- Joined
- 11 Oct 2012
- Local time
- 10:14 PM
- Messages
- 20,026
- Location
- SE Australia
- Website
- www.satnavsaysstraighton.com
Wow, I really enjoyed reading that, thanks for sharing!
I've actually left one vegan forum after being targeted because I have rescue chickens and occasionally eat their eggs. Most of the eggs from my rescue chickens (and their offspring) are given away to the local food hub to help out those less well off. I never claimed on their forum to be vegan (and every here I've always said vegan plus eggs) but I was accused of supporting the meat, dairy & egg industry by "exploiting" rescue chickens because I didn't smash their eggs and let the chooks eat them. Go figure. These same people didn't see that then rescuing a dog or cat from a shelter also supports the breeders of pet animals...
Anyhow, one thing I've been asked time and time again is how I get the eggs tasting so good. People actually ask the volunteers at the food hub how some of the eggs taste better than others and I get asked when I drop the eggs off... other people with their own flocks who have had eggs from me in winter when their flock isn't laying have also asked me the same question. All I can say to them is try to same feed and let the birds free range as much as you can. If they are happy and healthy, they'll lay better eggs than if they are stressed and not liking their feed. Too me (and many others when you point it out) it's obvious really, but you'll not make any money from keeping chickens. You'll have nicer eggs and a lighter wallet, plus fewer pests in the garden and an overall well fertilised garden.
My oldest chook is starting her 10th winter (we think). She came to us as end of breeding life in August 2016, so this is the start of her 8th winter with us, so it could be the start of her 11th winter overall. The second oldest came to us soon afterwards, a year younger. Again a rescue (breeder didn't like the colour egg she lay, so she was young) and the 3rd oldest came to us in May 2018, 5 years ago, she was apparently coming to the end of her laying life aged 2, she stating her 6th winter with us. She and her sister never stopped laying (we lost her sister at the start of this season back in September, aged 7 ish.) Only my oldest chook doesn't lay at all. All of the rest still lay. I will say again though that I don't care if they lay or not, only that they are happy. But here, with no demands on them, them laying is a good guide to their overall health and happiness, as is the quality of what they do lay.
The rest of the flock are offspring of those birds, plus 4 rescues this year from a place reducing the size of their flock by selling off their older layers, again end of laying life, all 2½ years old.