The girls dine out. July 12, 2009
Posted by ourfriendben in chickens, homesteading, wit and wisdom.Tags: chickens, feeding chickens, hens, raising hens
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Silence Dogood here. Yesterday, my friend Huma and her wonderful 18-year-old twins, Rashu and Sasha, came down for a visit. We took our 5-month-old black German shepherd puppy, Shiloh, for a walk in the park, went to the Kutztown Farmers’ Market, and had lunch at a classic Kuztown restaurant, TC’s. TC’s has pine panelling, pine booths, and a general 1950s nostalgia feel. And it makes great sandwiches and fries.
I think it’s safe to say that growing 18-year-old boys have big appetites, and our lunch order reflected that: Two big buckets of fries and two orders of mozzarella sticks, in addition to burgers for the boys, quesadillas for Huma, and a Swiss cheese club for yours truly. The thing is, even Rashu and Sasha weren’t prepared for the massive amount of food TC’s serves up in a typical order. Never mind that they’re pushing 6′4″ and work out every day, they just couldn’t manage to finish that last mozzarella stick or bucket of fries.
No worries. Day-old fries might not be most people’s idea of a great time, but for the Hawk’s Haven chickens, they’re nirvana. Two big packages of fries, potato chips, the leftover mozzarella stick, and half my club sandwich (note to self: eyes bigger than stomach, please stop ordering this) came home with me for our girls’ delight. And I have a big bag of discard greens from our CSA and less-than-perfect tomatoes from our plants to add a healthy component to the feast.
Would I recommend feeding chickens French fries and chips on a daily basis? Hell no, no more than I’d recommend that anybody else eat them. But for a rare treat, I’d hate to deny any of us that pleasure. And I know the girls will enjoy their takeout experience. Chickens are omnivores, after all. They love what we love. I’m glad to be able to give them a treat today before it’s back to scratch grains, egglayer pellets, and greens tomorrow!
Plus, how nice not to waste uneaten food. And in exchange, Huma & co. went home with a dozen of our fabulous organic eggs, so everybody came out a winner.
‘Til next time,
Silence
Sounds like a fabulous time! It’s funny you would mention her sons’ work out routine. My friend’s family seemed to have a lot of, maybe, “metrosexuals.” Tight jeans, leather, and LOTS of hair gel!
Ha! I think it’s just the age, Lzyjo. Sasha was sporting a classic gel-induced hairdo, a “fauxhawk.” Very cute! (Mercifully, no tight jeans or leather, though. That would be their mom!)
I just learned of a great chicken treat – Comfrey. It’s so easy to grow, literally anywhere a small root division touches soil, you will have a 4′ tall plant loaded with edible flowers (for humans.) The foliage itself is very high in protein and minerals so chickens just love it. I grew heaps of Comfrey with total neglect and no watering. My savvy sister made some nice remedy balm from some of the dried foliage, we enjoyed the flowers in salad, and my dear neighbor’s chickens feasted on the rest. What a crop!! Will do it again next year for sure.
You’re so right, Bonnie! Comfrey leaves were historically used as a bandage to bind wounds as well as to make a balm for cuts and bruises, and it’s a great ingredient in the compost pile, as well. Comfrey tea (made from steeping the chopped leaves) can be used like compost tea to water your plants. Can you tell we grow a bunch of kinds here? Ours have white, pink, raspberry-red, lavender, and deep purple flowers. They are gorgeous!
I hope your girls scarfed them up and enjoyed the comfort food element that a good french fry can provide. I am a french fry junkie. Not too sure why, I wouldn’t eat a potato chip if I was starving but fries are grand. I fed my chicks their first taste of scrambled egg tonight. They loved it! Which is a little disconcerting but fun to watch anyway. I have had a ball providing them new and exciting treats for their culinary delight. Last night it was beet greens. Spoiled chickens.
I love a good French fry, too, Heather, crunchy on the outside but tender and fluffy on the inside. Yum!!! (Though my faves are perfectly cooked sweet potato fries.) The most recent issue of “Cook’s Country” magazine has a feature on how to get that crunchy/fluffy perfection from homemade oven-baked fries. You should head to the library and check it out! And yes, it certainly sounds like your girls are spoiled. Way to go!!!
I refer to our flock as “mini velosiraptors”, they hunt in packs, kill and eat anything, and if they were bigger than you would be very, very frightening. Our girls thrive on any scraps we give them, including the weekly cooler load from grandma’s house. They are the most efficient composting system we have. I read about a guy who contracted to take all the food waste from the school cafateria. He fed it to his chickens in a super deep bed system. The chickens ate all the food waste, turned the compost, layed eggs, and got fat. He made a good living hauling waste for the school, and selling eggs, chicken, and compost. Feed them what ever you have!
Wow, talk about an inspiring story about the guy and the school cafeteria. Thanks, Alan! And of course I love the idea of chickens as velociraptors. Yow!!!