We have had chickens for about two years now. But they were mostly there for the amusement of our caretaker and his family. Last year I decided that if we were going to keep them it was time to get them out of the rain and out of the exposure of some of the wild animals that traverse our property.Since we have 25 acres of pine trees, and Alaskan mill, and a good worker, we bypassed the local maderaderia and cut and milled our own planks.
Here you see the results of a few trees.
Since Chickens are probably the most versatile animal created, I figured that we should keep a dozen or so for their bounty.
After all, they are relatively cheap to feed, house and their products are plenty.
Eggs can be used for tons of great dishes, and after a bit, so can Chicken meat.
The fertilizer also helps in the garden after a fashion, so having chickens is probably the most wise mini self sufficient thing we can do.
Not that eggs are expensive at the market, there is just something about warm fresh eggs that you cannot beat.
The taste of eggs in Mexico, even in the markets are so superior than those NOB, the color, the taste is superb. Once you have had fresh eggs it is really hard to go back to store bought eggs again.
Not even considering all the chemicals and hormones etc that agribusiness feeds large growers. The last couple of years I read a few books which really made me think about what and how the food we eat gets produced.
So, if you do get a chance you can join the fresh food movement, get yourself a few chickens. After all, when you are in Mexico you always hear the roosters and chickens in a neighborhood along with the howling dogs, so besides being pets they are food producers too.
10 comments:
Do you have any of the naked-necked, bald-headed chickens we see around here?
Saludos,
Don Cuevas
Great view you've got there ;-) Chickens also make great pets actually.
Put me down for a dozen, I'll pick thenm up along with that bread you promised me.
Cut your own planks?
when we lived in sicily we used to get fresh eggs down the road. sometimes they were warm, like you described. the egg yolks were incredible in color, nothing like the yellowish ones in the store bought ones we get here.
have a great week!
teresa in lake stevens
Millling your own lumber. Raising your own chickens. That really does take me back to my Powers days. I guess that makes t nostalgia with a purpose.
it's first on my list when we get there. I grew up having our own chickens. I love eggs, but I am not crazy about eating chickens. Nice hutch you made for them.
I must not have ever eaten any of those superior Mexican eggs people rave about. After seeing them stacked ceiling-high in dedicated bodegas, in the broiling sun with no climate or sell-by control, I admit to being a bit put-off.
I understand there is no need to refrigerate fresh eggs, but unless one farms them, one cannot know how fresh an egg might (not) be.
Mexican chicken eggs and I go way back, but unless I'm wrong (never happens), notorious US poultry factories, using their inhumane, inorganic methods, now produce better than half of the eggs marketed commercially in Mexico.
With all the statins we pill-pop the odd egg in a cake batter isn't something we study. Bacon and eggs with biscuits and cream gravy and Full English Breakfast rarely figure on the menu anyway. Yet, at my Mexicana's insistence, we regularly drive up into the country to buy "yard" eggs. My otherwise sane brother keeps hens inside Austin city limits (really, I think the blame for this phenomenon lies with ol' Martha Stewart).
Since for me, a "good egg" is maybe a once a year celebration, I'm hoping to find a Mexican cook who, perhaps for my birthday, can render eggs that come off the sarten before they have the texture of ule. No luck so far.
Texican
No, The birds have all their feathers, most of the year, and ours we feed other food besides kitchen scrap. Makes the eggs better and the shells stronger.
I have found that the eggs that we use to purchase at the markets were all not what I would call fresh. You need fresh eggs to make poached eggs you know. Once you have had fresh eggs it is really difficult to eat store bought ones. I have never had a bad egg from a store, but I never had had a great egg either.
Yep Felipe, when you have acres of pine trees, It was pointed out to me that it was ridiculous to buy the planks, I slipped into the go to the store mode, which I snapped back to reality after I was chortled by a few of my friends who were incredulous that I would even consider non estate planks....
One of these days Steve you might get a few chickens when you plant your roots and water them...maybe a project or two too!
Teresa..you know what I enjoy with homegrown eggs...hard to describe unless you have them...By the way,my ears perked up the other day as I was watching network news, they mentioned your Lake Stevens....seems they had a home invasion story that they were covering. Famous place....I think they caught the guy!
When I need another purpose, maybe the next project will be a roadside stand with eggs and fresh bread, don't forget the half sour pickles.....but only when the SS checks dry up! (that may be soon)
Texican, I will never ever purchase commercially produced chickens or other food from big business concerns. I try to support only locally produced products or do without. It is not easy, but at least an attempt!
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