Fast-5 Diet and Lifestyle: Re: [fast5] Heather - chickens

Monday, May 11, 2009

Re: [fast5] Heather - chickens - (Cassie) (strength training)

Thanks! We've done both. The eggs are mostly what
we like. They are amazing. But we got the chickens
originally for 1) A garbage/weed disposal and 2) Bug control.

At the moment though, the chickens have become food ... not
for us, but for a local predator (probably a bobcat). Keeping
animals really opens your eyes to the reality of the food
cycle on planet Earth.

We have done a couple of batches of "meat chickens" which
is a common thing in this area. What interests me in this
is that while I didn't do very much "special" (they were raised
in a very small area, 6x8, on straw with some weeds tossed
in for greens) they turned out very different from what
you buy in the store. My plan was to raise them on real
grass, but the breed just doesn't work that way. Which makes
me wonder a lot about what you buy in the store.

A similar issue exists with eggs. Our chickens aren't anything
special ... but the eggs are not anything at all like what
you buy. Doesn't matter what breed either, and they DO get
commercial food daily (along with leftovers and weeds and
all our spare spiders/fleas etc.)

When I was growing up, my Grandma used to say "Chickens
in America are unhappy. They lay sad eggs". Something I
chalked up to "weird immigrant Grandma". But these days
I think she was correct, though I still don't know why.

If you have the opportunity to keep a couple of hens though,
I'd totally recommend it. They will improve your soil, handle
your leftovers, keep you entertained, AND give you some
awesome eggs. And they are easy to give away if you
don't want them (unlike, say, a dog). You can keep hens
in the city in a lot of places these days. Roosters, not so
much ... but I really don't recommend them for a lot of
reasons (including the fact they will terrorize your children).

On Mon, May 11, 2009 at 6:28 PM, Karen <laurvick@charter.net> wrote:
> Great info, Heather!
>
> Do you have chickens to eat or just for their eggs?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: fast5@yahoogroups.com [mailto:fast5@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of
> Heather Twist
> Sent: Monday, May 11, 2009 7:10 PM
> To: fast5@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [fast5] (Cassie) (strength training)
>
> Which is a great example of genes vs. diet! Anyway, the
> experience convinced me that "muscle bulk" isn't much use
> in and of itself. "Muscle strength" though, is a good goal.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>