The Challenge of Going Vegan

[NickB79]

48. Mentioning chickens brought back some fond memories of my last flock

When we purchased our house 3 years ago, the previous owners gave us their flock of 6 chickens. They were a mix of Buff Orphingtons and Barred Rocks, with one rooster and 5 hens, all looking ratty and underweight. The previous owner told me they were only good for the stew pot because they'd stopped laying eggs for him. I go out to see what he was feeding them, and it's just the cheapest commercial chicken feed you can find, with a bit of grit and oyster shell. So, I start giving them leftovers from the kitchen, vegetable scraps, grass clippings, cracked corn, oats, etc. They start looking better, plumper, nice plumage. Their personality also improved, to the point I could pick a few of the friendlier ones up and pet them. I start bringing home waste cottage cheese curd and lowfat yogurt (I work in a dairy plant) and incorporate that into their diet as well. And all the while, they start laying eggs again. Within a few months, I'm collecting 2-3 dozen of the prettiest fresh brown eggs you can imagine. And the yolk in them! Huge, yellow, rich and creamy, mmmmm. I had to start giving eggs away to anyone who wanted them, I had so many. When we went to the county fair the next spring, my family kept pointing out how my chickens could easily rival the blue ribbon winners there, they were so healthy looking.

I finally butchered them last fall, when their egg production truly declined for good, but I'm definitely going to try another flock next spring. This time, I'm going to expand their outdoor area so they'll have more grass to roam on, possibly incorporating a rotational system so they don't over-graze the pasture to dirt.

If you treat your animals right, they'll treat you right.