Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Bok bok

When I called my husband today and told him that I thought we should get some chickens, he laughed. But I wasn't kidding. I tried to tell him that I was serious, but he didn't buy it. Finally, he told me that we could get chickens if he could get a goat. Now he was just mocking me.

Thing is - I am serious. I would love to have a few laying hens so that we could have healthy eggs to eat, where the chickens haven't been pumped full of hormones and antibiotics, and haven't been fed their brothers and sisters for dinner. Did you know that fresh eggs from organic birds have yolks that are much more yellow in color than the store-bought, non-organic kinds. They're also much healthier for those of us who are eating them, and the birds have much happier lives. Besides, if there ever is a natural disaster, and we're unable to get food from the store, it will just be one more way we can be self-sufficient.

Do I just sound like a fundamentalist now?

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Crazy fundamentalist! Nah -

My mom has a small farm with about 100 free roam chickens and they get the best eggs. The yolks are almost orange and the shells are really thick like they are supposed to be.

She has goats too, and they give milk and, ahem, meat if necessary. She uses them more for weed control though.

Oceanchild said...

I don't think I could deal with chickens. Not only do we not have space for them, but I can't have any more noise in and around the house than I already do. Plus dog would immediately eat them.

However, i do admire your reasons. I want to live on a farm so bad. If I lived on some land, I would get chickens AND a goat. I love goats...they are so cute!

Jen said...

I think that is awesome! For me it wouldn't work, since I HATE farm eggs. I don't know what it is but I cant eat them, they taste funny to me. (not that I'm a huge egg fan anyway though) We had ducks growing up for 4-H and they were loud and messy, I cant imagine having anything like ducks or chickens. YUCK!!!

carrie said...

I think it's awesome! Seriously! Ask Ben if he remembers that we used to have a little white baby goat. He'll probably laugh.... My kids used to ride it. (the little ones...NOT Matthew. ha ha) Let me know how it goes! Good luck!

Anonymous said...

I have two goats and now am the proud owner of 19 chicks... about one week old. They have been countless hours of entertainment! We have them in the living room right now, and we all sit around and just watch them for about an hour every night. Lots of fun!

author said...

Okay, so maybe you sound just a little bit like a fundamentalist... a fundamentalist that I would want to live next door to me so I could benefit. :)

Chelsea said...

I would love to keep chickens if we lived in a more rural area. In our ward growing up there was a family that had 11 kids and they had their own flock to save money on groceries. And it was a responsibility for their kids.

I do buy free range eggs because the living conditions are so horrible for caged hens. Ditto for milk, I will only buy organic because of how milk cows are treated.

pithydithy said...

I've got 9 laying hens at the moment and love them!

Omgirl said...

My sister used to keep chickens in her backyard in West Jordan. Three. And they laid three different colors of eggs: blue, green, and brown. They were delicious (the eggs, not the chickens). She made a special coop for them on wheels that could be moved around to fertilize the yard. But they were very messy and pooped everywhere. And they only lay for 2 years. But it was fun while it lasted! If I had the space, I'd definitely keep chickens.

Jess T said...

No, I think it is an awesome idea. If you can do it, DO IT! :) Let me know how it goes. I cannot have them where I live, but what a concept!

Notme said...

I think its a good Idea... but they poop everywhere. My neighbor had one as a pet and they let it live inside... that stupid thing pooped like crazy! But if you want it for the Egg laying, I think its a great idea!

Notme said...

I think its a good Idea... but they poop everywhere. My neighbor had one as a pet and they let it live inside... that stupid thing pooped like crazy! But if you want it for the Egg laying, I think its a great idea!

Anonymous said...

It seems so romantic to have a little flock in the back yard, but you should check it out thoroughly before making the plunge.

Chickens need feed, protection from weather and predators, and medicine for common diseases/pests.

Chickens lay less in the winter unless you have lights and heat in the chicken house.

You can keep buying chickens to replace your flock, or have roosters. Roosters present other testosterone-related problems.

Myth: Organic eggs are more nutritious.

You need to realize that it's expensive too, compared to buying eggs at the store. A friend of mine has 20 birds, and eggs end up costing him a buck or more apiece. Collecting eggs once or twice daily, along with feeding, watering, and cooping isn't that fun. As evidence of this, it's often a kid chore. :)

Dogs, owls, hawks, raccoons, skunks (among others) will start hanging around a lot more.

Chickens as emergency food: you have no problem with wringing necks?
In a widespread emergency, your chickens may be targeted as a food source by more than your family.