To keep up egg production we introduce 3 or so new babies each year. This year we carried 3 Speckled Sussex home. The breed are hearty foragers, and apparently remain consistent layers throughout the winter months. Though right now they are just about the cutest things you'll ever see they will all remain un-named due to the nature of their demise. They will be eaten after they're laying slows (and even sooner if we brought home a boy by mistake). We will not fool ourselves this time and literally give and call them by their flowery names; they are to do their job dutifully, they will be treated with the uppermost respect and care, but hey, when they start dipping into the red, they'll hit the pot.
E kind of laughed it off and started calling them chirppy, scratchy, and pecky and when I reminded her about not anthropomorphising these ones N jumped to their rescue;
"We won't eat the chickies, Mama." he sternly corrected me
"Well, no we won't eat them until they're grown, baby." I conceded.
"No, Mama, these are not for eating."
(oh boy)
This is awesome- I keep thinking about keeping chickens here. Haven't been able to find out if our town even allows it... and I wonder about our super cold winters... I would love to pick your brain about it. Since my (too shady) first garden and the dog were both flops, I have to build up my confidence!
ReplyDeleteI was raised on a farm and was always taught "food" not "pets". Sometimes easier said then done. To give r kids a little insight to the farm life we have bought 2 goats (last year for Easter), a rabbit this year for easter and next year I was thinking chickens. Too cute! !
ReplyDeleteTime to read Charlotte's Web! ;)
ReplyDeleteHe's so sweet! Jason just culled 4 of our birds today and the kids did just fine. Though Jesse did ask about the chicken I served for dinner. It's strange how quickly they morph from "Awww, what a cute little hen" to dinner. Don't you love the sound of the chicks in your home?
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