April 11, 2012

A little history about me, up until I was about 8 years old, I lived on my Grandparents Farm in Paris, Missouri. I learned what recycling really means. Farmers eat what they grow and raise, with very little waste. My grandmother even cut up old clothes to make quilts. Going to the store was a monthly treat, not a daily occurrence like living in the city. There’s still a little bit of that country girl in me. I miss my Grandparents and their farm, along with the fresh food.

Getting back to my roots, I decided to start my urban garden this year – beginning with chickens. We eat a lot of eggs in this household. Did you know that one medium soft boiled egg is only 68 calories ? We believe in counting calories and the rest will follow. Fresh eggs are the best!

I just purchased our first set of chicks – Orpingtons. I choose Orpingtons because they are one of most docile breeds available (I personally prefer not to get pecked while collecting eggs!). It was shocking to discover that you can have chicks shipped to you – I can only imagine the stress this would cause. Instead, I found a local breeder of Lemon Orpingtons and drove out to pick them up today. They were a little stressed from the ride home, but by this evening they were up and around, picking on each other like siblings do.

Some tips if you are considering chickens:
1. Check your zoning laws first.
2. Decide on a breed based on your purpose: eggs and/or meat.
3. Start planning (I will discuss this further in my next Urban Farm blog)