A Butter Bird

You don't know 'til you pluck it

This weekend was the start of the efficiency of projects around here. After a somewhat stilted start of the year, we finally declared it the new new year and leaned in on 2023's theme: "discernment." A time for streamlining - taking on less but doing it better.

It's tough, particularly when surrounded by animals for whom you feel great affection, to hold the line. Chickens who aren't laying eggs, old guineas who have grown to be part of the fabric of the little farm, and goats who aren't the ideal producers are still so cute. But, they multiply and require the same resources as the producers.

When faced with limited ability to outlay the space, food, time, and money needed to maintain it all, it's better to have fewer animals to treat exceptionally well than too many who are just ok.

So, some of my beloved goats hit the classifieds at Craigslist this week. I'll be sad when they leave, but I will do my best to find them a great home.

One of my chicken-tending neighbors, a girlfriend, and I have resolved we will no longer keep "freeloaders" - those chickens who eat but don't lay. It's easier to cut numbers when doing it with someone else in a similar situation. Like an accountablibuddy for weight loss or working out - but for getting rid of superfluous chickens.