Sweetie Pie Baker/Scientist Visits Our Garden

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Vince Kogo "The Chicken Man"

Vince Kogo - Guest Speaker

Team Nutrition students welcomed Vince Kogo "The Chicken Man" as our guest speaker. Vince has helped our team's Operation Chicken Project become quite the success. During today's visit Vince talked with our students about winterizing the chicken coop to make our hens happy and healthy during our cold and snowy months. 

Coop Heating: How much protection do mature hens need from freezing weather? This question has been researched and debated for over a century. Mature chickens, with their thick coats have substantial protection from getting chilled. As long as the birds are dry and out of direct wind they can withstand cold relatively well down to very low temperatures. However, in subzero temperatures, tender appendages (including feet and toes, large combs and wattles) are vulnerable to frostbite. 

Water Heaters: How do we keep our water from freezing? Water heaters keep water thawed, and require electricity. They are approved or double wall metal fountains and are thermostatically controlled to operate only when necessary. These heaters cost pennies a day to operate as they require 

125 watts of power.   

Quiche Day in the Kitchen

Quiche Day in the Kitchen

 

Using our eggs: 

      Farm-fresh eggs are generally brown eggs, because brown-egg layers are easier for most small flock owners to care for. And if you eat your own eggs or buy them locally, they're generally much fresher than store-bought eggs and they taste better. Green and blue eggs also taste the same as brown or white eggs. While some people think organic eggs taste better, it's usually because, once again, they're fresher. In general, however, in a blindfold taste test, organic and non-organic eggs are indistinguishable. Chicken eggs can taste differently if the hens are fed a lot of certain foods, like flax seed, fish, or onions or if the eggs are not stored properly.

     Nutritional claims about certain eggs vary widely in credibility. Chickens can be fed so that their eggs have less cholesterol and more of certain nutrients, but this is an exacting science that most small flock owners can't practice. 

   

     Although quiche is now a classic dish of French cuisine, quiche actually originated in Germany, in the medieval kingdom of Lothringen, under German rule, and which the French later renamed Lorraine. The word‘quiche’ is from the German ‘Kuchen’, meaning cake.