I was not raised on a farm, I am learning as I go but learning is one of those things that you are never too old to do.  

I have always heard really good things about 4H so this past year I decided that my children should give it a try and join up with some animals.  It has definitely been a good experience and my children have learned so much.

I always thought that 4H was for farm kids, not so, there are so many projects that a suburban kid could do and they are all so well organized and educational.  However, for the farm kids, there are some really neat things that they learn about animal husbandry.  My children have learned that you can actually wash a chicken (yes, people do this to make the chickens look their best before judging...and you can blow dry them, most of them even like it!)

We have learned all about rabbit breeding (see this post). And the educational factor alone has been well worth the effort.  So on to the 5 things...

1. The Projects are VERY educational...
(your kids will learn more than you thought possible!)

When you are interested in a subject, there is probably a project book about that subject, if not, there are plenty of self determined projects available.  Children can take a project on everything from baking, sewing, acting, gardening, robotics, and veterinary care to bicycling, bully prevention, first aid and STEM projects. The project books, however, are meticulously laid out and have so many specifics and different areas to explore that if there is a topic your child is interested in, they will learn ALOT!

There is a certain camaraderie that is born when children are working on a project and being challenged by other children.  I have found through this year that some of the older children who have already taken projects that my children are now taking have been exceptionally helpful in guiding them.  In addition, many of the project books require kids to present their projects to the club they belong to, a great experience as you learn from others.

When taking projects the goal is for the child to be able to present what they have learned to a judge at your county fair.  They are interviewed and have to learn to think on their feet, answer questions respectfully, and articulate themselves.  Often times they are also presenting to more than one judge so there is the public speaking platform that comes into play as well.

When your child joins a 4H club and chooses a project (or many projects) they can earn prizes, accolades and sometimes even cash for their hard work.  The project does not have to be a livestock one and the feeling of having "won" something for working hard is something that is invaluable to the self esteem of a child.

Yes, it is that detailed.  Your child could work on the first aid project and they will learn enough to qualify as an actual school subject, and the bonus?  It is mostly hands on as they are to prepare a poster and presentation about what they have learned.  If you don't have a 4H group that is a good fit in your area, you can always order the books and just use them as curriculum, even without being a member.  I am telling you, this is GOOD stuff and it is very reasonably priced. (here is a link to their educational store)

Are you interested yet?  If you need to know where to start HERE is how to find your local 4H groups.  I suggest stopping in at a few different meetings that groups hold to find the chapter that is a good fit for you and your child.  Our first meeting was with a group that was not fantastic, but when we went to another group, we fit in perfectly!

I woke up the other day with the idea that it would be a great day to wear the boys out on a hike.  Not to miss an opportunity to visit with a friend, I invited my neighbor and her 5 kids along too, yep, that made 8 kids heading out for a hike in the woods, it was sure to be an adventure.  (by the way, if you have been around here long you know I have 5 children also, 2 of mine were away at camp so that will help you solve the math problem).

We are blessed to not only live in a mostly rural area but to also have at our disposal an array of metroparks and nature centers with amazing hiking trails.  I figured we would head out on a simple 1 mile hike and that as we meandered along and checked out nature it would be perfect to wear out my 2 year old and 4 year old before naptime.  Best laid plans...

We started off and the children were all so excited that they quickly ran down the well marked trail.  Amidst hoots and hollars it was all we could do to catch streaks of our children as they raced to and fro.  Before you know it they took off down the yellow trail, not the blue.  That meant an almost 2 mile hike instead of the planned 1 mile trail.  But they were all having so much fun and racing each other that even the 2 year old seemed on fire for the finish.  I should have known better.

Our first stop was wading at the creek, a favorite spot of my children.  Of course my oldest son had to find the crawdad that inevitably pinched his finger, despite mom's warnings of such fiascos.
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We stayed for awhile, probably our first mistake.  For some reason after the wading adventures the kids racing pace slowed to a crawl, well, at least my 2 y/o's pace did.  We then began happening on lots and lots of mud on the trail, several slips and slides later and we were all going to have to strip before getting into the car again.

