Breakfast

[RatherBHuntin]

I got my breakfast growing out back. Decided to get some chickens a while back, and ordered 16 which arrived a couple weeks ago. Got a straight run of 15 Rhode Island Reds, a Black Cochin hen and a White Crested Black Polish rooster as freebie. The reds are mixed, hopefully about half hens half roosters, but who knows. What is for certain is that most of the roosters will end up in the pot, starting with whichever one crows first in the middle of the night
 

[drinksgin (deceased)]

What, you do not appreciate bird calls?

[recoil junky]

Ah, chickens. Best of all, the never ending supply of young chickens you will enjoy in a few months!!

RJ

[gitano]

I never used to like raising chickens because it was always 'dirty work' at my grandmother's farm when it came the day to slaughter chickens. Plus, they  were big, ornery chickens. Nothing to like about them really.

However, I ended up with a little bantam black-breasted red rooster from my then first-grade daughter's class, and it ended up winning Best of Show at the Alaska State Fair that year. I was hooked on bantams! I got pretty serious about it for a few years. We had a regular barnyard of animals. I built two barns, one for the chickens and ducks and one for the goats. The kids lived on fresh eggs and goat milk for a lot of their young lives. I've got a theory that people raised on goat milk are stronger than those raised on cows milk. I'll never get it proven, but every person I have ever known that was raised on goat milk was very healthy and strong. My kids are.

I want to see more pictures when these birds are older.

Paul

By the way, j0e_bl0ggs just got himself a small flock of layers. He just made himself a passle of pickled eggs. MAN! do I like pickled eggs!

Paul

[drinksgin (deceased)]

A person locally sells courtinax eggs and I occasionally get 36 and make a quart of pickled eggs, but it is very slow work pealing 36 quail eggs and then the sorry things do not last, at all.
My wife gets in them like a dog in a plate of biscuits and sausage gravy.

[RatherBHuntin]

A person locally sells courtinax eggs and I occasionally get 36 and make a quart of pickled eggs, but it is very slow work pealing 36 quail eggs and then the sorry things do not last, at all.
My wife gets in them like a dog in a plate of biscuits and sausage gravy.

Got some of those pickled quail eggs in my fridge right now

[j0e_bl0ggs (deceased)]

Was just sharing a picked egg or two with doggo...

[RatherBHuntin]

I was talking to a guy a while back at the flea market who had California Giant Quail and eggs.  He says he boils them, and then covers with vinegar until the shells dissolve, pours it off and only has to rub the membrane off the eggs, then refills with clean vinegar.  I didn't try any of his eggs, but he swears they are good.  He said chicken egg shells are too thick for this to work on them.

[RatherBHuntin]

THese are a few weeks ago, at about 8 weeks old. The White Crested Black Polish, the last few days they have made a meal out of his crest in the back, I may have to seperate him.

[RatherBHuntin]

The rest of the brood, the other odd ball is a Black Cochin, and the remainder are Rhode Island Reds

[gitano]

LOVE IT!

The fellow with the quail eggs is right on  - except about the chicken eggs. You just have to leave them longer, AND you don't have to wait, you can just peel them! OR you can peel them first and then pickle them. It "works" however you do it.

I like to pickle my eggs in the "juice" from a can of pickled beets. It's a bit sweeter and it has that amazing purple color, but yo can make any "pickle" sweeter by adding sugar, and you can color with food coloring.

Paul

[RatherBHuntin]

I like beet pickled eggs too, and jalapeno, and plain.  I haven't run across a pickled egg I didn't like yet.

[gitano]

I haven't run across a pickled egg I didn't like yet.

AMEN!

Paul

[22hornet]

My kids chickens should just about be ready to start laying. They are Isa Browns. Fun little things.
 
Pickled eggs? Seriously? Does anyone have more information on these?

Paul, interesting about the goats milk. My wife was previously working in a project with the dairy industry here in Oz, to try to make cows milk "better". Long story, anyway she tested various milk from different animals to see how they stack up. I'll ask more about it.
I believe camels milk was by far the best milk.

[j0e_bl0ggs (deceased)]

Pickled eggs? Seriously? Does anyone have more information on these?

Simples, boil and peel your eggs bung em into a clean kilner type jar, fill with pickling vinegar and leave em alone for week or so! The upmarket version which I like substitutes the saved vinegar from pickled beetroot....yum!