chickens and eggs

Didnt want to hi jack the organic egg post ,so started another,the neighbors in PA had chickens for years,After my dad passed away,my mom who was just barely walking at the time moved into a handicapped senior citizen building,she lived there for around 10 years. During that time she her and I would go to pa and bring back vegetables,she would ride around in her scooter chair and pass them out all week,One week she got a dozen extra eggs from the neighbor to bring to one of her friends at the senior building,Then the next week two,pretty soon 10 dozen a week,going around in her scooter,selling them for just what we paid for them from the neighbor lady.It kept her happy for quite a few years until she got so bad she needed more care and had to go to a nursing home,due to her M.S. Got really bad. Now about the chickens,,,,when they were done laying the old hens were butcherd in the little butcher house at the neighbors farm.We always bought some,my mom really liked the chicken soup made from them. Years later,,,,After my mom passed away,,,the neighbors got rid of the chickens,but there were some roosters running around the yard yet,They ran around for a long time,the neighbors grandma kept feeding them,,saying ,,,when is my grandson gonna butcher these chickens? One day I asked him if I Could help his grandma butcher them,He said sure,,I am so busy I would appreciate it, So to make a long story end,I May have had the honor to help butcher the last chickens on the neighbor family farm. we did it in the little butcher shop I have shown many times before got a fire started in the old butcher kettle to heat the water she was very capable to do it herself,but,,,she doesnt like chopping the heads off,I Did that on the block of wood outside there she is ,,my second mom,holding what just might be the last chicken butcherd in the little old butcher house! I cannot describe how honerd I was to be part of it,to be able to do something like that with this great lady is not easy to explain,but I think a lot of people on here will understand my feelings so I Wanted to post it.We did this a while ago,but I just found the pictures, I am blessed to be able to do things with these people,I just dont know how to put it in words,

Great post, Larry! Makes me wondering about all these folks with their hand sanitizer and stainless sinks and counters and chlorine sprays and what they would think of that chicken laying on that well used plank counter top. Why, however did she live to that age and end up looking so healthy!?

her father too,he butcherd on the same plank,he made it into his 90.s that ladys sister lives in the big old house,trims the grass along the sidewalk with scissors and she just turned 90 last summer,

certainly can appreciate where you're coming from - thanks for posting the pics.

We do a lot of 4H fairs and demos - when we have chickens on display, it's always a big hoot when one lays an egg. Most people don't believe you could really eat the egg!

They all assume it has to be processed properly in a big magical food factory.

Even my neighbors turn their noses up at fresh eggs - I can't even give them away.

It makes them squeamish knowing it came out of a real un-sanitized chicken.

That's where the whole country is headed.

Great post and photos, Larry.
You are the best neighbor... and so are they.

by The way she still heats water in the kettle and does her laundry in this washing machine,her daughter has a new washing machine,but can not convince her mom to let her do it
It is a wringer type washing machine, laundry day is every tuesday! In the summer she uses her riding mower and trailer to bring it to the clothes line across the street.

Folks like that are a treasure. Fewer every year and I miss every one that passes. You are lucky to get the chance to be a part of it all. There is a kind of peace that comes from being around them and listening to stories of the past and views on the present. Puts all the world's nonsense in perspective.

larry, brings back memories of my mom, however mom
would wring off the chickens head by holding the
chicken by its head and then giving its body a
whirling motion. the body would separate from the
head and the chicken would go flopping around, no
head, spewing blood until it died. soused in
boiling water to remove the feathers and then
lighted newspaper to singe off the remaining pin
feathers. cut it up, coated in flour and fried in
lard in a iron skillet. mom died in may of last
year at 87.

many a french fry I Ate at that ladys table,taters we grew,cooked in LARD,,,,They say its bad,,,but,,,,I Have never,,,,ever,,,,had better tasting french fries than hers.

Larry, thanks for the great story!
It was always a major event at our place for my brothers and me when our dad woud be butchering chickens. He'd swing 'em around then plop 'em on a wood block and chop their heads off. We'd delight in watching them bounce around without a head.....

So Larry, speaking of chickens, answer me this:

If it took a chicken and a half a day and a half to lay an egg and a half, how long would it take 3 chickens to lay 3 eggs???? PS NOT a trick question, there"s an easy mathematical accurate answer.

Ol John T and all (Only about half sane about half the time lol)

JohnT I like the question, Haven't sat down to solve it but saved it for my students for their morning journal tomorrow.

Huge hint, twice as many chickens ought to be able to lay twice as many eggs IN THE SAME TIME LOL but don"t tell them that

John T

Maybe so but I've never seen half a chicken lay half an egg. LOL

I will never forget the conversation I had with a city friend. I made mention that I was butchering the roosters in the bunch as I was tired of terrorized hens (my roosters were, ummm, very serious about their jobs). She had a puzzled look on her face. She could not get it through her head that I didn't need a rooster just to have eggs. I finally said, "You don't have a rooster around but YOU lay eggs every month, right? Chickens are just an accelerated version of us.". I think it sunk in finally. I'll bet I explain that to somebody at least once a year. Citiots.

I sure wish I had such a nice setup. I'm sure this farm had one at some time. It is sad that we have gotten away from this connection with our food. City folks (and everyone else, too) would be a lot less obese if they killed it to eat it.

What a gem Larry. Most all that living is gone over here in West Pa. I'm jealous! Those kind of people are not being made today........Sad

A friend's been giving me eggs. All kinda funky colored shells and a lot better than store eggs- probably the diet and exercise.
I know calves grow so much better and are healthier when you can let them run vs penning or tying them up.