Chickens

I have wanted backyard chickens for a long time. I really want access to cheap, extra nutritious eggs. Yesterday a friend of mine brought over some of her dad's chicks to let her mom friends take pictures of with the kids. All was going well until my son and his big new rain boots stepped on one of the chicks and killed it. He did not seem to notice despite me trying to make him understand but I was totally traumatized.

I was however renewed in my effort to get some chickens (full grown ones) for our own yard. I know that my city lets people have up to 6 chickens, no roosters. So I set to work trying to figure out if it would save our egg eating family to have chickens. In the past I have heard both that having your own chickens saves you money and that it does not. So I looked for the best deals on coops on Craigslist and found a deal where you get five, 6 month old chickens, a coop and everything the chickens need for $300. That seems to be a good deal. Then I looked at what feed would cost for 5 chickens. About $16 a bag and we would need one bag a month. This alone is more then we spend on eggs in one month (about $10), even if we bought all organic, cage free eggs. That does not even take in to consideration the start up costs, possible vet costs, and lack of egg laying in the Winter.

So there goes that dream. While I could look at them as pets, I have a firm rule against introducing anything else in my life to take care of unless it gives me some value. And by value I do not mean something nebulous and undefinable, I mean saves me money.

First Cheese

Last week I attempted my first cheese. I used the 1 gallon Farmers Cheese recipe from the website I posted. I warmed up my milk and added the yogurt and let it sit all night. In the morning I warmed up the milk and added the Rennet and then waited, and waited, and waited some more. No clean break. I began to suspect that I let the milk sit to long before adding the rennet.

I was eager to try again so this time I warmed the milk, added the yogurt and only let it sit for 3 hours before adding the rennet. Nothing happened. I did not even get a messy kind of break. Nothing, it still looked like milk. I decided to warm it up an make something else with it. When I came back to check on the milk it was firming up just like it was supposed too! I kept it warm and followed the rest of the directions and put the curd in to my homemade cheese press (also found on the website). I let it press all night and then took it out and wrapped it in a handkerchief that I had boiled to serialize and put it in the fridge.

This is the hardest part, waiting. I can't help but check on my cheese all the time. I really try not to but I can't help it. It seems to be drying just like it is supposed to. When it is dry I will wax it and wait some more. The sad part is that I will not know if I got it right for a few more weeks!