The adventure continued with the kids finding snails, little known fact we learned...snails like to perch on stinging nettles, ever get ahold of one of those?  Yep, each of kids did to.  OUCH.

We moms were still trying to enjoy our time to chat, despite my 2 year olds whining protests now about hurting feet.  This of course led to piggy back rides because of course since we were taking a short 1 mile walk, mom didn't bring a stroller.  While trying to make the best of it we rounded the corner only to be confronted with the older crew of kids putting the bottoms of their shoes up towards the brush on the side of the path.  Weird occurance?  Apparently not when there is a coiled black rat snake just hanging out on the path waiting to strike. I so wish I was kidding.

Luckily no one was bitten, despite a few Nike strikes we were all unscathed.  Finally, to the last stop, the pond to feed the fish.  What's that?  The crackers mom brought were all consumed by the whining toddler?  Well at least there were a few crumbs.

We made it, all 2 miles of the hike.  Yes, the little boys did sleep VERY well when we got home.  All in a days hike, never a dull moment around here!

Sometimes, when you are living out the homestead dream, there are nightmares and sad endings.  I still wouldn't change my lifestyle choice or all the things I have learned but when you practice animal husbandry, there is heartache.

Last weekend a dear friend and I were texting when she sent me this picture and let me know that her sow was in labor, I was pretty excited too because we were planning on buying a piglet or two to raise ourselves.  Also, I have never seen a pig born, watching the circle of life on a farm can be joyous and awe inspiring so that was just what I was hoping for when I asked if I could stop over since I had just put my little ones down to bed.

What's kind of interesting is that same night, my husband was keeping tabs on one of his hunting dogs that was also in labor.  She had her first pup earlier in the day and as is her usual, she was slowly delivering her litter over the course of hours on end.

As I was heading out the door my 10 year old son decided he really wanted to tag along, and hey it isn't every day that you see piglets born so off we went.

When we arrived we were greeted with the sweetest, cutest little piglet I have ever seen.  It was strong and healthy and running around the barn, but mama sow didn't look as good.  I wasn't as concerned as my friend because I had no idea about pig labor, she let me in on the cause for concern though.  Apparently sows give birth rather quickly and most deliver their piglets 15 minutes or so apart with no long pauses like our dog at home.  It had been awhile since the piglet was born, over an hour so my friend was beginning to fret.

Let me start by saying when you live on a farm, you don't call the vet for every little thing.  Most farmers, homesteaders and country folk who practice animal husbandry do an awful lot of care at home having learned through experience, or from others how to handle most any problem that comes along.  Most vaccinate their own animals, help as a midwife when needed to animals in labor, and nurse runts back to health all without a single veterinary visit.

As the sow continued to labor but no more piglets were born an acquaintance from a local pig farm was contacted to provide advice, by now it was getting almost too late to call on friends but a call was chanced.  

What is amazing about fellow farmers is that they drop and run more often than not to help one and other.  This was no exception.  Upon hearing what was going on with the sow, the friendly pig farmer and her son showed up in a record 15 minutes with a barrage of tactics to help the labor progress.  I learned more in the hours I was there about how to help a pig labor than I ever cared to know, but I am thankful for the experience, you just don't get that kind of information from books.  

What we learned was that there was a piglet stuck in the sow's birth canal.  The local pig farmer seemed completely unfazed and let us know that this kind of thing happens pretty often and she and her son have both had plenty of experience helping sows deliver stuck piglets.  It got pretty interesting watching the next few moves, I will spare you the details but needless to say I was quite impressed by the abilities of a determined pig farmer and her 12 year old son who were totally fine rolling up their sleeves and getting super personal with a pig.

The situation wore well into the wee hours of the morning, despite every known trick we tried, there was no progress for the sow.  

What did happen was camaraderie was born between neighbors and acquaintances that had the sole purpose of uniting to bring about a positive outcome for a poor laboring sow.  Let it never be said that homesteaders who raise animals for food are calloused, we are not.  We are affected by pain and suffering just like everyone else. 

