Showing posts with label eggs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eggs. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

03.19.08 EASTER EGGS


It certainly isn't difficult to figure out the origin of the connection between egg hunting and this spring holiday! My tiny flock of chickens laid no eggs for months during the cold and dark days of winter. But as the days started to get longer and the air warmer they have all felt the urge. The first egg of the season arrived on the last day of February and we have been getting two or three a day since then. Many more than we can eat, so we are happy to distribute our flock’s bounty with friends and neighbors. My flock consists of only eight chickens, two of which are little bantam rooster brothers. Five of the hens are five years old and one bantam hen is three years old. Good producers worth keeping until they retire of natural deaths. They keep the garden fertile, the weeds and bugs down, and offer us these wonderful gifts during the warm months.

Since all my chickens live in one house now, I plan to refurbish both of my "chicken tractor" houses and start a new flock for the empty house. Twenty-six new chicks for myself and friends are due to arrive by mail from the hatchery on April 4!

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

07.04.07 A NEW INDEPENDENCE



Bringing up the produce of the garden to the house one day this week, I feel a bit of independence from grocery stores and the long line of merchants and producers they represent. One small potato planted a couple of months ago has produced all of these potatoes from one plant, the hens contribute some lovely eggs, and believe it or not the broccoli is still producing like crazy. A sweet country supper.

Friday, April 20, 2007

04.19.07 SPINACH HARVEST



The garden provides a wonderful supper this evening. Fresh spinach and eggs! Yum.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

03.28.07 FREEDOM


The amphibian eggs I collected just over a week ago hatched and are growing faster than I could have predicted. All the tadpoles swim with fish-like tails and have started growing little stubs of legs! There are so many that I have decided rather than risk crowding them I will release them back to the stream in the pasture across the road. I imagine most will end up feeding the other creatures one step above them on the food chain.