What does a master jeweler do while sheltering at home with ample time on his hands?
If you answered, order 12 chicks from Ohio to raise and collect eggs from, you’d be right!
Out of Eggs
Albert is a man of many talents. Of course we all know him as the master jeweler of Albert Kaz Jewelry. However, when he's away from work, he enjoys hobbies such as grilling the perfect cut of meat, tending to his plentiful garden, and now....raising chicks!
This all started when Albert found himself at multiple grocery stores in search of eggs that were all out of stock. The shortage of eggs came from those buying in bulk to reduce grocery store trips during the shelter in place order. Searching for other options, he recalled a client who had once brought eggs to him as a gift. This client owned several chickens and the eggs she provided Albert with were incomparable to any of those he had ever purchased in store. The taste and quality were outstanding, and the health benefits to eating organic eggs were an added bonus. This memory caused him to visit a local farm in search of organic eggs, only to find that they too were all out of stock.
Finding himself out of options, he turned to the internet. Surely if there were no eggs locally, he would still be able to purchase them online. While searching, he came across a website that not only sold organic eggs, but also sold chickens. These chickens were of all different varieties. More research showed different breeds of chickens lay different colored eggs, blue, brown, white, yellow, this intrigued Albert and the wheels started turning.
From there, it took no more than five minutes to pick up the phone and place an order for 12 Barred Plymouth Rock chicks straight from Ohio.
What now?
Realizing what he had just gotten himself into, Albert immediately researched as much information as he could about the ins and outs of caring for and raising chicks. This included a lot of research on how to build a chicken coop. His friends and family were equally confused and surprised at this new choice in hobby and what caused him to do something so spontaneous. But to Albert, this was all the ultimate experiment. This was the opportunity to try something new and exciting, and if all else failed, Albert knew chicken owners who would happily take on the new additions.
Furthermore, the benefits to raising these chicks seemed to outweigh the cons of any work. Organic eggs are filled with far more vitamins and nutrients than their caged counterparts. Studies from Penn State University suggest these cage free eggs are packed with three times the amount of omega-3 fatty acids. Additionally, they found organic eggs to have 40% more Vitamin A and twice as much Vitamin E. Lastly, the chickens would be a great help to Albert’s garden. The chickens would eat scraps and clippings from the plants, and then their manure could be used as fertilizer, creating the perfect compost cycle.
12 Chicks at the Door
Easter Day came and the chicks were born in Ohio. Two days later on April 14th, 12 chicks were chirping in a small box on Albert's doorstep. Initially, Albert assumed at least half would not make the trip over, traveling with no food or water. Because of this, he ordered 12 in hopes of at least six healthy chicks. Much to his surprise, all 12 arrived unharmed and in perfect condition.
The Journey Continues...
Now the real work begins. It’s been nearly a month since the chicks initially arrived at Albert’s doorstep. The chicks are growing fast and have taken a liking to Louie (Albert’s pet poodle). Meanwhile, Albert is in the process of building the perfect coop.
This entails a coop that is suitable and comfortable for both Albert and the chickens. The size and placement should be easy for Albert to access, as well as comfortable for the chickens to live in and lay eggs. Egg retrieval should be made easy without the burden of entering the coop and disrupting the chickens. Finally, automatic food and water feeders will guarantee they're always tended to.
As for now, the experiment continues, and we’ll be sure to keep an update on how our master jeweler navigates this new activity. Stay safe and healthy, and maybe experiment with your own new hobbies while sheltering at home!