My son and I stayed around helping as best we could until well into the morning hours.  I was keeping tabs on our laboring dog at home as well as helping with the sow and piglet in any way that I could.  I learned that we had lost a pup during delivery and my husband was planning on staying right near the dog for the remainder of the night.

​My son however was enjoying staying up way too late and hanging out with the other kids in the barn, they eventually made a nest for themselves in the hay as the morning hours wore on.

We eventually did head home with the promise to return immediately if we could be of help in any way, and we meant it.

I messaged my friend again early in the morning after a few hours of sleep, sadly the situation had changed very little.  It was certainly not for trying EVERY means available to get the piglet out.  Short of providing a cesarean section to the pig, EVERY option was exhausted.  

My friend was worn and sad when she let me know that the vet was en route to the farm to see if there was any hope left.  At this point I think we all knew the inevitable, the sow was likely not going to make it, I believe we all still had hope that there might be some piglets before the end.

At home that same morning we were up to 9 pups, sadly 3 didn't make it despite our own best efforts as well.  So our number was down to 6 living pups.

I decided to head over to offer my friend some moral support, and also hopeful that I could help if there needed to be more hands to care for any live piglets. Guess what?  The pig farmer showed back up too, I think we all felt a need to see the situation to it's end.

It wasn't meant to be for the sow, or her piglets.  The vet offered little condolences as he heavily sedated the sow and performed a cesarean section right there on the barn floor.  There were 6 piglets still inside the sow, all had passed.  We still don't know if the piglet stuck in the birth canal was a giant or not, we never did see it.  

According to the vet there was a combination of the sow being too fat (I mean seriously have you ever heard of a pig that was too fat???) and her birth canal being too narrow.  The sow had to be put down as well.

The only light in all the sadness was a cute little piglet that my friend initially called lucky.  She is very sweet and seems to have earned herself a stay of execution on the homestead, that is saying a LOT.  She is currently enjoying life being babied by a slew of doting children where she is being bottle fed and as far as I know, napping like the queen of Sheba on pink pillowcases alongside a cute 4 year old.

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Back at home the 6 little German Shorthair pups were doing well as was mama dog.  It was a pretty wild 24 hours and I learned a lot.

As I write this we are also waiting on a littler of bunny kits to be born.  The last litter my daughter's rabbit had all passed away.  We are hoping for a MUCH better outcome this time.  

​Like I said, the life of animal husbandry and homesteading can be very sad indeed, but when you do witness the wonders it makes it all worth it, at least most days.

One of my favorite things to do in the evenings is to go either on a Gator ride or 4-wheeler ride with my littlest treasures.  As we troll along I often will quiz my 4 and 2 year olds about the different wild flowers, berries and plants we see along the way.  So far they have gotten pretty good at identifying Honeysuckle, Clover (purple and white), raspberries, blackberries, mulberries, blueberries, as well as "poison berries" (red nightshade) that they are NEVER to touch.  Still working on poison ivy identification with them.

I relish in these cruise alongs because my boys still hold the wonder of all that they don't yet know and mom is still seen as the uber wise sage that knows all the answers. (boy do I still have them fooled).  We ride on trails we have made both on our own property as well as a few vacant properties of just land near us that we are careful not to do damage to.

This particular evening our goal was to check the progress of the millions of blackberries that are in bloom all over both our property as well as 2-3 neighboring properties that we have permission to pick from.  These are all wild berries so the importance of regular spying on their development is of the utmost importance as we have competition.  The birds.

As we passed through one of our "secret" trails (a little slip I made through the pine trees) we were almost belted in the face by the bounty.  I had forgotten to be on the lookout at our normal honey hole for mulberries because it is of course mulberry season for us.  There they were like glittering, juicy amulets of perfection.  The boys just about flew off of the 4 wheeler to begin picking and stuffing their chubby little cheeks full of the sweet goodness.

