Saturday, February 27, 2010

C-H-I-C-K-E-N ...

Ok my post is really about chickens.... but I will have to get back to that. While writing the title I was flooded with memories from camp! There was this crazy song that we sang that went something like this:

C - is the way to begin and
H - is the next letter in and
I - is the middle of the word and
C - you have already heard and
K - is a Kind of a friend
E - we are nearing the end.

C H I C K E N that's the way to spell chicken!

Does anyone (other than my BFF) remember that song, or have ever heard of it?? who would write such silliness?? it really makes no sense at all!!

So anyway.... back to the chickens.

In Africa people rarely feed their chickens much, and as a result the yolks are pale and watery. They can really be quite disgusting at times.... which can be a challenge, when you can't have milk due to allergies and there is not a huge supply of meat to be found. Eggs are one of my favorite sources of protein..... unless they are disgusting watery eggs.

In the US I could eat two eggs for breakfast and be good to go..... here make it 3 or 4 easy! We FLY through eggs on the day that every one wants some for breakfast.

I say all that to say that this week we got 10 hens! Somehow, Honey decided that chickens would be a great idea! That they would be a huge blessing and we could help some of our neighbors, by giving them eggs... or better yet baby chicks!

HOWEVER.... when we total up the $ spent on building the coop, getting the supplies, stocking up on food, and purchasing the hens themselves (we got 10).... we discovered that each chicken would have to lay AT LEAST 170 eggs before she had made up the initial investment. And after they all had laid their eggs.... they would have to draw straws and two would have to become dinner as well!

Hopefully they will each lay an egg a day (that would be 10 a day).... for over 24 weeks!

The girls and I are going to graph their egg production.... day 1: two eggs!

Once there is a significant difference in the color.... I will post some pictures so you can see why, it really doesn't matter the cost so long as we have golden yellow eggs to eat!!!

Cluck Cluck

6 comments:

Jenn said...

I had totally forgotten about that song! That was so long ago...we were M's age, right? Wow, and now you have a daughter that age! Love reading all the updates!

Shannon Evans said...

hehe funny stuff. wanna see pictures of the hens and the coop! :)

Anonymous said...

Did u get a rooster also?? 24 hr noise makers

Anonymous said...

Sounds like Uganda chick farming is a little different than your start in Slaton, TX.....what an adventure.

Love you guys!!! Pop & I anxiously await to see you on skype soon!!!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the reminder to not take my yellow yolked eggs for granted! -Steph

Anonymous said...

If ya'll are charting their egg production they shouldn't have to draw straws on which 2 become dinner. The 2 with least egg production are aptly named sandwitch & soup.