Secret Layers

Tag: Business

  • The Story Of The Chinese Farmer And The Horse


    This is a parable from ancient China that teaches us that things are neither good nor bad. They just are.

    A farmer on a horse
    An image illustration of the Chinese farmer’s eldest boy on a horse


    A farmer in a rural Chinese village bought a horse and brought it home.
    Early the next morning, as he was feeding the horse, it ran away. His neighbors felt sorry for him. They gathered around his farm and said, “We’re so sorry. How unlucky.”

    The farmer calmly replied, “We’ll see.”


    Just before sunset the next day, the horse returned with seven wild horses. The farmer and his family were very happy. The neighbors came back, smiling. “Oh, you’re so lucky! You now have eight horses. Your farm will grow quickly.”

    The farmer replied, “We’ll see.”


    Three days later, the farmer’s eldest son tried to ride one of the wild horses. He couldn’t control it, and the horse threw him over. The boy fell on the rocks and broke his leg. The neighbors said, “You’re so unlucky. The horses weren’t blessings at all. Poor boy. Poor family.”

    The farmer simply said, “We’ll see.”


    The following day, war broke out in the country. The king’s officers came to recruit young men for the army. The farmer’s son was rejected because of his injury. All the neighbors ran to him, saying, “Oh my God! Your son was spared. That’s so fortunate. How lucky!”

    The farmer replied, “We’ll see.”


    Life events are not inherently good or bad. They just happen. Many times, we try to assign meaning to them. We label events as good or bad. In reality, they don’t make sense in isolation.

    Only after time passes, when you look at the bigger picture, does their meaning become clear.

    Why Did I Write This Story On A Layer Poultry Farming Blog?

    Things will happen in your life and on your farm. More than anything, you need a strong mind to get through these situations, whether they seem good or bad.


    You’ll have good seasons, high production, and strong prices. Other times, you may face disease outbreaks, feed price hikes, personal emergencies, or very poor production.

    That doesn’t mean you try to assign meaning to each situation. Instead, focus on solving the problem at hand or enjoying the success at hand.

    That’s all that matters.


    To learn more about resilience in farming, you need to know about DR.STARR a successful layer poultry farmer.

    Get this Free Layer Poultry Farming Guide to learn how to start and run your layer poultry farm profitably.

    Free beginners guide to starting a profitable layer poultry farm. Step by step guide.
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    See you next Friday!

    carlosdeche4040@gmail.com

    secretlayerske@gmail.com

  • The Funeral (Part One)

    January 7th, 2025 – Tuesday

    Schools had opened for the new year. The laughter, the shouting, the morning rush — all gone. Now, the neighborhood was dead quiet, like the calm after a storm.

    “You know, Niss,” her friend said, breaking the silence. “That thing we talked about — keeping layers. We should do it. It’s a good idea.”

    “Yeah, absolutely,” Niss replied. “I’ve been preparing. Reading, researching… there’s a ton of information in blogs, articles, even YouTube videos. It looks promising. I think I’m ready to start.”

    “Really? Well, good for you.” Her friend smiled. “How many are you planning to start with?”

    “I don’t know. I don’t mind starting with a hundred birds. It depends on how much money I can get.”

    “A hundred?” Her friend’s eyebrows shot up. Niss suddenly wondered what she’d said wrong.

    “How much profit will you even get from that? So small.”

    “Here’s my plan,” her friend whispered, leaning forward like she was about to share a secret. “I’m planning to start big — massive profits, you know? I want not less than a thousand birds. I heard an expert say anything less than that is pointless.”

    She paused, frowning. “But you know my piece of land — it’s small. If I keep a thousand birds, I’ll have no room left for maize or cassava. So for now, I’m saving. I want to buy a bigger plot. I hear Be Kanze is selling part of his land. That’s what I’m aiming for. When I start, it’ll be big — and fast.”

    “What do you think?” she asked.

    “I think it’s a dead plan,” Niss said flatly. “Let’s start with what we can for now.”

    “Not true. Just wait and see,” her friend replied, folding her arms.

    After a few more rounds of back-and-forth, Niss finally walked back home, unsure if she’d made her point — or lost it.

    The Funeral

    Yellow day old layer chicks.Definitely still in brooding out on the farm with a spade - a commonly used farm tool/equipment
    It’s heartbreaking seeing your chicks die. Whether on day one of arrival or any other time. It’s so tough.


    April 28th, 2025 – Monday

    “Hey, what’s that?” a voice called out behind her.

    Niss turned. It was her friend.

    “I’m burying two of my chicks. They died overnight,” Niss said quietly.

    “Chicks? Dead? What chicks?” her friend asked, puzzled.

    “Layer chicks — the ones we talked about. I bought a hundred and fifty. Now they’re a hundred and forty. Ten have died so far. I spoke to the vet, and he said a few deaths are normal. But it shouldn’t be too many.”

    “See? I told you. If you’d waited, this wouldn’t be happening. Plus, if you had a thousand birds and lost a hundred, you’d still have nine hundred left. That’s still good money,” her friend said, voice laced with concern.

    “Where are you with your plan?” Niss asked.

    “Oh, I’ve got the land now,” her friend said proudly. “So I’m saving for the next step — the structure, the chicks, equipment, and feeds. I heard prices have gone up again. Once I’ve saved enough, I’ll hire a contractor and buy my chicks.” She smiled, confident.

    “That’s good,” Niss said slowly, “but I think you’re wasting time.”

    “No, I’m not. Just wait and see.”

    Niss sighed and turned away. Maybe she should wait.

    For now.

    But she knew that this was the day she had buried her inexperience in brooding. The day of the funeral..

    (Part 2 drops next week Friday)

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    carlosdeche4040@gmail.com

    secretlayerske@gmail.com