My dad grew up on a farm in Canada, but he went to college and moved far away from farm life, never to return again. Except for family vacation. Every summer, my parents would load up my brother, my sisters, and me and take a 3 week vacation out west. We visited the farm ever summer. The smell of cows, the old barns to play hide and seek in, fields and fields of harvested wheat (or whatever it is my uncle grows)- I think I grew to love farm life (or the idea of it at least.) So now I've become a farmer. Kind of.
This past spring, my friend Emily and I bought 12 laying hens and set them loose in a fenced-in yard near where both of us live. (don't worry, we got permission first.) These hens lay the nice brown eggs - their yolks are richer, more orange than yellow, and apparently better for you. I don't know if you can technically call yourself a farmer when all you have are 12 hens, but it's a start. The other day, someone dropped off 5 more hens and a rooster. Since 2 of our previous hens had disappeared (we think it was a fox), we now have 15 hens and a nice manly rooster.
Today, a friend of mine showed me how to tell the chickens apart (It's hard when a lot of them are the same color). Their comb is different. I didn't know what the comb was, though, so that didn't help. (It's the part on top of their head that's red. Some hens have bigger combs, some have smaller one...anyway). So, I'm learning the ropes. Next spring, we're hatching off some diddies (i.e. baby chicks). And I might even take a couple hens to the slaughter house this fall for some fresh meat. I think my grandpa would be proud. :)
This past spring, my friend Emily and I bought 12 laying hens and set them loose in a fenced-in yard near where both of us live. (don't worry, we got permission first.) These hens lay the nice brown eggs - their yolks are richer, more orange than yellow, and apparently better for you. I don't know if you can technically call yourself a farmer when all you have are 12 hens, but it's a start. The other day, someone dropped off 5 more hens and a rooster. Since 2 of our previous hens had disappeared (we think it was a fox), we now have 15 hens and a nice manly rooster.
Today, a friend of mine showed me how to tell the chickens apart (It's hard when a lot of them are the same color). Their comb is different. I didn't know what the comb was, though, so that didn't help. (It's the part on top of their head that's red. Some hens have bigger combs, some have smaller one...anyway). So, I'm learning the ropes. Next spring, we're hatching off some diddies (i.e. baby chicks). And I might even take a couple hens to the slaughter house this fall for some fresh meat. I think my grandpa would be proud. :)
4 comments:
maybe some day, beans. it does sound fun... not to mention much more environmentally responsible. i just bought some reusable grocery bags and thought that was a big deal. but owning a flock (?) of chickens? that is big stuff.
i'm proud of ya.
Wow, you are becoming quite sustainable. That is my all-time goal at some point. Thanks for paving the way!
the best part about having chickens is washing the poop off the eggs when you collect them each day. :)
merilee! Don't kill your chickens!!
I'm going to get some spies in the area to work for me and tell me when you're thinking of doing this business (Oso and I worked out a deal already- you wouldn't know it but he's actually a huge animal rights activist) There might be some sort of intervention. But if you do decided to kill a chicken, do you know about the chicken bomb? If not I will fill you in.
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