Vegan Eggs?

"There are 3 inescapable problems we all face:

1. How to win food and shelter

2.  How to get along with others.

3.  How to relate to the total scheme of things.

If we deal with the 3rd one first, the other two get answered." -Houston Smith

 

I try to make lifestyle choices that cause as little harm to other beings as possible. This is veganishness.  I realize that it's impossible to live on Earth without causing any harm at all. 

 

The very roads we travel cause habitat loss, the walls and paint of the houses we live in contain dead animal products, even this computer I write on has an impact. If you even breathe, you kill microbes.. 

But to proceed in a veganish way through the world, I take into account the whole picture at each choice point. 

 

Let's consider the backyard chicken. Some people don't think eggs can even be a vegan food, but they can be a veganish food if done right. Nobody has to die to make eggs. Here is my definition: 

First, chickens live fifteen years, but only lay eggs daily for about three years. So there must be a commitment to the chickens' well being for their whole life, and their living conditions must be happy and healthy for them.

 

Next, chickens lay eggs even when there are no roosters around, so these eggs amount to well, chicken menstruation. But even if you have roosters around fertilizing the eggs, if you simply don't allow them to be incubated to hatching out chicks, you can avoid ever having those extra roosters that farmers are temped to put into the soup pot. 

If you do want chicks, many people can tell pretty accurately which eggs contain male vs female chicks by the shape of the eggs. Female chicks come from rounder eggs; male chick eggs look more oblong. 

 

There is a really good reason for eating eggs if you generally do not eat any meat or dairy or fish, and that is to get those awesome omega 3's that are so good for your brain and all. It has been many decades since I had meat or fish and I don't want to get demented!

So in order to get our veganish omegas, we have just gotten chickens!! They have a chicken tractor. This is a mobile coop with egg laying boxes inside, and no floor. You pull it around on its wheels, across the land to fresh pastures each day, so the chickens can find fresh grass, herbs and bugs. 

 

Our chickens are out tractoring now, happily pecking, scratching, and making contented humming and clucking sounds. As for me, I like it that I can feed and move them in the middle of the day, because I'm not a crack of dawn person. 

 

They are safe and happy in their fresh and changing environment, and the big veganish dog notices the commotion if any predators come near. Out here in the country, the life force is strong. We have cougars, bears, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, and many kinds of hawks and eagles.

 

We feed our pet birds flax seeds and all organic feed and fruit and veggie treats. I'm planning their forage meadow garden, to be from a special plant seed mix that chickens like, for next year. I've heard you can even sprout their seeds for them. I sprinkle a happy chicken dried herb and flower mix in with the hay of the chicken coop. It smells nice in there. 

After only two days, they already are relaxed enough to eat out of my hand! And they have started to lay eggs!

I wonder if we will be having cake around here soon...

  

 

"whole system interliving"  -Jean Houston