What's this all about ?

[nannyhill]

When a few years back i first became aware of the plight of the battery hen, i felt compelled to do my bit and support these poor little birds. Only buying free-range eggs and meat is just the start of it as i discovered, it impacted on any take-away meal i might desire and even my favorite M&S sandwhich. Anywhoo i got there.
Then in October i was lucky enough to get my own girls, Olive the Blackrock and Betty the Lt Sussex . Gradually i've noticed begining to feel slightly uncomfortable eating chicken, and now this.
Last week Olive was the first of my birds to begin to lay, first one on Thurs in the run, the second on Sat in the nest box, two on Sunday(one being Sat's excavated from the floor in the run) and everyday since a beautiful brown speckledy egg, but my dilema is this i can't eat my girls eggs, it's seems cannabalistic & the thought of it makes me balk.
Has anyone else felt like this or am i just a complete loone, destined never to enjoy eggy bread EVER AGAIN or will sense once again prevail

[p.penn]

Actually, I really do understand that. When I got my first eggs from my girls I felt the same. But I had a hubby who was desperate for an egg so.....

They taste so declicious I got over it very quickly!

[angelasattic]

I has a slight issue with my first egg but got myself over it, and now I would never eat shop bought eggs again, do remember that it is not a chick, nor will it be, if you dont eat it then nothing will change as far as the egg is concerned.

The eggs are your ladies gifties to you and one thing I can promise you is that you have never tasted anything so good as your own girls eggs.

Eating chickens, well yeah Im with you on that one, we havent touched chicken since getting them but many people can and there is no right or wrong here.

Angie

[Totally Scrambled]

Morning Nanny,
Being a complete loon just means you'll fit in well here.
I could understand if you were lopping off the odd leg here or there to have in your sarnies, but just think of all the hard work they've put into making those eggs for you. They are showing their appreciation for you rescueing them and are giving you the only gift they can, other than amusement and affection. So don't hurt their feelings, eat the eggs knowing they were made with love just for you.
Dom

[little brown hen]

Hi, I stood and looked at the first egg for ages, and felt exactly like you, it was Clara's baby. But then I realised it would be a crime to waste it, and my girl had spent a day slowly making that egg for us, so we ate it. I'm vegetarian, so I dont eat chicken, but I have to cook it for my students, though I'm thinking of buying the quorn alternative, and I don't think they'll know the difference once it's cooked.
time will tell.

[wendy]

I know where you are coming from.
I am a bit 'funny' with eggs anyway. I can only have then hard boiled, scrambled or as an omlet. As if I think of what they are, it turns my stomach. So I don't eat many.
I have not eaten chicken since I have had them either.
Wendy

[4c lady]

I have to say since having my girls its rare for me to buy chicken I tend to buy turkey now. Eggs I havent had an issue with as I know my girls have put effort and pain into laying the egg and its all natural and they live a good life. I do sell almost all my eggs only having a couple a week myself but they do taste great so do give them a go after all you eat supermarket eggs and those poor birds sometimes live in hell conditions. I know a friend of mine couldnt face eggs off my girls as she said they came out of a chickens bottom but would happily eat supermarket eggs as she said you couldnt see where they were coming from!!!

[jannie]

I would feel very ungratefull if I didn't use the gifts my girls give me....and they are delicious.. If you can't bare to eat them as boiled or fried to start with, why don't you bake a cake or save them for pancakes next Tuesday.
Once you start using your eggs you'll wonder how you ever managed before you had your 'Girls'

[roddelmae]

I can see where you are coming from with this, but as other contributers have said, these eggs are not going to be chicks, ever, particularly if you don't have a cockerel!
The other thing is, are you feeding your chooks on layers pellets, crumbs, or mash? If so, you are making your chooks lay, so it would be very ungrateful of you not to eat what you are making them produce.

[AL37]

Hi NannyHill,
I understand your plight entirely. For me it is slightly different because at first I was okay with them, but then last summer I hatched some eggs from my hens and had a good hatch rate. Since then the amount of eggs I eat has decreased.
One misconseption that many people have is that the entire yolk is the embryo, this is incorrect the actual embryo is a tiny dot attached to the yolk.
I don't suppose that helps much but it gets me through. As has already been said if you only have hens in your flock then the eggs could never be chicks.

[Chicken George]

Eating one of our girls if they died is one thing - couldn't do it.

But as said, the eggs are a natural product of the hen and that's what it does anyway, with or without a mate.

Let's suggest another analogy - would you stop drinking cows' milk if you had a cow? Which is obviously a natural product without feeding their offspring.

Be brave and consider the gifts that have been given to you, and in a very small part we are helping to stop the mass producers who enslave the humble chicken.

[nettles]

I understand what you mean, it felt very strange when I ate my girls first eggs. But like everyone else has said, they laid them for you, we also think of them as prezzies, precious ones at that.

Egg and chips is most definitely my favourite meal, yorkshire puddings fluff up great and are so rich in colour. As do cakes. We use alot of eggs and always have, and you cannot beat the egg you get that is still warm, on cold days put one to your cheek, it's a wonderful feeling.

It is a natural thing to eat eggs, and healthy. I certainly wouldn't dream of wasting them, as I use them I am often heard to say 'thankyou girls!'

[beulah59]

I always say thank you every day!

[Fuffy]

I get it too!

I certainly am a lot more careful about what chicken I buy now!

As for eggs: all of the above plus I KNOW what was fed to the bird who made it, so I KNOW how good it is. This is not the egg from some poor bird scratching around on a rubbish heap. And I feel that makes it ok to enjoy it.

But I also say thank you to each chook as she lays her egg and I go and take it away...If that makes me a nutter, then so be it

[p.penn]

I ALWAYS say thank you to them when they lay. I also say goodmorning and ask them how they are! Not sure what the neighbours must think!