Okay, I guess it is about time to update y'all again. So far I have absolutely have fallen in love with the feed stores around here! they carry EVERYTHING you can think of from the livestock itself to all you can possibly need to take care of it. Last time I went I got 20 standard cochin chicks-my favorite type-golden laced, buff, AND I think a couple of partridge. I also got a pair of sebastapool geese at a flea market/auction thing for $30 for the pair!(they are on strict quarentine!!) A neighbor gave me a male turkey for my hen and wants to buy some sebastapool eggs or goslings next spring! FIL and I are getting ready to seperate his chicken pens according to breed now that he has a cabinet incubator he wants to incubate some eggs instead of giving them away or throwing them out like he has been doing. Everything seems to be coming together. When we moved we had to sell dd's little mule and we had promised her a new one when we got here. That didn't take long. We got the prettiest little black and white mini gelding that was broke to ride for $250 and DD absolutely loves him! He is very well mannered and calm, unfortunately he has problems with his stifles-on both legs. Riding or pulling he does great with no problems, but if he is left in a stall too long then his legs lock badly. We are going to try to work him to strengthen the ligaments before considering a surgery that he may not need. Here almost everyone around has a horse and we are beside a hunting club where we can take out the minis for cart or wagon rides and the exersize should be good for his legs. I still haven't got them convinced to get a hog yet, but I did manage to get them convinced and excited about a milk goat(didn't take much to convince FIL! He loves raw milk and immediately was ready to get one) Unfortunately we have been looking for nearly two months now and still have not found one. We have found doelings from farms for prices well above what we can afford. We can pay up to $200 but no more and we really want one that is milking or at least grown for that price. I can't even seem to find many mixed breed goats.
Anyway on another note, the kids started school today. They went from a school that had less than 500 students for k-12 to a school that has over 700 from k-4th! I am worried how well that is going to work with them. I took them both to school and met their teachers. Both teachers seemed nice which will definately help. I am afraid it will be a shock to them like it was me when we moved from a big town in arizona to arkansas when I was a kid(where i went to the exact same school that my kids just left and my kids were going to school with my childhood friends kids and had some of the same teachers I had as a child!). I just still wish we could find our own place!!!!!!!!