By Michael Smith (Veshengro)
When we think about chickens and farms it is natural to picture a rooster atop a fencepost belting out his best crow at the crack of dawn. In the farmhouse the aged farmer crawls out of bed to start his day. There is something romantic about seeing hens meandering through the farmyard and the farmer’s wife gathering eggs in the morning light.
I must say though that I still have to actually see a rooster do that; standing atop a fencepost, I mean, though the rest might just work. Then again, one of my Bantam roosters has taken to stand a top a pallet used as a gate and yodel. We must, however, also remember that that idyllic vision is not general reality, not even on so-called free range egg farms.
Today most egg production is rather industrialized and yes, even organic egg production is rather on a large scale and while the chickens are better off than those in the factory farms it still is miles away from the old family farm idyll of a a couple of dozen hens and a rooster roaming around in the farmyard scratching for worms and living the “good life”.
It is an idyll that should become the norm once again as far as food production is concerned. And yes, I am well aware that with so many people on the Planet today we need more food than we needed say in the 1940s but it can still be done; research has proven that.
In our present hectic world, which is no good to man or beast, we stumble out of bed to our digital alarm, grab something to eat that is wrapped in plastic and filled with more preservatives than natural ingredients, then run off to work. We rush through the day, hurry into a crowded grocery store on our way home and grab some eggs out of the commercial refrigerators and those eggs, unless we have the choice and are careful about choosing, have been produced in cages. We no longer have an idea where our food is coming from.
About six decades ago we knew where our food was coming from. Now we have no relationship to it and our lifestyles are so hectic we unrealistically think we don’t have the time to reconnect and few make an attempt because of that belief.
With the revival of living sustainably and organically, however, I have seen more and more small town and even city dwellers acquiring new pets for their household, feathered ones.
Having a few hens in your backyard is now very cool and is becoming quite an accepted thing to do. Some city dwellers who are yearning for the country even keep small Silkies or Bantam hens as indoor pets but I definitely would not recommend chickens indoors.
Chickens are very useful birds to have around. Not only do they keep the insect population in check, they provide natural fertilizer for your garden. Many people go out and buy chicken manure pellets which are, basically, noting else but the dried droppings of chickens. You'll get that for free and, obviously, and let’s not forget that, you get the benefit of fresh, organic eggs in your backyard. There is nothing better than eggs that come from your own hens.
There are a fair number of plans for chicken coops, from small ones to even chicken palaces online, some which are even free for the download or copying, while others cost money. In addition there are literally hundreds of books and magazines available on keeping hens that all could help get you started. No need buy the material; some you can find online, the books you check out at the library – if you are lucky enough still to have a public library.
Construct a simple house for your “girls” – it does not have to be elaborate – and you’ll wonder how you lived without these sweet pets. You can even let the hens roam around in the yard, provided there are no dogs to torment or harm them, and they will gather grit and greens for food. In their house or coop, offer organic, non-genetically modified feed and grain along with fresh water. You might also want to include some oyster shells. The calcium in the oyster shells hardens the eggshell. Take care of your “girls” and they will thank you with a full supply of eggs for your kitchen.
You can also – as I do – feed the eggshells back to the hens. You will have to bake the shells first though and I have found the easiest way for that to nuke them in the microwave – the eggshells, not the chickens – and then grind them up fine. Saves on buying the oyster shell grit. Lack of calcium can cause the eggs to not form a shell and be just a gooey mess and no more. Therefore the feeding of shell back to the hens.
Hens make great pets but are – in reality – happy to be left alone as much as possible. There is no need to handle them all the time. They provide great entertainment for sure and nothing could be more funny than the chicken version of rugby or the “chase the falling apple petal” game.
Finally, a word of warning: Chickens are strange, strange in the eggstreme... I have one that insist on watching me through the window when I am in the kitchen and one also does that through another window when I am working on the computer. Nigh on as soon as I do something in the kitchen the particular one there will pop up onto the suitable pedestal from where she can watch what I am doing, while singing to herself at the same time. Strange for sure chickens are but great fun...
Get some hens for your backyard; you won't regret it.
© 2011
