A Good Egg
Has the egg recall affected you?By now, most of you might have heard about the massive egg recall in the US.
The average person doesn't realize just how big the mega producers are. You might see an assortment of labels in the stores, but most belong to one or two giant conglomerates; chicken factories so vast, it defies description.
This holds true for hog and beef facilities. And let's not forget the huge recall Canada had last year for dog food. Dozens of labels were affected, yet it all came from the same producer.
This isn't a political observation. These facilities are what they are. In order to feed large populations at a reasonable price, this is what was developed. In a perfect world, that would be fine. But the world hasn't been perfect since Adam and Eve.
Introduce one sick cow or one tainted egg and you could cripple an industry in a heartbeat. We all remember mad cow disease, right?
This is part of the reason
Greg and I are so keen on homesteading, trying to grow as much of our own as possible. Healthier yes, but it's also fun. I enjoy visiting the chickens, gathering eggs, and watching their antics. I had one the other day hop up on my lap while I was treating them to some hen scratch.In all the years we've raised animals we've never gotten sick from our food. Though I will admit, our food has injured me on occasion.
I've been kicked by rheas, spurred by mean roosters, dragged through the mud by a runaway pig, and once ran for my life from a mother pig.
Note: Never try to take a piglet away while mama is watching. Mamas will tear you up one side and down the other.
Did I mention that Greg was laughing so hard he couldn't even help me escape the pen? Boy, he was in trouble that day. That mama pig nearly killed me.
I take care of my animals and use no pesticide/herbicides on my gardens. I have a vested interest in quality control because I'm eating this food and feeding it to my family.
Hopefully, I'll still have a few good years that I can outrun the next mama pig who wants to take a chomp out of me.
If you're interested in further reading on the salmonella outbreak here are a few posts to get you up to speed. Gail Damerow, Homegrown Evolution, and the third with a more political slant by Les Edgerton.
Most of my chickens are now five months old and laying 4-5 eggs everyday. Next week, the Reaper will visit four of the roosters. I was hoping to have more hens than roosters so I wouldn't have to kill them, but it didn't turn out that way.
I do have to select which ones get the pot
, but that's a post in itself. Circle of life.Photo 1: Look at those orange yolks!
Photo 2: Some of the chickens have taken to flying up to the rafters.
Photo 3: If you look carefully, you'll see a fine water mist dousing the chickens. It's been so hot, Greg installed a mister that cools the temp down by at least twenty degrees. Even I'll stand out there. It feels great!
Comments
The recall has not to my knowledge affected our area, my Mom told me about it and since I only have 2 eggs out of the dozen bought a week and a half back from HEB grocery and they have not made me sick guess those eggs were fine..
I remember the days growing up "playing" with our chickens and raising fluffy baby chicks in my room in the house, it was fun...
Mom had one Rhode Island Red Rooster she called Mr. Ciel after his previous owner, he was like a dog and followed her everywhere.. You could pick him up and carry him around and he loved the attention...
The eggs from our free range chickens were good too. As far as eating the chickens though, mostly our neighbors dogs and cats were the ones who did that!
jackie ^_^
I'm glad I don't have trouble with my dogs. And because they're such big dogs, I don't have trouble with the neighbors' dogs trying to eat my chickens. LOL
This reminds me of when we moved in. Dogs regularly wandered around our property, tipping over trash bins and causing mischief. There was a particularly 'bad' neighbor who let his dog run the roads.
I made myself and TANK very visible when I moved in. Magically, the trash cans stopped being tipped over and the neighbor now keeps his dog in his yard.
Tank made a big impression. :)
Ref: work
LOL! This work I don't mind. It's not nearly as stressful as when I was in the corporate world.
Whenever you get tired of city life, you can visit me. :)
Those are lovely bright orange yolks, though.
My partner and I have often talked about our dream house later in life. We want to be off the grid, have a vegetable garden, keep a couple chickens...and have a library with a secret door. ;)
Maria your mama pig story reminds my of my cousin's steer story, LOL. The thing was more pet than livestock though it was for the butcher. The steer was used to my younger cousin coming out to feed him with a bucket...bucket equaled food. Older cousin came home late one night and decided to cut through the fence, his motorcycle helmet hanging from his hand. Guess an upside down helmet looks like a bucket, LOL That steer chased my cousin almost a quarter mile before my cousin managed to jump another fence.
Ref: the homesteading
I'm sitting here at my parents looking out over the area they used to have a garden in. Oh what I could do with that space and the cooler temps here!! And no HOA so chickens...heck yeah.
Chickens are the most abused animals on the planet. They cut off their beaks and force them in cages a dozen at a time so they can't move or turn around. It is really sad. Even the "Caged Free" eggs you see on the market aren't regulated by the government, so "Cage Free" can mean anything. However, if you ARE going to buy eggs at the grocery store try free-range. But then, since nothing is regulated, it's not guaranteed. The best way is to get them fresh from a farm you KNOW is safe. But most Americans can't do this...so there's the rub.
As a vegetarian I could tell you the horror stories that go on within the food industry. If you knew half the stuff that goes on in there, it's no wonder people end up with mad cow, samonella, e. coli, and other nasty diseases. Nothing is regulated so more often than not, they use the quickest (unsafe) methods for human and animal.
I hope you get your dream. This was ours. It took nearly 34 years to get here, and we plan to enjoy every minute of it.
The pig was bad enough.
Though once Greg and I had to go in and save our little mutt from a giant horse wanting to trample her.
I was a vegetarian for a few years, not for any moral reasons, but simply because I'm a big fan of veggies.
But yeah, what you said. It's because of the way these poor animals are kept that I prefer to raise my own. At least I know they're raised humanely.
Heck, my chickens have air conditioning! :)
In the second picture...what is that tied to the chicken's leg?
I'm heartened by all the folks who buy local eggs. I sell my eggs on the side and folks love knowing that their eggs come from happy, healthy chickens.
The little chain is one of two that's attached to the rafters so we can hang a heater in the winter. It's not attached to the chicken. I don't think he'd like that.
And look at you, selling eggs. :o) How many hens do you have, Marguerite?
I do buy organic whenever possible, so that's a good thing, though. :D
He's probably right.
Come stay with me for a couple of weeks and we'll see if you still want to dress up the animals.
--seriously though. I do understand. I'm kinda that way with rabbits, which is silly because left to their own devices they will breed like, well, rabbits.
I can't say that I make money with my chickens, but I sell enough egss and hatched chicks to make them pay for themselves. :)
I wish my DH was more interested in owning a little livestock. I'd like some chickens and one goat (for milk). He's not going for it.
:o)
I know you have a lot of experience doing this. It's a shame DD won't have the same education. It's priceless.
Thanks for popping in!