Welcome to the fifth installment of The Natural Way, a series in
which we are showcasing individuals and companies that are making a
difference in their community by doing things "the natural way" with a focus on sustainability.
Take a look at the
first part in the series - we talked with Lauren Nitschke of Nitschke Natural Beef about ranching and the importance of knowing your farmers.
In the
second installment, we talked with Catalina, director of Art of
Peace Montessori about "non-traditional" early childhood education and
the importance of teaching children about sustainability and the
environment.
In
part three,
we talked with Mike Randall, founder of All Who Are Thirsty. Mike and
his team help to bring clean drinking water around the globe in a
sustainable manner.
Part four, we talked with Andrea Bithell, Garden Lady of Oak Cliff Organics.
Today, we are hearing from Sunday, Backyard Chicken enthusiast (and too humble to call herself an expert, even though she is!). Sunday runs a group on facebook which discusses Urban Homesteading and Self-Sustainability, as well as Backyard Chickens. This is how I met her and I am so very glad to introduce her to you today!
Q: Hi, Sunday! Can you introduce yourself? Tell us a little about who you are.
Well,
I like to consider myself a Renaissance Woman, but in all actuality,
I'm just a gal with a bunch of hobbies. I'm a reproductive scientist by
training, ran an infertility program for 15 years, artist, farmer
wanna-be, and single mom to 3 incredible kids. I love the creative
aspect of science and nature!
Q: You haven't always been involved in raising backyard chickens, what did you do before you dove into this lifestyle?
Moving
toward a more simple lifestyle has been a journey for me. About 8
years ago I recognized the attachment that people had to "things" and
the realization that we've given up so much for the sake of convenience.
That's not a path I wanted to travel. We started small at first -
giving up television, making better choices with the food we ate. But I
came to enjoy the work that went into providing a more wholesome
lifestyle for my kids - the time it took to make homemade bread or
planting garden seeds with my children. It was love that went into all
of that. So, it wasn't so much "diving" into the project, but slowly
slipping my feet in.
Q: Can you tell us a little about WHY you decided to make this leap?
For
me, having chickens was a sign that I had "made it in life" - that
things had finally started settling down to the point where I could
enjoy taking on the project of raising chickens. I longed for
beautiful, fresh eggs and realized that if I kept saying "One day I'll
have chickens..." that time would continue to slip by. We decided to
hatch our chickens so that the kids could experience the entire process.
It was such a marvel to them.
Q: What is the difference between the white eggs you buy at the grocery store and the eggs your chickens lay?
There
is nothing that can compare to the taste of a farm fresh egg (or
backyard chicken egg). My hens are spoiled with a diet of oatmeal,
left-over veggies, scrambled eggs, and good quality feed. They also get
to free-range, eating wild grains and insects, providing them with a
well-rounded diet. Backyard and farm hens also generally have easy
access to fresh air and sunlight.
Typical grocery store eggs come from caged hens fed a
diet of commercial poultry food, with little or no access to any
additional nutrients, fresh air or sunlight.
The
most obvious difference can be seen when a grocery egg and farm egg are
cracked side-by-side: a grocery egg yolk will typically be pale yellow
and a farm egg will be dark yellow to orange, depending on the diet.
Q: Why is this important?
I'd much rather know what's going into my food!
Q: What is the hardest part about what you do?
The
hardest thing about raising chickens has been losing them to predators.
Much of the loss has happened while they were free-ranging, taken by
coyotes and hawks in broad daylight. However, I had raccoons get into
the coop a couple of times with devastating results. When you raise
them up from chicks, spoil them, talk to them, pet them, they become
like any other pet.
Q: What is the best part about what you do?
Aside
from having beautiful, fresh eggs, I love the community of people that
have come together in our area because of chickens and wanting a
sustainable lifestyle for their families. Some of us live in the city,
some in the country, some in between, but with a common thread of
wanting a better way of living.
Q: Can you explain a little about how you participate in sustainability?
We
recycle as much as possible, built a compost bin out of pallets (great
place for chicken poo!), garden, and hoping to start bee-keeping. I
treat each moment as a teachable moment for my children, showing them
how we have to be good stewards of what we have. It is important that
they not lose sight of the simple way of doing things - canning, baking,
gardening - so that they will always be able to provide for themselves
if need be.
Q: Do you have any advice for our readers who might be considering raising their own chickens?
Chickens
are addictive. You'll start out with 2-3, see chicks at the feed
store, and soon have a flock of 15. So, it is important to plan
accordingly. Some general advice: (1) Buy/build a coop slightly
larger than what you think you'll need. (2). Be sure your flock is
protected from predators. In the city, this may mean cats or dogs. In
more rural areas, it will be raccoons, coyotes, hawks, owls, etc. (3).
If you are introducing new chickens to an existing flock, buy from a
reputable seller and QUARANTINE. Respiratory illnesses (and others) can
take out your entire flock. Generally not a good idea to buy at a flea
market.
Q: Any other things you want to add?
Chicken
math is real - you'll gain more than you ever thought and lose along
the way. But all-in-all, the chicken experience has been nothing but
awesome!
Thanks so much, Sunday! I love those teachable moments for our kiddos! I am seriously looking forward to joining you in being a Chicken raising family :)
Next week, same time, same place - more on living life The Natural Way! Stay tuned!
