Goings on around here lately

**  Purchase offer for bantams, husband wanting to become breeder for hire, and possible lost chicken

It looks as if one of my laying hens has either gone missing, or was attacked last night.

When I put them all away last night I did a general glancing headcount, but didn't check-list count them each and every one...  Guess perhaps I should have.  We had 5 eggs this morning just like normal, since one hen hasn't been laying.  Not sure which one it is, but I have my guesses. 

On another note, I found somewhere that I can technically purchase my husbands breeding stock, if he so chose, however he says they are charging too much.  I agree, but it is what it is.  I guess he would rather by 20 birds and spend $100 than buy 5 birds and spend $50, because then he can decide and choose which ones he likes best for his breeding stock rather than picking the cast-offs from someone else's flock.  And Amish flock to boot... which for those who are unfamiliar, Amish livestock are generally less than desirable when it concerns the english buying them.  Generally anything purchased must go through extensive TLC and isolation, above and beyond normal regiments because they've been so poorly cared for.

And on another topic still, one of our barns partially collapsed in the recent storms we've had, thankfully no one was hurt including our animals but some of dads collectors grade antiques were at risk, so in the collapsing and so forth, it's become very evident that it's time to move out some.   My father has accumulated several of these over the 2 decades that he's hauled milk, and although in some ways I suppose he feels as if he is selling off part of "himself", it is literally money sitting in the barn waiting to be made.

Mom and I know their approximate value.  The lack of rust, the stamping on the cans identifying them to their original creameries, and the dates in the stamps raises the value to $150 per can.  We're selling them for $100.