Friday, July 20, 2012

Dear Miss Lizzy -

Please Note:
Our Advice Columnist is still available for Q&A's, and recently I received a question that I will pass along to her!
Miss Lizzy, Advice Columnist
Dear Miss Lizzy,
 Would love to have 2-4 layers right now in the back yard- Have to get the approval from my husband and then see if our county will allow just a couple!!
So you get enough eggs from 10 hens to sell eggs? 

Signed,
"Empty Nester"

Dear "Nester",
Three "Working Girls" would be enough  help to supply a small family with eggs each week.  Township rules apply for keeping poultry, so please check with the City or Township Clerk for laws pertaining to chickens.  Some small towns will allow up to 6 hens for egg provisions, and some will only allow a few hens if there is a child or grand child interested in keeping some for 4-H purposes.  If poultry are permitted, there may be a ROOSTER CLAUSE (different than Santy Clause).  In close-knit populations, the general public does not care for crowing at all hours of the day.  (Contrary to popular misconception, Roos do not crow at dawn only.  Their alarms go off any time they please, and sometimes continuously.  How annoying.  We are not amused!)
     Currently at this humble abode there are 5 Working Girls, and 3 Pullets in Waiting.  The "produce" from 5 girls leaves enough eggs to sell or share with friends and relatives, as each lady pops out one egg a day.  Any more hens and you could set up a stand on your own property in the country!  Certainly one can keep up that production rate for only so long, depending on the breed/age of hen.  Isa Browns lay large brown eggs, but are 'burnt out' in the laying department after a brief stint of 1 1/2 or 2 years.  HUMPH!  Then they are good for dinner guests PETS.  Heritage Breeds such as MYSELF (a LOVELY Silver Laced Wyandotte) are productive for much longer, generally 5 years.  Humph! Humph!
  Hubby Approval, you say???  ChickenWrangler had little trouble convincing Mr. Wonderful of reasons to keep a flock of hens - once he tasted the difference between nasty STORE bought eggs and the eggs from hens fed with choice dainties, that was it for him, and he is her best advertiser for fresh poultry eggs!  Buy a few from a neighboring farm or co-op store - sit back and wait for compliments to flow!
Ta-taaa for NOW!
Signed:
Miss Lizzy

8 comments:

Lisa @ Two Bears Farm said...

We have 5 hens and a rooster. We typically use all the eggs ourselves, although once in a while I'll share a large carton w/ my parents if we have excess. I do a lot of baking and make most things from scratch though, so I use more eggs than the average person.

Our rooster crows all night long. And all day. At least he's not aggressive like our previous rooster though! :-)

Lisa @ Two Bears Farm said...

We have 5 hens and a rooster. We typically use all the eggs ourselves, although once in a while I'll share a large carton w/ my parents if we have excess. I do a lot of baking and make most things from scratch though, so I use more eggs than the average person.

Our rooster crows all night long. And all day. At least he's not aggressive like our previous rooster though! :-)

Suzan said...

Thank you Mz Lizzy for your information. Great to know about the different breeds' laying abilities. Especially since I could never eat the hen after producing all those eggs and being a pet :-}}}

Chatty Crone said...

I have a gal on the blog that raised them from scratch to eat. Showed how to do it and all. Are you interested? Sandie

Beth said...

Great info!!

^..^Corgidogmama said...

I was buying fresh eggs from a library patron and Jim noticed the difference in taste immediately. Me...I was enthralled with the deep yellow double yolkers! Her layers have slowed down and store eggs are a sad substitute!

Karen Whittal said...

There is nothing like fresh eggs from your own chickens....they just taste so much better and the yolks are a bright yellow...... mmmmmmm

Lynn said...

This city girl found Mizz Lizzy very informative! I haven't seen chickens in my section but someone does keep ducks and eats their eggs. For a VERY SHORT while someone had a rooster... a very short while... Thanks for the info:@)