WHAT’S IN YOUR EGG?

Over the years, I have become more concerned with sustainability. My newest sustainable venture consisted of bringing a small flock of chickens to my half acre of suburban utopia. My goal from the beginning was to integrate these new family members into our lives, using as little money as possible. After finding an old, run-down dog igloo online and transforming it into a hotel for chickens, I began scouring the house for items that could prove themselves useful for sustaining our small flock. I discovered an old milk jug, cut the bottom off, flipped it on it’s end and fashioned a bowl to the spout to use as a self-sufficient automatic waterer. Next, I needed to find inexpensive bedding material so the chickens could dream of egg laying while resting at night. The remedy? Our paper shredder, which had done a great job at collecting paper tidbits over the last few months, ended up providing the perfect pillowy litter for the chickens’ enjoyment. Lastly, I needed to address their food. An essential part of the chickens’ diet is calcium, which is needed to keep a sturdy shell. Then it hit me. I walked to the shores of Puget Sound, less than a block from our house, and spent an entire day collecting washed-up clam shells. Upon my return, I crushed the shells and showered the hotel for chickens with the snowy bits, which, to my delight, the chickens loved. Who knew that so many household and backyard items would provide the chickens with the necessities of their not-so-simple lives?