Well, this week 100 cornish x jumbo chicks are showing up. Fingers crossed on these as it will be our first go around with pasture raised meat birds. Ok, so it’s not really the season to be doing this type of bird in an outdoor enviroment, but we think as a first try it might be worth it.
Next coming in are 50 quail eggs. These should be fun. I am thinking gourmet here. I have a memory of the first time I ever (and I think only time) ate a quail and 2 little eggs. In Washington DC there was a restaurant called “Dominiques” where my parents took me for my high school graduation dinner then to National Theater. It was an excellent place with a HUGE menu which was mainly just for looking at I think, but the items it had were incredible and exotic. Rattlesnake, alligator, and then my little quail. Well now into reality, I think that the eggs will sell nicely as a gourmet type item. Hey from what people have told me, Martha Stewart has been talking about quail lately and she has a whole section about them somewhere. Even my wine club magazine had a quail recipe this month to go with my wine. So it must be the new “in” thing to be eating. What’s great is that the little birds start laying in 6 weeks vs 5 MONTHS for chickens. The kids are excited about the little birds and I can’t wait to show them the little spotted eggs!
In a couple more weeks 100 new layer chicks are showing up. That will bring our total up to 300 layers. So if all goes well in the spring we will have about 150 eggs or more per day in the spring and summer months. Fingers crossed on that one.
We are going back and forth about a new building too – just for the chickens. Mainly it’s the cost of the whole thing that’s holding us back – and of course I know Joe could build it – but time is also an issue (we never have enough). I just know I wouldn’t be that great of a help with building it. I can plan – but don’t ask me to do that type of work – I stink at it – and I’m not nearly the perfectionist that he is – which is probably why his buildings would never fall and mine would topple if the wind blew. I think now it’s just the size of the building – cut down the size and cut down the cost a little, or add on the 8ft overhang. Who knows? All I want is the chickens away from the house by summer time. I love them running around my front yard – but at the same time I’m tired of the poop all over the place and in the summer I want to enjoy the pool without having to step around all of the poop on the patio and decks. At least it’s not just me – I think sometimes Joe is ready to shoot them all because of it.
The saga continues – and it will never end!
