Friday, March 16, 2007

Josiah's in the egg business!

I am so proud of my boy!  Josiah wants to be a farmer and has decided he wants to begin his own business to work towards that goal.  I am thrilled that at 13 he is taking on the responsibility of his own business.  He is a hard worker and very diligent.  I pray that God will bless his efforts in this area. We contacted a dear friend, Richard Spain, who happened to have a lot of hens who had just began to lay.  Josiah invested some of his own hard earned money and purchased 10 hens.  He re-worked one of our chicken tractors - gave them a sun room! And last week we went to visit Richard. 

It was a beautiful evening on one of the prettiest farms I have ever seen.  The moon was full, the crickets were chirping the weather was a delight - a beautiful spring evening.  We followed Richard out to the field that he currently had his portable pen in....and there, on this delightful evening, we began to stealthily sneak up on chickens. (Oh, the things you do for your children!) Lots of chickens....700 chickens!  The tricky part was that Josiah had picked out specific breeds.  He researched to determine which breeds he wanted so that eventually they would provide meat and eggs.  (Josiah is an excellent eviscerator of chickens.) Josiah decided he wanted White Rocks, Buff Orpingtons and a couple of Black Australorps.  We also picked up some Rhode Island Reds for our friends over at 3 Fold Cord.   

I let Richard and Josiah do the catching for the most part - I carried them back to the cages.  The Buffs were the calmest - but also heavy. Richard had just enough White Rocks to fill Josiah's order - but they were the hardest to catch.  The Black Australorps were easy, calm, and beautiful - I had never seen one before.  But, oh, those Rhode Island Reds.  Those were angry hens.  I had one in each hand, holding them by the feet.  They would curl up and peck my hand....HARD....all the way back to the cage.  I lost several small chunks of flesh (but my healing salve took care of that quickly!) Julie, if I didn't love you so much, I would have swung in a circle and let those girls take flight!

So, for my local readers, JOSIAH HAS EGGS FOR SALE! Josiah is asking $2.50 per dozen if you will save him the egg carton...$2.75 if you want a new one each week.  The cartons will cost him about $.27 each. His hens are on green grass, with plenty of sunshine and are fed a natural mix specifically created for us by our wonderful, local, "Mom and Pop" farm store, F & M.  I highly recommend this store to anyone in the Greeneville TN area.  They have been wonderful friends and a true blessing in our lives.  Thanks Fain, Melvin and Betty!  The eggs are brown and have the deep orange yolk that is an indication of a healthy hen.  And, oh, do they ever taste wonderful!

Here is Josiah and the first dozen eggs from his hens!

 !

We will deliver to Johnson City, when we go to church on Wed. evenings and Sunday mornings.  They are always available here on the farm , along with our soaps, salves teas and everything else! Just drop us a line or give us a call if you'd like to purchase eggs from Josiah!

Blessings! 

10 comments:

  1. I hope we can stop in and buy some farm fresh eggs and soaps and things when we are down your way in April!

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  2. That's a great deal!!!!! Yay, Josiah!

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  3. Way to go, Josiah! Sounds like a great mix of breeds he chose. Our poor hens look a little pathetic and bedraggled after being enclosed in the coop so much during this frigid winter. I hope after this last storm of the season we're getting today and tomorrow, that will be it, and they'll be able to enjoy the sunshine, green plants, and insects once again. If it's not a secret, Cheri, would you mind sharing your feed mixture recipe? I'd like to be able to get them off the pellets they've been eating and onto something more wholesome and natural. Do you find it less expensive to have it specialy made up for you rather than buy the premade sacks?

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  4. Great job with the chickens! My poor 10-year-old has been having trouble collecting our eggs ... First, the rooster keeps jumping on his leg with his claws, and today he placed 5 very fresh eggs in his blaze orange stocking cap to take to the house, and the hat was attacked by our turkeys! Needless to say, he came up with 2 intact eggs and 3 that had to be washed out of his hat!

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  5. Hi Cheri,
    I'm looking forward to meeting you :)
    Cheri (the other one!)

    Mary Ellen,
    I'll pass your cheer along to Siah!
    Cheri

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  6. Emily,
    I'll make a note to try to share that recipe soon...if I forget, just give me a poke in the ribs!
    Cheri

    Hi Lynn!
    I had a rooster like that once...he was delicious :)

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  7. Yay for eggs! And an entrepreneuring son. I am writing to ask (another) question... I have 26 hens, just starting to lay (10 eggs/day or so). I also have a beautiful Araucana (I think - hatchery freebie) rooster and a RI Red one. I'm a little "creeped out" by knowingly eating fertilized eggs, so I've let the roosters roam and keep the hens in a hoophouse-style pen with an electrified enclosure attached. My Araucana has figured out how to beat the fence, apparently, because all day I've been chasing him out (and failing, this last time). Aside from the aesthetics of what I'm eating, it's constant rape and pillage out there, and I'm not sure what to do. I'm new at this and don't know if I need to just let nature be, or make soup. Any suggestions?

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  8. Ellajac,
    I love this comment - you had me giggling! Truly, fertilized eggs are so much better for you. Lower in cholesterol! My advice....don't look at it as rape and pillage :)...let the roosters and the hens live as God designed. Josiah keeps a rooster in each chicken tractor - so our eggs are healthier for us....
    Blessings!

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  9. *Sigh*... Okay, MAYBE I can be persuaded... I'm wondering if I let BOTH roosters in the pen that they will be distracted by manly competition enough for the hens to have some peace. Or would I be compounding the chaos? Interestingly, Hubby locked the Araucana up for a day and then let him out.. He headed for the hen pen and the RI Red was in the vicinity. The Red started for him and Hubby was thinking he might get to witness a cockfight, but the Red chased and caught the little guy like he was a hen..? I assured hubby that the Red one wasn't gay, probably just asserting authority? In any case, there are lots of "farm" issues one doesn't see coming... hehe

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  10. Ellajac,
    If you keep both roosters in the pen they might fight...depends on the size of the pen - I have had to doctor some really bloody roosters before - those spurs are deadly!
    I think if people knew all the ins and outs of living on a farm in advance....they might all retire to the city! But once you know the joys - it is well worth the trials!
    Blessings,
    Cheri

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