the last shows of the season

I've been a little lax with the blogging, I know! I've been even more lax about taking photographs lately. I was up in Eureka last weekend at a poultry show, and in Fresno this weekend at a show. I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed both, and had so much fun hanging out with friends. None of the people which whom I am uncomfortable attended either show, so they were both fun and relaxing for me, and I had a great time catching up with people I really care about.

The birds did well. In Eureka I got Best of Breed with a Splash Rosecomb pullet and Reserve of Breed with a Black Rosecomb pullet. I only took one bird down to Fresno, a Black Rosecomb pullet, and she took Best of Breed in a pretty respectable class! Congratulations goes to Dan for having a Sebright on Champion Row two weekends in a row! :-)

My chicken plans feel pretty solid these days, and different from what I had thought a few weeks ago. I was pretty down on the whole experience and wanted to get away from it, but a little flame of competitiveness has been rekindled somehow. I'm still selling about 2/3 of my breeding flock (this is underway, the ball is rolling, I've already sold half my Blacks, still working on the others), but I'll be keeping 20-25 birds and still raising everything I have now, just in different quantities, with the emphasis very much on the BBReds.

I'm going to set up breeding pens next week, and though I don't plan to hatch my own birds til probably June (though this kinda depends on whether I get into Blade Show, which I won't know til mid March), I'll be selling eggs again this spring. No presale, they'll all be on ebay. It takes too much of my time to deal with orders of specific quantities and specific dates, so this puts it on my terms, and that makes me sigh with relief.