After 3 or 4 years, a chicken's egg production
generally slows down to the point where it's
no longer practical to keep feeding them.
They are helpful in other areas--eating bugs
and weed seeds, fertilizer the garden, etc--but
we love our fresh eggs so with this being our main
purpose in having chickens, when they slow down
we get a new crew. I stick to good layer breeds but
I do like to try out new ones within that category
whenever I can. My last two orders have come
from Meyer Hatchery in Missouri and I have been
very happy with them, especially this last crew
who have proven to be all eggsellent egg layers!
First, I did not receive the Brahma rooster that
I ordered--which is a first but these things happen.
I'm super-sad about this because...well...
because HE'S JUST SO FLUFFY!
I'll just have to grab one next time.
I received instead a Brahma hen with some fun
feathery legs and that will have to do.
As fortune would have it, I accidentally received a male
Cuckoo Maran along with my other 3 Cuckoo Maran
hens so at least I have a rooster.
Above are the golden comets (brown eggs).
Bernadette, one of the Easter Eggers. Their
"beards" amuse me...and make for funny pictures.
(She's the friendliest)
Olive eggers--note the small head tufts.
(Obviously, olive eggs--love these!)
In the back left is a French Copper Maran.
(Dark brown eggs)
Cuckoo Marans--first time with these.
(Dark brown eggs)
...and a very white Easter-egger.
I also have a dark gray Easter-egger (not pictured).
These lay beautiful pastel eggs, usually in blue-hues
and occasionally greenish; even more rare are the
pinkish-brown eggs. Thus the name "Easter Egger".
Needless to say, we don't need to color eggs
for Easter. Nature does it better.
(In all, 18 hens & one rooster.)
Now, what did we do with our last crew?
We went all pioneer-people and butchered them.
Not for the meat--at that age, they're too tough.
Instead, I roasted them up with some veggies
and then made gallons and gallons of broth.
In this I was able to use our own carrots and
onions and our own herbs--all while they were
summer-fresh. Then we get to enjoy those
flavors, and the incredible health benefits,
all year long.
Comments