This Sunday afternoon, we're planning to "retire" our hens. These girls have given us two years of unreliable, inconsistent service as egg layers and egg eaters, and will end their lives as soup broth for us and for the two other families that are coming out to help us butcher them. 
Here they are as tiny chicks, back in January of 2010. You'll notice, of course, someone else who was much tinier back then.Is it weird that I have baby pictures of my hens? It feels weird, but it's completely logical.
These girls have been an important part of our lives, but I can't say I'll be that sorry to see them go. They've taught us a lot about the logistics of managing a larger flock, which is to say they've taught us that what we really want is a small, personal, family sized flock. I don't want the hassle of selling eggs anymore, which was frankly never all that profitable for us. On the other hand, I love watching the antics of these girls as they roam around and scratch and pick at each other all day. . .and I really, really, can't go back to eggs from the store.
So, against Matt's moderate objections, the kids and I are planning for the new chicks this spring. My goal is to turn our smaller, future flock over to the kids, who are now old enough to manage the feed and water and such. It's been fun to talk to them about what types of birds they can get now that we don't have to worry about size and consistency so much. . .we're thinking a mixed breed flock with brown, white and green egg layers in it, just for fun.
This will be the first time in a long time that we won't have any farm animals to take care of, and I'm very much looking forward to a short break from the cares and worries that these animals present. Come spring, I'm sure I'll be ready to get back into it, but until then, I'm going to find a neighbor who has eggs for sale and enjoy my home grown soup.
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3 comments:
I can't imagine life without hens (or their eggs) either. We lost all 20 of ours last winter and had to start from scratch. I just went with whatever was on clearance at the farm store and got some really nice laying hens for a fraction of the price and someone else got to feed them for a few weeks. Score!
That's a good idea. Our hatchery has layer mixes on discount every once in a while too, so that might work out pretty well.
I wonder if Rhode Island Reds are more likely to be egg peckers because Football is one at our house too! I think we need to retire our older ones as well! You should defintely get some Ameraucanas/Auracanas. They are so much fun! You could get green, blue, speckled or even pink eggs from them! They are really cool. I think your kids would dig that. Best layer hands down: Leghorn. Our Omeleto started laying at only 16 weeks, lays every day even in the winter without lights and lays HUGE eggs compared to her small body size. Only downside is that Leghorns are a little more flightly, sketchy. Ferreh, I like your kind of thinking! :-)
-Cassie
www.lifetransplanet.com
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