Sunday, May 11, 2008

A Weeks Worth of Eggs

This is a weeks worth of eggs from 6 chickens. 27 eggs. That is more than our weekly supply by nearly double.

With all this crisis in the food chain; bees dying, wheat plagues, typhoons in rice country... all of it. The price of food is going up fast. And the 'experts' don't see it stopping any time soon. Around here, it may mean that we have to import a lot of our produce this season, because we don't have the bees to pollinate our crops. Lets hope that isn't the case. But we may be happy to get CA produce this next season. I just don't know. What I do know, is that I am terribly happy to have these birds. I go back and forth, thinking they are not worth the trouble... but honestly? They are the perfect backyard animals. They are pretty quiet, and if you give them enough space, they don't smell (it took a while to figure out how much space that is.) They don't cost much of anything, and for two years, they give you a steady supply of organic, super healthy eggs from your kitchen scraps and $20 worth of food per month.

If you look at survival books, they talk a lot about 'reliable sources of protein' as one of the big things to worry about if something happens. I know, even though I dislike some of what the chickens are, they ARE that insurance for me. If all we ate was those eggs and what is already coming up out of the garden (spinach so far) we would be ok. For days. With no huge Tupperware of food, no tubs of grains, no nothing else. Just eggs and spinach. We wouldn't starve. It is strange to think about, but somehow very comforting. In three weeks I can add cilantro, pea flowers and greens (yes, you can eat those too, and they are good), dill, beet greens, kale, and swiss chard to that list, and we would live for a week with nothing that doesn't come from our backyard in the city.

Not to mention that chickens make surprisingly good pets. My daughter has so many pictures taken with these critters I can't even count. lol... sometimes I wonder if she is torturing them, but they really don't seem to mind her carrying them around, swinging on swings with them, etc... they still follow her around when ever she is out there. They can't be too traumatized, right?

I am in the process of trying to figure out a few small details in their coop to make it a nicer space for everyone, and get ready for our new bunny that is coming on Tuesday to eat whatever the worms and chickens do not of the garden scraps, but this Mother's Day, my little inner city homestead is doing well. Critters and all.

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5 comments

Chell said...

Yumm I am picturing spinach omlets...

Too funny about her carrying around the chickens and swinging with them..

S said...

Val,

your pictures are a tease for days to come! Our girls are so big now! I think Lola might be a boy! We are finished with the Run and are planning to get the coop well underway this weekend. I can't wait for those fresh eggs! Thanks again for all your help in getting us set up!

Val in the Rose Garden said...

I am really enjoying this season. Scares and all. The scares are honestly just making it easier for me to justify the expence and make my family eat stuff. LOL! I know that sounds mean, but I nearly always thought that this was a hobby of mine. It may be the one thing that in the end, keeps just living a good life and eating really well in the face of crisis. It wasn't that I didn't forsee it... I just didn't forsee it coming from our innercity back yard. lol... I love my space, and it shows. And just wait... tomorrow, I will have a bunny in a bunny cage at the back of the garden to show off. :D

Val

OneCraftyMama said...

Val,

I just love looking at your pics. You inspire me! The garden looks wonderful. Do you see a difference with the (I think they are called...) wall o water thingies for your tomatoes. I live on the cool coast and have always wandered about them. Bunnies are too cute. How fun.

Jen

Val in the Rose Garden said...

Hey Jen. I haven't noticed a difference yet... but I just put in those tomatoes last week... so nothing big has happened yet. :)

If there is a huge difference I will let you know.

Val

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