And I grew up on a farm...
I keep telling one of my friends that I am going to buy her a chicken. She and her family eat a lot of eggs. I don't really eat a lot of eggs, I don't love them. I know, I know they have lots of protein. Honestly I don't even know what protein does for you. I once had to learn about vitamins and things like protein in this HomeEc class I had to take, lets just say I made my first C. Maybe thats why I am still single?
Anyway I told her this morning I was going to get her a chicken. She said "well make sure it lays eggs." Apparently some chickens don't lay eggs? I am not sure I knew this. My grandmother always had chickens when I was growing up and they layed eggs. There were also roosters out there amongst the chickens. So keep this in mind while you read my thought process. Later this morning, my mom calls me and I said "mom do all chickens lay eggs?" She didn't know and she thought it was funny that I wanted to know this information. But I persisted in this serious discussion, and I said well do you need a rooster to have a chicken that lays eggs? She said "Katie I don't know the sex life of chickens."
Somehow I think I should know this information, but I don't! So what do you do when you need to know about the sex life of chickens? You call your grandmother. After she laughed at me, and scolded me for not knowing all of this she explained it. I am guessing that many of you reading this do not know this information. Therefore I am going to give you the 411:
There are hens and there are roosters. The hens lay the eggs, the roosters fertilize the eggs. You can have just hens and they will lay eggs without the rooster, but if you want to have "biddies" you have to have a rooster. Or as she said "you know how a woman needs a man to fertilize the egg, well a hen needs a rooster." Side note - why do people try to use that little riddle about "What came first the chicken or the egg?" Well hell, you need a rooster to hatch the egg!
Anyway then she asked "What kind of law test do you need to know this for?" And I explained that I was thinking of buying a chicken for a friend. She said that this was not such a good idea. First of all a hen only lays one egg a day, so that really isn't going to go very far for a family of four. And you have to have a nest for the egg to be layed in, plus apparently they will "squirt" in the yard. I have a feeling that if I bought four hens, my friend wouldn't be too happy.
On top of that, roosters can be mean. Apparently one of the roosters Granny had was really evil. One day he chased one of my cousins in the yard and my grandfather didn't like this very much, apparently the rooster "was in the pot by dark." (But she did tell me that roosters make good dressing. I don't think my friend is up for that challenge, but if any of you cook, take note.)
So in the end we both decided it was a good idea not to buy a hen. I would have to buy four of them in order for each person to have AN egg in the mornings. This doesn't include a pen and food and the squirting in the yard. I have a feeling that after a couple of weeks they would be cussing me. But luckily Granny gave me a good suggestion, "Just buy them a dozen eggs...."
Anyway I told her this morning I was going to get her a chicken. She said "well make sure it lays eggs." Apparently some chickens don't lay eggs? I am not sure I knew this. My grandmother always had chickens when I was growing up and they layed eggs. There were also roosters out there amongst the chickens. So keep this in mind while you read my thought process. Later this morning, my mom calls me and I said "mom do all chickens lay eggs?" She didn't know and she thought it was funny that I wanted to know this information. But I persisted in this serious discussion, and I said well do you need a rooster to have a chicken that lays eggs? She said "Katie I don't know the sex life of chickens."
Somehow I think I should know this information, but I don't! So what do you do when you need to know about the sex life of chickens? You call your grandmother. After she laughed at me, and scolded me for not knowing all of this she explained it. I am guessing that many of you reading this do not know this information. Therefore I am going to give you the 411:
There are hens and there are roosters. The hens lay the eggs, the roosters fertilize the eggs. You can have just hens and they will lay eggs without the rooster, but if you want to have "biddies" you have to have a rooster. Or as she said "you know how a woman needs a man to fertilize the egg, well a hen needs a rooster." Side note - why do people try to use that little riddle about "What came first the chicken or the egg?" Well hell, you need a rooster to hatch the egg!
Anyway then she asked "What kind of law test do you need to know this for?" And I explained that I was thinking of buying a chicken for a friend. She said that this was not such a good idea. First of all a hen only lays one egg a day, so that really isn't going to go very far for a family of four. And you have to have a nest for the egg to be layed in, plus apparently they will "squirt" in the yard. I have a feeling that if I bought four hens, my friend wouldn't be too happy.
On top of that, roosters can be mean. Apparently one of the roosters Granny had was really evil. One day he chased one of my cousins in the yard and my grandfather didn't like this very much, apparently the rooster "was in the pot by dark." (But she did tell me that roosters make good dressing. I don't think my friend is up for that challenge, but if any of you cook, take note.)
So in the end we both decided it was a good idea not to buy a hen. I would have to buy four of them in order for each person to have AN egg in the mornings. This doesn't include a pen and food and the squirting in the yard. I have a feeling that after a couple of weeks they would be cussing me. But luckily Granny gave me a good suggestion, "Just buy them a dozen eggs...."
Comments
I have been thoroughly entertained by your blogs...keep them coming! I had to comment on this blog, as I found it hilarious. I am the daughter of a board certified poultry specialist (aka chicken doctor) and thought only my family contemplated the happenings of chickens. I see that I am indeed wrong! Anyway, I had a good chuckle while reading this! Hope you are doing well! Take care. Lydia Roney Wright