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[draggar]

Our bantie hens have been laying quite a few eggs the past few weeks - 1-2 a day (out of 3 banties). I noticed that we have a lot of them (3 dozen to be exact) so I decided to hard boil 2 dozen for egg salad (some for me and some for my wife since she likes mustard and I don't). I saved the last dozen for my wife's friend who is moving out of her (and her husband's) home today.

The egg salad is great, some of the best I ever had (and these eggs are much better than any store bought eggs!).

Plus, what a better way to welcome a friend into her new home on Ostara than with a dozen eggs!

[BookstoreEscapee]

Mustard in egg salad?

How many animals do you have? I knew you had dogs, and cats...didn't know you had chickens...

I saw two chickens walking on the side of the road the other day on my way home from work...now there is a house on my route that has a sign by the driveway advertising chickens for sale ("pets only"!) but these guys (well, girls) were rather far down the road from there...

[Aethian]

I would LOVE to raise a couple chickens for fresh eggs. They are just getting WAY to expensive here. That and they seem to be getting smaller.

[AdminAssistant]

Mustard in egg salad?

I've heard of it...it's especially good for those of us who think that mayo is one of the most disgusting things ever concocted for human consumption.

Growing up, we had a neighbor who had chickens...so we got fresh eggs pretty often! (and the occasional fresh chicken.....)

[Sheldonrs]

Sounds like you have the Octomom of chickens.


And I like a little dijon mustard in my egg salad too. Kind of like deviled eggs.

[Aethian]

Honey mustard in mine.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I've heard of it...it's especially good for those of us who think that mayo is one of the most disgusting things ever concocted for human consumption.

I'm rather not fond of mayo, myself. It has very limited applications in my culinary life...egg, tuna, and potato salad is pretty much it...

[draggar]

Mustard in egg salad?

How many animals do you have? I knew you had dogs, and cats...didn't know you had chickens....

Too many but they all have their space. 3 cats and 5 dogs. The 3 chickens are in their coup outside - they only come in during really bad weather (tropical cyclone) or it is cold out (below 45).

I would LOVE to raise a couple chickens for fresh eggs. They are just getting WAY to expensive here. That and they seem to be getting smaller.

They're easy to maintain. We got a hutch and you can get chickens at your local state fair for $5 each - bantam roosters are small and their eggs are about 1/3 the size of a large egg.

We feed them 9 Lives shredded turkey (looks like worms) and 1/2 a cup of "scratch" a day. Plus, I keep their water fresh and sometimes give them table scraps.

The only issue is when they're inside - they can stink and get messy.

I've heard of it...it's especially good for those of us who think that mayo is one of the most disgusting things ever concocted for human consumption.

My wife loves mayo... :S

Sounds like you have the Octomom of chickens.

Nah, the 3 dozen eggs were from the last 3-4 weeks, we were getting 1-2 a day from the 3 chickens.

[Aethian]

They're easy to maintain. We got a hutch and you can get chickens at your local state fair for $5 each - bantam roosters are small and their eggs are about 1/3 the size of a large egg.

We feed them 9 Lives shredded turkey (looks like worms) and 1/2 a cup of "scratch" a day. Plus, I keep their water fresh and sometimes give them table scraps.

The only issue is when they're inside - they can stink and get messy.

I was reading that if you take the shels after a carefully boiling to make sure they are really clean, powder them and sprinkle over the food, the chickens will have better bone density and their future eggs will have better shells.

Apparently that is also how some nature people are helping some birds not have weak eggs out in the wild. But adding a very fine power of shell over the left out dead meat.

[draggar]

We've done that with the chickens (I should have thought about that yesterday, too!).

[Aethian]

That coral calcium also seems to be good but the shell, from what I understand, is the best.

[iradney]

I'd love to have some chickens (mmmmmmmmm FRESH EGGS) but Hopper would either scare them to death with his barking, exercise em to death with his running, or accidentally kill and eat one (well he IS a dog), and I don't think my townhouse complex would appreciate the sounds and smells of chickens either...

[draggar]

That coral calcium also seems to be good but the shell, from what I understand, is the best.

We do lace their scratch with coral.

I'd love to have some chickens (mmmmmmmmm FRESH EGGS) but Hopper would either scare them to death with his barking, exercise em to death with his running, or accidentally kill and eat one (well he IS a dog), and I don't think my townhouse complex would appreciate the sounds and smells of chickens either...

My dogs would kill them too if they were loose. The secret is getting a good hutch. Zorro likes to "mouth" at the front (wire) and the chickens just stand there looking at him like he's stupid.

They don't smell bad outside (great ventilation - they just stink inside because of poor ventilation) and our banties are VERY quiet. Just osme squeaks form them, thats it. Females are no where near as loud as roosters, just look into local ordinances. In south Florida they encourage "urban agriculture".

If you live where winter hits, if you have a spare room put them in there with a an in the window blowing OUT on low during the day - it will drastically help.