I know that my husband and several local "old timers" have always told us that you shouldn't eat too many mulberries because they will cause you to "run" (to the bathroom that is).  It seems to me that any fruit in excess can cause this so I don't generally offer any severe limitations on consumption and this day was no exception.  Therefore we had a long soak in the tub to remove all of those amethyst stains.

The soak however didn't come right away, we first had to spend nearly an hour picking every juicy bit that they could fit into their mouths.  Since that day there have been daily requests to run to the mulberry patch, so off they go with visions of granduer regarding pies and cobblers, only to return with their berry receptacle empty and hands and faces stained.

I thank God that I am able to raise these children learning about nature and enjoying all of his creations out here off the beaten path.

My daughter began her bunny business a few months ago.  We researched her chosen breed, found top notch breeders, located appropriate housing and we were all set, just sit back and wait for the baby bunnies, right?

Well, in bunnyland, things are not as they always seem.  Though educational, my daughter's first attempt at bunny breeding was a flop.  It was very entertaining and funny to watch, you haven't lived until you have seen bunny business...let me tell ya! But, our buck was unable to get the job done...I think he was still a little too small.

The second attempt was much more successful, the doe was bred 2x's both 12 hours apart by taking her to the buck's cage for a fun little romp.  (again, hysterical to watch...the buck repeatedly stomped his foot at her as if to say "quit running in circles and sit still!)  I palpatated the doe's abdomen at day 14 which is when you are supposed to be able to feel "marbles" or "grapes" in the doe's abdomen... nothing.  We were both disappointed, though she did feel a bit "heavier".

By about 4 days before the doe was due for kits I picked her up and felt tiny movements in her abdomen...yay!!!  We knew we were in for some cute and fun bunny love very soon!  To say that both my daughter and I were ecstatic would be an understatement.  We checked on that poor doe incessantly just to see what she was up to..still nothing.

By day #29 there was a change, my husband checked on her around 6am, nothing...I went out around 9am and there was a nesting box full of fur and some of the wiggliest, naked-est little pink creatures.

I had done my research and I knew that mama bunnies pull fur out to soften and make a cozy nest.  I did not know much more...here is where the learning curve came in.

#1.  The old adage that you should never touch newborn animals does not apply to rabbits...or at least not to Dwarf rabbits.

#3. Bunnies do not sit in the nest to warm their babies and will only nurse 1-2 times in a 12 hour period...and the nursing sessions can be as little as 5 minutes.

#2.  The animal kingdom has neglectful mamas too.

#3.   Kits can "come back" to life.

#4.   Kits are VERY fragile and though their parents can be cold hearty, even a 50 degree cold snap is too much for naked babies.

This is where the story unfolds to a very sad ending.  I learned most of these facts, after it was too late.  When we saw the babies around 9 am I took the picture you see above, when I returned around 11 am to check again, there was no movement in the pile of fur...I decided to chance a quick touch and found the babies were cold.  I learned that often new mama bunnies (ours is pretty young) don't know how to properly line their nests and cover their babies which leads to tragedy.

As I cupped a baby kit in my hand and called one of the breeders we had gotten bunnies from I found that after a few minutes the baby kit started to move a bit, it went from ice cold to slight movements...this is the coming back to life part, just like with puppies sometimes bunnies can "come back."  It was short lived though we tried everything, we lost all 3 kits.  The breeders I spoke with said it was likely due to mama doe being a bit neglectful in her nest making.

I also learned that what I could have done differently was to actually stick my hands in the nest when I found the bunny babies as pictured and cover them up.  I also could have taken the nestbox inside my house and returned every 12 hours to let mama bunny nurse, keeping the bunnies inside the house for the first 2 weeks until they got their fur.  Finally, I learned that this is pretty common and that every breeder that I spoke with has experienced this type of situation.

Sad as it was, we learned A LOT in a few short hours.  My daughter took it hard but was able to get over the loss and still relish in her beautiful bunnies that she still has to play with and cuddle. Lesson learned.

