Can't say I hate to see the end. It's been too hot for the last 2-3 months and not much has been done outside. I'm looking forward to some coolth.
A remodel in the barn has been hanging over my head, and it needs doing now. Been too hot to work out there, but it should start being cooler soon. Nothing major, just an adjustment in the design of the Brush-Clean System. Even though the units are light enough to be moved around in the barn easily, moving them outside is another story. This is necessary for hard cleaning of the cage wire. I've got a plan to make the cage strips detachable from the supports. I also want to make the poop shelf removable but haven't figured that out yet. They are tied on with zip ties and I suppose it's not a big deal to just cut them off and replace the ties a couple times a year. A bit wasteful but it's probably what will happen.
I bred some does this week and last. This is another reason I need to get that job done now. I'll start with the brood holes so the does can be moved in when it gets close to their dates. I'll do the buck/jr holes in time for freezing weather.
Instead of my usual routine of breeding every open doe at once, I'm spreading it out a little. A few this week, some more next week. Most of the gals have been up for it. It will probably be hit or miss. It's always iffy to get does back in production after a summer hiatus.
My management plan is to keep the head count where it is now at around 30. I'm culling harder than ever and it might go even lower than that. I'm liking the smaller feed bill and less work. I'm down to 8 sr bucks and one of those is the loaner who will go back to his owner eventually. I'll sell some older does after I've exhausted all buck options for them. Of the current batch of jrs, I'm only keeping 2 does and I might change my mind about one of those. They're himis and I don't really need both of them.
Decided to do the Murfreesboro show this weekend. I was debating because it's one of those long drives and I have so little to enter. I need to sell a few so that made up my mind. And seeing friends I don't see as often. I don't have another show on my calendar until October.
tnt
