To call something chicken scratch or chicken feed used to mean that something was cheap or inexpensive. I’m here to tell you that those days are over. The price of both feed and scratch has skyrocketed, just like everything else these days. Luckily, I have supplemented their feed with garden vegetables and the gang is let out of their run every afternoon to gobble up bugs and worms, so that has kept the feed costs down. Those happy golden days are soon to be over, since we have already had several frosts here in the north. The cost wouldn’t seem quite so bad if I had eggs to show for it. For the last couple of weeks, the chickens have been molting like crazy, the coop is filled with feathers, and they stopped laying. All of them. They haven’t stopped eating with their molt, though, and in fact seem hungrier than ever. At first I was getting two eggs a day, then one, and now none. Zero. Zilch. A big goose….er….chicken egg. To make it worse, we have company coming. Now, if you were coming to a Farm Woman’s home and all she does is write about her chickens, would you be expecting oatmeal for breakfast? Right. Me neither. I would be expecting exactly what I had planned: Some sort of cheesy egg bake for breakfast and perhaps devilled eggs with the turkey dinner. Perhaps I should have planned a VERY EXPENSIVE chicken dinner, instead. Maybe I could find someone else who raises chickens and buy a couple of dozen eggs from them, putting those large beauties into the fridge. “Oh, yes!” I would boast, showing them off. “I have SCADS of eggs. So many that I just don’t know what to do with them all!” Another option would be to just bite the bullet and get the eggs from the grocery store, but when one writes about her life in a small-town newspaper column….well, I can hear it now: “You’ll never guess who I saw in the store yesterday, and GUESS what she was buying?” and “Farm Woman….pfffttttt! I KNEW she was just had to be making all of that crazy stuff up!” If I did my shopping locally, I certainly would have to disguise myself, though. If you happen to be shopping late at night in the grocery store’s dairy section and see a tall blondish-but-mostly-grey-haired woman wearing a moustache and a trench coat lurking near the eggs, just ignore me…er…her. Don’t ask any questions, don’t laugh, and please don’t call the authorities. I’ve got company coming and I’ve got a lot of work to do before they arrive, and there’s no way my kitchen will be clean enough for company if there are any delays. There’s a pile of housework to do, fall gardening chores to finish up, and I’ve got to dig out my mom’s famous pancake recipe. I think it only calls for two eggs, and I have at least that many in the fridge, maybe. Oh, and one more thing. I really don’t make this stuff up. Who could? That would take quite a bit of imagination, don’t you think?
Chicken scratch and pancakes
September 23, 2012 by The Minnesota Farm Woman
Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments
6 Responses
Leave a comment Cancel reply
-
Join 248 other subscribers
The Backyard Pioneer
Archives
- September 2023
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
The Backyard Pioneer
I always love reading your posts Chris! This one is no exception. I’m glad I’m not the only one who finds things are not always ending as they promised. I was so intent on having a great (although small) garden this year. I sent away for heirloom seeds, nurtured them in the living room under florescent bulbs and planted them outside when the ground was warm. I even collected 2 liter plastic bottles to create makeshift cloche to cover the wee seedlings. Then the dogs discovered the joy of lying in freshly dug holes, and none pleased them more then the ones in my garden. The only plants to survive the doggy spa days were the tomato plants that went into containers.
LikeLike
The dogs saw you digging and thought it was a wonderful idea! Last year, I spent an afternoon mulching the flower bed in front with fresh straw. The chickens scratched it up every day, spreading it into the lawn. Every day I raked it back. I think they thought it was a game. Thanks for reading! Chris
LikeLike
Oh, Chris, you always bring me a smile and a chuckle! I, too, have endless to do lists, and thank goodness I don’t have chickens to worry about!
If you’d like to knit a lovely scarf or sweater, or even an afghan, though, I can provide enough shed dog hair — really, enough in one day for any of those projects — and will be more than happy to send it along… Perhaps you could combine it with some feathers for a special creation?
Emma Ann, Wine Before Five
PS – And you have my permission to have a chilled glass of wine, before five, or heck, even at noon, to ease your frustration with those silly cackling hens.
LikeLike
Hee hee! Yes, dog hair and chicken feathers…..we could get rich! The good thing about this company it that it is a sister and two cousins. They are bringing lots of wine. PS….TWO eggs today….do you think they heard me threatening them with the stew pot>
Chris
LikeLike
Nope, when it comes to this time of year – chickens just do what chickens do – molt – not lay eggs, or great amounts such as we were spoiled in getting before – and for sure, you hoard every egg you can get your hands on – so yes, when you have to disguise yourself to get a couple dozen eggs cause people think you are making it up – rest assured, if they ever were a farmer wife – raised chickens, or have been near farms, they should understand – chickens just go through periods of non production – AMEN!
LikeLike
I always give them a break, too. No lights until it is too dark for me to see them after work. Even 5hen, it is on a timer.
LikeLike