I shared yesterday about my daughter's new venture in the pet world, so as not to be outdone, my son is on the bandwagon too.  Not for breeding like his sister, but he became smitten and a bit obsessed with a pet that he saw at the home of a friend.  After he saw this friend's leopard gecko and played with it a bit, I think I heard the word "gecko" or some form thereof a minimum of 2000 times a day.  This went on for days to the culmination of "mom, you know I am allergic to all fuzzy pets, can't I just buy a pet that I can enjoy?"  

This one got me, as it is so true.  When we have had kittens, he can't really handle them or he sneezes and has allergic reactions for hours afterwards, same goes for the new bunnies.  Most dogs have been okay unless they have longer fur.  Poor guy, he played on mom's sentiments and it worked to his advantage.  So, his money in hand we made a trip to the pet store.  It was an amazing sight to behold as his eyes lit up and he talked a mile a minute to the clerk about all his new found Gecko knowledge.

You see, in an effort to convince us of his responsibility and desire for one of these creatures, he had been doing some pretty intense research.  I even postponed our standard Science for a few days when I saw just how far he was digging in to information.  He learned where the leopard Gecko originated, what it's habitat was like, became interested in the concept of cold blooded creatures, learned about reproduction of Geckos (they only have 2 eggs at a time that seem to be about the size of Robin's eggs).  He learned about the different colored markings, learned about shedding, nutrition, the list goes on, and on.  I almost felt sorry for the poor store clerk who had to listen to this 10 year old spout and encyclopedia page's worth of information about this beloved pet that he didn't even own yet.

His eyes wide he picked out the perfect creature, named him Eco (pronounced eeekO) and we went on home.  He has since woken every day with a new fervor for his schoolwork and chores as he knows that to have free time to play with his new pet, he has to complete these tasks first.  He built a habitat that he toiled over for hours, he rearranges the items and hand feeds meal worms.  I almost dare say he might be one of the best Gecko handlers around.  Funny thing is, I am not a grand fan of reptiles or amphibians, but this little guy is pretty cute.  He has sticky feet and my son loves to walk around with his Gecko standing tall on his shoulder.  I have learned more about these creatures than I ever cared to know, but this little guy is so pleased, how could I not share in some of his joy?

After her older sister just bought a car in cash, my younger daughter decided she wanted to step up her game so that she would be able to do the same in a few years.  We explored many options available to her and her love of animals drove her decision.  She decided on raising bunnies to breed and sell.  We decided to start small, and dwarf bunnies are so cute so it seemed like a perfect fit.  That is, until we realized that the pedigreed breed she had decided on was VERY hard to find.  While this made for a perfect business opportunity, it is not an easy start when you need to locate both a doe and a buck (female and male rabbit) to begin your business.

This is how we both spent the last few days, scouring the internet and books for tips, tricks, advice, breeders and the like.  I have learned more about rabbit reproduction and standards in the last few days than I ever cared to know!  What I realized though is that this is a HUGE learning opportunity and my daughter is going to be getting a very healthy dose of biology through this project, complete with Punnett squares!

The research ended in an amazing turn of luck whereby a breeder we had located happened to be driving through a city close to us and she agreed to meet us with 2 bunnies we would be purchasing from her (this was a lifesaver as this breeder was almost 3.5 hours away in another state!).  We are awaiting another breeder who will also be driving through a nearby city next weekend as she has a second buck we will be adding to the program.

To say that my daughter is overjoyed by this prospect is an understatement, she is in bunny heaven.  I have to admit, these little guys are adorable and will certainly have no shortage of love and handling at this house!

We settled on a pedigreed breed called the Dwarf Hotot (pronounced Oh-toe).  This is a papered breed that was a bit difficult to find and often has people traveling to different states to be able to find good breeding stock.  The recognized standard of the breed is to have no markings on the pure white rabbit, save for a black or brown band around the eyes.  My daughter's plan is to begin with 4H and hopefully some ARBA (American Rabbit Breeders Association) shows with her bunnies and to breed them for sale.

We began the process and will be keeping you updated as this seems like a fun learning experience!

