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This time of year, I'm always trying to find ways to use eggs, and wondering if maybe we should cut down our duck flock.  Then I remember how I miss the bounty of limitless eggs in the fall and winter, and how this is really just a small part of the big picture of feeding ourselves in harmony with nature (I know that's cheesy, but I can't think of a better way to say it).  Speaking of cheese, this also the dairy time of year for us, another a great source of protein.

This past week we finally finished kidding.  The last goat wrapped things up with two big boys on Wednesday the 5th, almost a full month after the first kids.  We were on track for the fastest kidding year yet, with most of the 45 babies arriving within a two-week window, and then these last two mamas took two additional weeks!  The second to last was somewhat exciting - I was loading the car for the farmers market, and heard the doe bawling.

This time of year the eggs are pouring in.  We are getting 16-20 eggs a day, but only selling a few dozen a week.  It always takes people a month or two to remember how much they liked duck eggs last summer - they start buying more as my supply levels out in June and July, and then start getting upset in September when the ducks really drop off.  Basically, the demand curve is the opposite of my supply curve!  

I've been stealing bits of time here and there, and over the past few weeks I've managed to spin a few more skeins of yarn.  I've made 2 of a white/fawn 2 ply from Annie and Carlyle, one fine and one a little more bulky.  I also made another fine-weight gray from Toby. 

It's cheese time!  Now that I'm milking again, I have lots of milk.  I don't actually need the milk for regular use - I already get a gallon a week of local cow's milk that is more than enough for our needs (unless we have milk-drinking interns).  I barter for a gallon of homemade kombucha, which costs me about $.75 to make, so I can't pass that up!   I pretty much use the goat milk for cheese, and I'm going to use some for soap this year.

We are holding at 41 goat kids right now, with 2 mothers refusing to finish up the kidding season in timely fashion.  We had a bit of trouble with the last mother to kid, her babies have trouble getting started every year because her teats are just too big.  They inflate like balloons, maybe 1.5" by 3", and the little guys just can't get ahold of them.  Then, she gets engorged, and swells up tight, and we have to milk her off to get the teats down to a manageable size.

As of this weekend, we are up to 29 kids, with 8 mamas left to go. We should end up with a few more than 40 babies. Yesterday, Sunday, we had 5 does kid ( and 5 on Friday) – the last one was Agnes, who did indeed have triplets. She is still pretty round, but she had to have dropped 20 pounds! We had 3 student interns here for a few hours, working in the garden, and they got to watch Susanna deliver a little girl. It's so rewarding when visitors get to experience totally new, unexpected things like that.