Follow the leader... or not?

We have 31 Barred Rock pullets (young hens) that we're raising to serve as a replacement for some of our older hens that got killed by a dog that got into the pasture as well as just to replace some older hens.  From what I've read, hens don't suddenly stop laying eggs, but as they get older, they lay fewer and fewer.  Commercial egg producers normally cull their chickens after the first year or two of egg production as they start laying one or two eggs a week less.  An interesting tidbit I learned is that there is record of a Buff Orpington hen who was known to still lay eggs at 17 years of age.  Wow!

Another thing the commercial egg producers do is manipulate the lighting in the chicken factories to provide a constant 16 -18 hours of light.  This maximizes their egg production.  While pushing an animal might be the aim of a factory, on a small family farm, our goal is to give the animals a good life and let them enjoy the seasons, sunshine, fresh grass, bugs, worms, etc.  We can't match the rate of production of the factory birds, BUT our birds lay more eggs over a longer period of time and most importantly, the eggs are loaded with more nutrients than the commercial birds.  Our hens pretty much stop laying in the winter months, but as the clover and Springtime grasses appear, they begin laying again with a vengeance - eggs with a deep orange yolk that taste heavenly.

I researched and found that a study was done comparing nutrient content between pastured eggs and commercial eggs.  The results were startling.  The study revealed that pastured eggs contain:

• 1/3 less cholesterol
• 1/4 less saturated fat
• 2/3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more vitamin E
• 7 times more beta carotene than commercially produced eggs.  I know which ones I'm eating.

One more thing, when we do harvest an older hen, we have found the taste to be more intense, flavorful and rich, especially suited for making tasty broth and gumbo.

Let's check out the little girls.  We'll "pop the hood." 

 .

In my third chicken tractor that I built specifically for pullets and young broilers, I put hinges on one half of the roof.  It allows you easy access.  Each of my chicken tractors are different.  I am no carpenter.  It is trial and error and I've done different things with each one after learning from my mistakes.  One thing I've found is that animals don't care if your cut isn't straight or if it doesn't look pretty.  I've found you can save money by sorting through the discount lumber for boards that may be warped.  Chickens don't care about aesthetics, fortunately.

They are growing nicely.  It depends on the breed, but Barred Rocks start laying beautiful brown eggs somewhere between 20 - 24 weeks old.  In about 4 months we will get our first egg from these girls.  Our existing flock is producing fewer and fewer eggs.  We had a high production day of 42 eggs earlier this Spring.  Now we're down to less than two dozen a day.  It's really not enough to meet the demand from our customers, so when these new hens start laying, it will increase our supply and make our customers (and us) happy.  It has been very hot outside and this puts stress on the birds.  We've also seen that egg production fluctuates due to seasons/length of daylight.  Commercial layers are in climate controlled "factories" with lights have consitent egg production.  Nature doesn't work that way.  There are natural seasons and we like to let the birds be birds and not disposable machines.




Angry birds?  Not really.  They're actually quite content.

 Switching gears to the quadrupeds on the farm, I was noticing something yesterday.  Take a look:


Cow trails



Above is a trail that the cows made in the pasture around the perimeter of the garden facing west.  Below is that same trail heading due north that they've made en route to the water troughs. You can see it faintly all the way to the corner in the distance. 

Cows make trails by following closely behind each other and by following the same path time after time, they wear away the grass leaving only exposed soil.  You remember the other night Rosie followed Daisy into the barn?  They follow each other and oftentimes it gets them in trouble.  A trail of tears, you might say.

At our farm in Oberlin, in the late afternoon, the cows would all line up in a single file line by the gate.  Sometime later that night they would push through the gate, follow the leader and all get out and get on the road in search of the greener grass on the other side of the fence.  My dad inevitably received phone calls from the Sheriff at midnight to go round up the cows and get them back in the pasture. 

It got me thinking about people.  Sometimes it is a good thing to follow the leader.  Other times, it's not so good.  My dad had a friend who told him a long time ago that you need to zig when others are zagging.  For some reason I've always remembered that.  Sometimes we need to blaze our own trails, especially in a world that is racing off the rails.  Just because "everyone's doing it" doesn't make it right.  Don't conform.  If everyone was the same, this world would be a boring place.  Variety is the spice of life. 


Eat Mor Chikin.

Rosie just follows blindly after the leader.  We don't have to!  We can set our own course.