The Versatile Chicken
A tasty meal time entrée for the Amish is chicken. Chickens are a versatile and handy farm yard addition. They are fairly easy to raise, require a small amount of space and very little feed. Baby chicks are typically purchased during the warmer spring or summer months from a hatchery. The delicate babies will need an enclosed space with an additional source of heat and light until they lose their down and begin to feather out-typically around 4 weeks of age.
Baby chicks are born ready to eat feed and drink water. Many farmers will purchase specially formulated feed to meet the chick’s nutritional needs. Occasionally farmers will add electrolytes to the water the first couple of days after arrival to provide a little boost after the stress of transportation from the hatchery. The water and feed will need to be cleaned at least once daily as they will stand in and mess in their feed and water. The chicken coop (pen) will need to be kept scrupulously clean so infectious diseases will not be spread. The building will need to be maintained so predators cannot break in and kill the chickens or steal the eggs.
After the chickens feather out completely (around 6 weeks of age) and if the weather is warm supplemental heat will no longer be needed. Depending on the breed, it takes around two to three months for the broilers (male chickens) to reach a good weight to be butchered for meat. Pullets (female chickens) will take about 5 months before they begin laying their first eggs. The first year of egg production is generally the most prolific. After three or four years of laying eggs, the hen’s production will start to decline greatly. Then the typical Amish farmer will most likely use her for stew or soup meat.
Eggs can come in a variety of colors: brown, white, green or even blue depending on the breed of chicken. They are an excellent source of protein, selenium, vitamin A, vitamin B (folate and riboflavin), vitamin E, lutein and zeaxanthin (both of these last two nutrients are related to vitamin A). Of course, the egg does have quite a bit of cholesterol so like all things its best to eat them in moderation. Here’s an Amish recipe for delicious egg sandwiches to be eaten for breakfast or as a late morning snack.
The Amish like to serve chicken for special occasions. Here’s a good Amish oven fried chicken recipe.
