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Pickin' Up Chicks

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Good morning everyone. Well it has been warmer than usual this last month. Finally the cold weather is beginning to set in. The docks were taken out down at the harbor yesterday. Winter is not far off. Katie and I are working here at the house these days. And we have some new employees that have finally begun producing some noticeable results. We can't keep up with them actually. Meet the girls...
The chickens (all 16 of them) really don't mind being picked up. The ducks on the other hand get a little bit antsy.The chicken on the left is a barred rock. The chicken in the middle is a buff orpington. The black chicken is an astralop. At this point all of them are in full production and we get at least a dozen eggs a day, usually more. The idea is that this summer we should be able to supplement the 22 dozen schooner eggs we use each week with our farm fresh eggs. If you have never tasted a duck egg they taste just like chicken... eggs that is. The duck egg white is more viscous and they are great for eating and even better for baking. The chicken eggs have yolks that are a deep golden yellow, not pale like grocery store eggs. The chickens also have a habit of laying eggs outside of the coop so we have the proverbial Easter egg hunt everyday. As if we didn't have enough to do already. Well we do love watching the "chicken channel" (all chickens all the time and way better than anything else on TV). I am wondering where we are going to put all those chickens and ducks aboard the schooner. They are wondering where I will be sleeping since they plan to be living in the fo'c's'l. Won't they be surprised when they see the little harnesses they will use for towing the schooner.

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.The big white one is a peking we named Acadia (that is our insurance company, sorry Aflac). The other two ducks, Chicago in the back ground and Hershey rubbing beaks with Acadia, are runner ducks. Acadia's eggs are three time the size of a normal chicken egg!
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Michele B said…
I am so envious! I have always wanted to live in a rural place so that I could raise chickens. Somehow I have always been stuck living in cities. Gotta go where the jobs are. Sigh.
I love hens and especially love fresh eggs. Yes, the yolks are deep yellow, and the taste is phenomenal! I had a co-worker who raised hens and she would sell eggs at work. The day she moved away was a sad one indeed. Hugs to all those nice chicks and ducks. Hey, they probably would enjoy reruns of Friends. LOL
I'm looking forward to spectacular breakfasts on the beautiful Mary Day, made with fresh chicken and duck eggs.
Abrazos, Michele
December 2, 2009 at 2:01 PM
Unknown said…
I'm sure the purely organic vegetarian diet these hens thrive upon means lower cholesterol eggs so that breakfast on the schooner will be healthy as well as delicious. By the way, who is the beautiful chick holding the hen in the first picture?

I seem to recall a little red-haired girl who trod the decks of the schooner with the confidence of an old tar. Surely this lovely young miss is a bit too old (and big) to be Courtney? My how much has changed in the few months since I sailed.
December 3, 2009 at 7:23 AM
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