Here is my daughter when we arrived home with the bunnies (yes we had to use dog crates to transport them to their new homes, no laughing!)

So, here goes a new adventure in the life of an incidental farmgirl!

I recently wrote about how we obtained a miniature version of our full sized John Deere Gator for the two little boys (see post here).  My now 4 y/o's wish was to "ride my gator all over like we do the big gator."  So the adventure begins!  I decided it would be best to follow along in the full sized gator so that if the boys got stuck, or the battery ran dead I could at least "tow" them home.  So off we went into the sunset, the boys thought they were grown I'm sure as they independently took off down a fence row into the great wild unknown (otherwise known as our neighbor's field).  I followed along a safe distance behind letting them maneuver the mud, fence lines and other wiley dangers.  I laughed along the entire ride watching these two.

Along the way there was a rut or two that got them stuck (mom to the rescue) but for the most part they did quite well.  My 4 y/o could be heard showing his almost 2 year old brother the ropes, "This is how you go REALLY FAST" and "WATCH OUT FOR THE BRANCHES!" Because we had spent so much time over the summer cruising around in our "Big Gator" as the boys call it, they knew where to go and what to do.

As I coasted along ever so slowly a few measures behind it struck me that this was a sample of what life would likely continue to be.  Mom and Dad teaching them about things along the way, learning to let go and hang back so that they could practice the skills they had been taught, and watching it all unfold...the laughs from their antics, the ruts that get them stuck (mom and dad to the rescue), the whole beautiful mess.  

Its funny, I never started out wanting a "large" family, I figured I just wanted 1 or 2 children.  But, oh the joy they bring.  It is moments like these that I think what I would have missed out on if I let the world's view of the perfect family size dictate how many children we had, these  two are a hoot!

Since we moved to our farm we have loved our barn for its looks...but that is about it.  It is not water tight, the roof leaked horribly and it was not ideal for animals.  Though we wanted to repair what was there in lieu of a total replacement, we discovered that the frame of the building was not sound and no one would repair the roof for us without a completely new frame going up.  What that translated to was more money then a demolition and rebuild.  So, we decided to start over.  And before you ask...yes we saved that beautiful aged barn wood...I am hoping when thing slow down a bit to do some crafts for sale with whatever is left after hubby builds a few more things out of it.

So, we decided to do as much of the demolition (or at least stripping the barn wood off) as we could by ourselves.  Here is where we started:

I was so very thankful for a beautifully cool day when we did this project, you would never believe how hard that was, even with the kids help it was a tough all day job!  But the next day is when the fun started.  It always helps when you are friends with your excavator, kids get an up close view that way! We got to sit on our back deck and watch the excitement.  Better then any field trip I can think of and the kids ate it up!

One of the really amazing things to me is just how easy our modern equipment makes things.  Like cutting the drive to the new barn...the grass looks like crumpled carpet with a bobcat doing the work!

So here sits the blank slate waiting for the barn raisin'  I think that too will be a fun and interesting day to watch as well!  More pics to come...

We are anxiously awaiting the bumper crop of blackberries that are starting to ripen around here so we are checking on them daily and taking a snack or two while we wait.  The ones randomly ripening are being eaten faster then they can make it into the house.  On this particular evening I had my two youngest with me as we went out to check on the berries.

as we drove by several random patches of berries and plucked a few here and there as we went I found myself laughing that this is my kind of "drive by fast food!"  My little one likes to help me drive as we go berry hunting.

I am definately partial but I think I have some of the best looking berry pickers around.  We came back with stained faces and fingers and we are anxious for that bumper crop as we dream of blackberry pie and jam!

Some might say I am teaching my children foraging skills as maybe their palettes are not accustomed to "country fresh" foods, but here we like to eat fresh.  How much fresher can you get then mulberries straight from the tree?  Wild strawberries fresh from the ground? We have at least 2 mulberry trees on our property that bountifully supply these fun little delectables when the kids are out playing.  And, if you look closely enough you may find wild strawberries galore too! 

