I marked the new eggs and handed them off to #3 who put them into the incubator. That's 31 eggs set to hatch one week before Easter. I decided not to put any duck eggs in.
The bathroom is clean again, laundry is caught up, dishes are washed. It's finally quiet in the house as all the kids have gone to bed. Deep breath. Kids go back to school tomorrow. It's been a long week!
Next weekend is the exotic auction. I want to go, but I'm fighting with myself. All of my good rabbit cages are full. I have a few that need repairs before they can be used. I don't really need any new rabbits. I've had pretty bad luck in the past with auction rabbits - I've brought home rabbits that have been sick and died, rabbits that were mis-labeled on gender, rabbits that were not the breed they were supposed to be, and more than once, rabbits that have been severely neglected (starved, mats, crazy long nails). Do I want to pick up more rabbits that I don't need? Spring prices are always astronomical (definitely a seller's market), but I hate the thought of selling at auction. I want to know where my animals are going and I want to be able to support my buyers if they have questions, but I can't do that through an auction venue. I'd love to add some Ancona ducks and some Toulouse geese to my flock, but in the several years I've gone to these auctions I have never seen either of them go through. Guineas always sell for more than I think they're worth.
Another concern is my self control. We used to raise all kinds of small house critters... chinchillas, guinea pigs, gerbils, hamsters, even long haired merle mice. This auction always has a section of house pets (no dogs or cats), and every time I have to practically sit on my hands, because sometimes I miss having the little critters around. We do not need or want any more caged animals. We have our turtle and #3's snake, and that's enough. I don't enjoy cleaning out cages, and honestly, we have a small house and a large family. We don't have space for all the indoor critters we used to have. Nonetheless, it is tempting to bring something home.
My dear husband has already threatened to leave me at the auction if I buy things I know I shouldn't (like a baby goat, or a pig, or a caged house animal). So why do I still want to go? I don't honestly know. I have fun there. It's expensive (even if you don't bid, it's $8 per person seating charge and you end up buying overpriced food because it goes on all day). I have weird hobbies. Going to auctions seems to be one of them. Between kids, a husband working full time, and the fact that I don't drive, it does make it a difficult hobby to participate in. It just so happens that Tony has this next weekend off though.