Well let's forward it to 20 plus years later. My new hubby decides
we need to get some chickens. I’m facing the dilemma that I escaped all those
years ago again. But I was more open-minded this time because he’s so cute and
smart and I like being able to impress him. I was all for it on the outside, but
I had my doubts. Could I really do this? Could I eat those non-white shelled
eggs that were coming from our backyard instead of the pretty grocery store? Not
to mention on top of that, Gregg wanted us to kill some for meat! Oh Lord!
There are only so very few meats I will eat. I do not like water critters, deer,
rabbit, most things that are hunted.(I know, I know). I have always loved
chicken though. It’s my favorite! But the thought of us killing them and
throwing them in the pan after my daughter has named them kind of left me
uneasy. But once again, I was going to give it a try.
Finally the day came when we got our first egg. Gregg was so
excited! It was little and to be honest I think I probably used it for
battering something…I honestly don’t remember. I do remember feeling kind of
proud about it though. So after a week or two we started getting three eggs a
day from our pretty girls. I loved it! They tasted awesome, we were saving a
little bit of money by not having to buy them at the grocery store, and I knew
where they were coming from so that made me feel better about what we were
eating. I found myself never wanting to eat another grocery store egg again. I
truly began to realize that it was better for you. According to www.motherearthnews.com. , farm fresh
eggs have four times more omega fatty acids in them than store bought eggs, and
half the cholesterol. They are also six times higher in beta carotene. Whoo
hoo! Feeling healthy!
Now the meat part was still not my favorite .Perhaps that is
because it was an older chicken and I know that those are best in stews and
such, which is what we did. I watched as Gregg skinned the birds and cleaned
them.(This part does not bother me. I am in healthcare and so it actually is
fascinating to me.)The thing is it was not a broiler chicken so there wasn't as
much meat. I was a not a fan. The meat was stringy and bland. I’m hoping in the
future to get some broilers. Meanwhile our chickens came up
missing. I was devastated. We never could figure out what happened. We have had
to start over. We have more hens this time and
we have moved the chickens closer to the house. I am looking forward to
collecting eggs again, but I miss those others. They were my first experience
and they were sweet chickens. These are for some reason more timid. I spent
time with them like I did the others, but they still are shy. Hoping they will
get more comfortable with me, and anticipating the days of collecting eggs
again.
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Other Posts by Nicole: The Un-Country Country Wife, God Gave Me a Carter
Other Posts by Nicole: The Un-Country Country Wife, God Gave Me a Carter
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