let's talk chicken
So, some of you know that the other day I had a chicken walk into my house. My living room, to be exact. I asked him to leave. Yesterday, I had two walk through the front door as I was unloading groceries. Me thinks they're getting a bit too comfortable around TexasNorth.
Having chickens for the past 2+ years has been an unexpected super-fun journey. They're awesome. We certainly didn't plan to have chickens, but they're here to stay now.
Our chickens are free range. This, at TexasNorth, means they are cage-free and wander outside in the pasture from dawn until dusk. At dusk, they roost in the chicken coop and I shut their doors to protect them from things that go bump in the night. This also means, at TexasNorth, that the chickens have their beaks and un-clipped wings. It also means, at TexasNorth, that they are fed a mash 
supplement to assist with calcium levels (which is needed for the eggs' shells). I'm not convinced this is necessary yet, but I'm also not convinced it's not. For now, it's available to them. It's also fun for Rylie to throw at them, and that makes it worth it.
I say 'at TexasNorth' because not all free-range, organic, cage-free products are created equal. The hobby farmer is not the norm these days, though he is enjoying some awesome popularity again. With the decrease of family farming, bigger farms have taken up the production slack... often resulting in huge specialty farms. Pig farms. Or chicken farms. Or vegetable farms. Or onion farms. And with big farming often comes the inability to control everything the way they'd/we'd like it... because they have to keep the trucks rolling. It's not their fault. It's a combination of problems. Space, time, interest, money... they're all problems. And every farm deals with them differently.
Many of you have a healthy understanding of where your food comes from and its contents. You care. You pay attention to studies and surveys. You enjoy baskets from your local farmer's market. I love it. I just want to encourage you, above all else, to know your farmer. Honestly. That person behind the market stall is the most important thing you can know about your food. Labels like organic and fair and free are a suggestion of direction, not a guarantee of quality. Wait. Am I talking about polictics here? Hmmmm.
I'll say right here and now that my possibly non-organic eggs are better than any supermarket's of equal comparison. I love my chickens. I think they're hilarious. I like them so much I'm willing to scoop out their stinky coop mulch every couple months to keep it smelling nice (and my flowers blooming lover-ly). I'd be willing to bet they're happy here. They lay some seriously good, seriously neon-orange-yolked eggs. It will be the same with our cows and their meat. I have no idea, however, whether we will ever be certified organic. I don't like filling out paperwork and it's gonna be tough to pass that test with creosote fence posts.
It's the relationship... the knowing who's growing the food that's feeding your family. Meet these people. Walk their farm. See what they're like. Are they kind? Are they diligent? Are they passionate? Are they funny? Do they dress cute? It's simply not enough to buy the label. Labels mean less and less these days. They're a great place to start, but they can tell very little about a product and even less about the people behind it. Be (more) intentional about what you're doing. what you're buying. what you're eating. There are so few things you can control in this world! This is one of them! Go for it.
• 1⁄4 less saturated fat
• 2⁄3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more vitamin E
• 7 times more beta carotene
(from Mother Earth's Chicken and Egg page)
And here's everything else you'd ever want to know about an egg: egg facts.
And that's enough (for today) about that.
I love you guys.
13 people had somethin' to say:
i love it, i believe it, i really want to live it, and am trying very hard to do so. thanks for the education! i LOVE neon orange egg yolks, they really are so much better, and i try to only buy my eggs from our local farmers market. worth has been wanting chickens forever. the word in our neighborhood is that the house we live in had fighting chickens, we don't want that kind, that is wrong. you are acutally making me want chickens, and that life! but i will have horses instead of long horns, and i won't eat the horses that is wrong too!
Thanks for the edumacation on Thursday morning Kate! I believe it too and we're doing our best to change some of our eating habits! I am glad you know you and perhaps we can have some neon colored eggs from your blessed chickens some time! Rory looooooves her some scrambled eggs!
Kate, I want your eggs, and it's mostly because you dress cute. You tell me when, and I will show up on your doorstep with a basket (or, more likely, one of those blue reusable Meijer bags).
i hear ya sister!
we have been lucky this summer and have been trading our farm fresh veggies for some eggs with a couple. see...we have land to farm (at chris' folks place) but can't get chickens yet. they have free range chickens who ate all their veggies. it's a great trade. we get rid of all that extra zucchini and get some pretty eggs in the bargain.
cant wait to have land of our own and have our own chickens. maybe we can exchange some for play dates.
What a great lesson: witty, interesting, visually aided AND (bonus) informative.
Please come teach a lesson.
Fabulous! I love it. Thanks for the chicken lesson.
I'm busy trying to get Stella still to do my measuring...I'll email you with the results. Could take a while :)
I have to tell you Katie...if a chicken would walk into my house, you would hear me screaming all the way from PA to MI. I like eggs but chickens (live ones that is) just make my skin crawl!! LOL..
When I was little, my aunt had a rooster/ducks, they used to chase me everywhere!
Cathy
P.S. The egg lesson was interesting though!!
I'm catching up on your entries. So sad about Abe. So...you weren't talking about me and the Christmas music were you? Cuz I had some playing yesterday! My new rule is instrumental only until Halloween, then I can bring in lyrics. Living beyond oneself...I'm learning that lesson more and more these days at the hospital. It's tough to stop and look beyond the surface, into hearts, when we have agendas. You go girl! Inspiring! Miss you!
we had chickens a few different times and i loved them so much. like you they are just so fun to watch. our son learned how to run by running after our free range chickens. it was hilarious so see him come so close to catching one.
we loved the neon-orange yolks too. one of my fav jobs was collecting the eggs. i had some great mama layers.
but all great things come to an end. i don't think the student housing would appreciated having a few chickens running around campus!
Very informative.
Thanks for teaching us. I need to do more than just read the labels.
Yep, I agree with Laura...I want you eggs too because you dress cute.
Will you be my local farmer? Can I really buy some eggs from you? After all, those chickens did come in my living room too. :)
So where do I sign up for a share of eggs? we go through a dozen a week or so. Our babies looooove scrambled eggs. Seriously... you missed the celebration banner in all it's twins & daddy birthday party glory! Bring on the eggs! ~H
Love this post! (I'm Wendi, found your blog through Amanda). We are "eat only real food" advocates as well, and even though we live in Suburbia-ville, try to venture out to support our local farmers by buying a half a grass-fed cow here and there. Man, what I wouldn't give to live by you...still trying to find good pastured eggs around here (we eat SO many)and everyone wants to feed their chickens grains and call them vegetarian eggs (whatever that means). Don't they naturally eat bugs and worms like other birds? Sorry...soapbox.
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