very careful if you burn. The oils of the poison ivy burning smoke can damage the lungs.