I am looking for ways to make the ideas of sustainability and permaculture deeper for the children. I want them to see the theory working beyond our yard. I want more than a nice garden with a rain barrel. How to do this?Because I want to order a broad range of heirloom chicks, we will have to start with at least 25. Fewer than 25 day old chicks can not be mailed. 25 is the critical mass of chick body heat, apparently. So I'm thinking that, come next fall, we should be collecting roughly two dozen eggs everyday. We eat a lot of eggs, but not two dozen everyday. What to do? I could offer them to all our neighbors for free. This pleases me partly because organic free range eggs are now selling around here for FOUR DOLLARS a dozen. (This makes me irate, even as I believe in supporting farmers.)
Then it hit me. We might be able to supply the local homeless shelter with free eggs for most of the year. Healthy happy non-hideous-evil-industry-poorly-sustained eggs. I like this idea. And what I like best is how this volunteer project takes the idea of sustainability and extends it beyond our yard, in a literal way, in which the children can participate. And it ties the idea of service into building sustainable systems. It tips our straw hats to the idea that a society is only as strong, and ultimately sustainable, as its ability to deal effectively with untidy yet innate truths about human beings. Such as the fact that we falter, we fail, we get addicted, we succumb, we occasionally find ourselves homeless, and we won't ever live perfectly.
12 comments:
Artistic photography... actual social activism... a loving mother... a thoughtful writer. You rock! I'm a lucky man :-)
I really love the idea of raising chickens. I don't think it's for the right reasons. I just hate the cost of organic eggs right now...and chickens are cute and fluffy...
(How much does it cost to send eggs to Maine, I wonder?? Nah, I liked your first idea better...give them to a shelter.)
That is a brilliant idea and you've set about what you want to accomplish in teaching your kids!
Does 9 miles count as neighborly enough for free eggs? :)
LOVE LOVE LOVE your service project. I was thinking about it last night... What a great idea!
That IS a good idea!
I'll be watching to see how this goes for you all. Because I might be following in your footsteps pretty soon. Organic eggs are so expensive! But I hate buying anything else.
Thanks y'all! M - I don't think there are any wrong reasons for raising chickens. Its even ok to eat them, if you ask me. Regularmom - try it and I bet you'll love it. I've raised them before. Chickens are better company than you might expect. Imagine opening a whole box full of babies! Hills - you can have alllllll you want!
Gosh, support really is emboldening. : )
I have 12 hens. I usually keep between 10-16 - A dozen eggs a day supplies my hungry (three teens) family with more than enough eggs, and the surplus (about 4 doz a week) more than pays for their feed. Since I don't cull, my hens are of different ages, so I add a couple each year - but like you, I have to order 25. So, I order, I raise the 25 for 16 weeks, and then, golly, here's the big pay off - I sell those ready-to-lay hens for $15 a piece. Many people want a small flock, but don't want to raise chicks. Since raising 25 is just like raising 2, profit on the excess. Be warned - they won't lay all year. Mine moulted in November and just started sporadically laying again. Since I refuse to force moult or use lights though, some of my hens are 8 years old and still laying.
Oh, I forgot the important part, shucks. The shelters and food banks around here, whether they're private or gubment run, won't accept farm dairy or meat. Produce yes, eggs and dairy have to be USDA inspected.
Have you decided on the type of chicken you're getting yet? We just went through the catalog and decided on ours - we have to pick chickens that can handle our cold weather and lay for most of the winter. And, since some are my daughters, they had to be pretty. lol
I love your idea of donating excess eggs, but like Doc's area, ours won't accept farm eggs. Eggs here are going for $2/dozen for organic free-range eggs. An hour north of us they're going for $3/dozen. $2/dozen barely covers feed costs right now.
Sarah
I am partial to Silver Tipped Black Wyandottes, Araucanas, and Buckeyes. I want a couple of silkies... ahhh, I love the catalog time of year!
I love buff orbingtons (sp?). They are the sweetest chickens with kids, and they have been the most consistent layers for us. Only problem is that they are less wily, and they tend to be the first ones the predators kill off if they get in the coop.
We live in the city, so we can only keep up to 4 chickens. Luckily for me, my Mom lives out in the country, and she's going to buy the 25 chicks and give us 2 to hand raise. My kids are just the right age to love raising chicks. And nothing beats fresh eggs.
I love your idea of donating to the homeless shelter. I hope it works out for you. My area shelters and food banks won't take eggs unless you have a commercial sellers license, and then you have to be inspected by the USDA. Actually, I think we aren't even supposed to sell to our neighbors unless we have a license ...
Oh, and if you think organic chicken eggs are expensive, try getting organic duck eggs! My mom sells those for $6 a dozen!
I just moved into a suburb. Can I have chickens in the suburbs? Legally? We don't have any sort of HOA or anything. And I'm not really worried about alienating the neighbors. I mean, we homeschool. It's already too late, if you know what I mean.
Hmmm....
Would RegularDad freak out if I told him I wanted chickens in the back yard? That's really the pertinent question here. :)
RegularMom, that makes me so happy and brings up such a good point I think its a whole new blog post. I'll have to think on it while I go make tamales! And tomorrow they are calling for SNOW which is a HUGE big deal down here. We may get 2-4 inches if we are lucky!
OH YES MY FRIEND, YOU CAN HAVE CHICKENS IN THE BURBS. Like, totally! But not roosters so much. Eh - who needs 'em anyway? (Sorry fellas, but that's my chicken stance until you guys start laying.) Three to four well managed chickens are an easy non smelling quiet lovely possibility.
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