Chicken Blog: We Are Already Debating When We’ll Eat Them

chicekn butts
Chicken butts. From the left, Ethel, Mabel and Gladys, Buffy Orpington

 

OK, I named them. Yes, I know I’m not supposed to.

So here is the rundown on my mini chick operation. They are inside now, in an old cat litter box, inside our old dog crate, because…cats. With just 4 chicks, they won’t get the mass body heat that a flock of 25 might out in a farm coop, so seemed easier to set up inside with a heat lamp than worry whether the garage would be too cold while we wait for the Michigan edition of Mother Nature to work out what the weather is going to be in late March.

Around Easter, we will probably move them to the garage since they won’t need to be quite as warm, and they’ll have a little more size on them.

And about 3 weeks after that, once they have feathers, they can be outside in the coop (the construction of which will have its own blog post, of course, possibly several, and should be HIGHLY AMUSING AND PROFANITY-FILLED).

Eggs happen – hopefully – when they are 4-6 months old, so maybe July or August. And already the farm boy husband is saying we will be eating them when the cold weather comes and they stop laying. My position is that we will keep them over the winter and get a few years of eggs out of everyone before they head to the soup pot. Who will win? Stay tuned.

 Originally published at www.usualandordinary.com.

The Livingston Post

The Livingston Post is the only locally owned, all-digital information and opinion site in Livingston County, Mich. It was launched by award-winning journalists who were laid off from the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus by Gannett Co. Inc. in 2009.

3 Comments Leave a Reply

  1. I live in Pinckney Village. I was wondering about the possibility of taking a few chickens from a mail customer of mine because she has too many. I had mentioned earlier to her that it would be interesting to have some chickens as pets, or for eggs, but wasn’t sure if I would be allowed to do that. I’m still not sure after reading what you wrote, plus I don’t have a house at the moment yet, either. Perhaps I should wait until my house is rebuilt and take it from there. I have enough to worry about now. Thanks.

Comments are closed.

DON’T MISS A BEAT

Sign up for our weekly newsletter

We don’t spam!

Top

Don't miss this post