The eggs keep rolling in...update on chickens.
Last summer I purchased 25 white plymouth rock chicks with the intention of putting them all in the freezer. They grew nicely and all but one rooster gave himself up to feeding us. But then life intervened; the freezer looked like it might not last and between college and work I just plain ran out of time. The chickens received a procrastinator's pardon and they've been happily scratching up the back yard all through the fall and winter. Actually I had an alternate idea in mind. I've learned to always have a Plan B. I found the Ameraucanas weren't giving enough eggs for us and the CSA so I was hoping the White Rocks would provide.
They have really outdone themselves. The new girls began laying about 4 weeks ago. Just a few at first, little pullet eggs. But now we're collecting 10 to 12 big brown eggs every day! So yesterday I bought one of these.
Yes, okay. So I swiped that photo from a website. But its a Little Giant styrofoam incubator. Not the fanciest one on the market but I have some friends who have one and are willing to walk me through the process. I did get the egg turner, too.
Hatching chicks seems like the next step in a natural progression. But today the concept really sunk in - I could conceivably have an endless supply of meat and eggs for my family. I can cross two things off my grocery list - PERMANENTLY. Unless I get a yearning for another breed (or the unthinkable happens) I need never purchase a chicken from the store. So this is how this sustainability thing works. This is how we get off the treadmill. Oh yes, I save seeds from each harvest to plant the next year's crops. But this is much more tangible.
And very, very satisfying.
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