It is so neat to me that my children can be outside having fun and go on a spontaneous berry hunt.  I had to snap some photos as I overheard the conversation between 3 of my children.  

My 11 y/o was pretending that they were living "in the olden days" and that they (she and her brothers) could only eat what they could grow on thier own land...hence the mulberry snacks!  I love the imaginations and my 3 y/o kept asking if he could eat "all the berries"  too funny!  Makes a person think back though, there was a day not too long ago that there were not Walmarts and chain grocery stores to run to for your food.  You had to make, grow and pick what you wanted to eat.  If you think back too I believe there were a lot fewer people with health problems back then too.  So, this is the kind of fun I will continue to encourage!

yes, that's right they both got a ride on the 4 wheeler...they loved it!  Even the littlest was not scared by the loud noise (and yes it was a veeeery slow ride!)

There was even time to go back to daddy's special deer stand...how cool that was!  

On the walk back someone got too tired and needed a ride.

so remember that cute little puppy I posted pictures of awhile back?  I stand amazed at just how much she has grown!  The weather was nice a few days ago and we had her outside running with my husband's big hunting dogs...oh and she is a bit bigger than my beagle at this point.  I love her whiskers and eyes...this breed seems to have eyes that look almost human.

Then there are the kittens.  I am so excited that we found a home for the kittens born on Valentine's day.  They are going to the same home and going to be indoor pets.  They will be super spoiled.

It will be time for some new baby chicks soon...ahh I can feel it...summer is coming!

Mama cat has been at it again (yes we have an appointment now to have her fixed) I seriously do not know where she finds her suitors but she is such a lovely gal that they must come calling often as this is her 3rd litter in less than 12 months.  We have dutifully found homes for all the other kittens (even keeping two of them) but this is the final litter for this mama.  She is very proud of her new littles and they are just beginning to walk.

As is always the case when my children went outside on Valentine's Day they were thrilled that there were new kittens to love on.  I do love that they get to have this experience but with 4 steady farm cats and having placed 3 litters of kittens in the last year I am ready for mama to stop her wild ways.  So, this will be the last litter for awhile.  We have a male cat (fixed of course), mama cat and two of mama's previous kittens who are now about 6 months old.  So, 4 cats is plenty I think.  These are all outdoor cats as we have a child with severe cat allergies but these cats hang out on the porch and in the barn and take care of any mice and mole problems that arise.

The two kittens you see pictured have found a fantastic home where they will be indoor kitties and will be loved on for years to come.  

We have been making sure that they have gotten really used to all that lovin!

We have had chickens going on 3 years now and I have seen some interesting and strange things.  We do not have a rooster but our hens have nonetheless given us some interesting science lesson with thier eggs.   

We have had "naked" eggs where the hard shell has not formed around the egg and the egg feels like a partially inflated beach ball.

We have had a number of "double" yolks.

We have had green eggs, purple eggs, brown eggs...etc.

But...I have to say this was the top it all.  I even asked a couple I know with a very large chicken farming operation about this and they reported NEVER having had such an anomoly.  

So...what is it you ask?  Well, my daughter was very proud of the double yolker she brought in from the barn.  Just look at this thing and you can tell it will be amazing as a complete two fried egg breakfast all wrapped up in one. 

Well, when I cracked the egg I am very glad I was planning on making scrambled eggs and did not crack it right into the skillet.  You see instead of finding the "typical" double yolk with two beautiful yellow centers...there was a yolk and another egg inside the egg.  Seriously it was one of the "shell-less" eggs inside the egg.  I tried to "crack" it if you will but those eggs don't crack they rather kind of squish and when it did bust open there in fact was a very tiny yolk begining to form inside of it.

Honestly that was the strangest thing ever!  I have helped butcher chickens before and some of the layers would have large egg sacks like that inside that then harden into an egg and are laid, but never one whole egg inside another.  I would love to hear if any of my readers have ever seen such a thing before, or better yet, any other egg strange-ness that I have not see yet that you have experienced?  Comment below, I would love to hear from you!