Food miles?

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This is one of our eggs (actually to be entirely accurate it is one of Matilda's. She is our hybrid hen, and an excellent layer, unlike the bantams, who spend the winter glaring malevolently at weather they don't like - most of it - and not laying a thing.)



I shut the hens up just before the light goes; the time obviously moves, but for the past few weeks it's been at about a quarter to four. I go out and shut the hens up and then go and collect my infants from the station. I usually collect the daily egg at the same time. I have tried stowing it in various places before I go (top of the compost heap; inside the pig sty; nestling in the ivy on the gate post), but then always forget it. So, I shove it in my bag and off it goes to the station, and duly does the seven mile round trip. So far I've managed not to crush the egg in my bag, or let an incautious child sit on it.

I don't think it's quite what's meant by food miles. I prefer to think of it as a lightly travelled egg.

Comments

Jodie Robson said…
Made me laugh a lot, because I'm always carrying eggs around in my pockets these days, and waiting to be jumped at by a friendly dog. Our girls are all hybrids and we're still getting 2 or 3 eggs most days.
17 December 2008 at 18:30
Val said…
I have found stuffing them in a front jeans pocket and then squatting down..to be a bad idea
Just at the moment we still have at least one girl laying but gathering the egg before it freezes and explodes is a challenge
(A shredded paper nest helps)
17 December 2008 at 22:24
Jane Badger said…
GeraniumCat - has the dog bashed an egg yet? Ours finds her long labrador nose excellent for inserting in pockets so would have a field day if I put the egg in a pocket.

Gosh Val - eggs freezing! I wondered where on earth you were when I read that, so had a quick look at your blog and all is explained. Alaska. I loved reading your blog.
18 December 2008 at 09:50
Jodie Robson said…
Happily, not yet, Jane, but it's bound to happen sooner or later - we've all managed to drop one on the way indoors though. And the dogs do love eggs, as shown by the intent hunting for pheasant's eggs every summer.

Freezing eggs - I've got to go and read Val's blog too!
18 December 2008 at 10:18
Jane Badger said…
Ours loves eggs too -hence the need to put the egg somewhere she can't get it. She will steal them quite happily if she gets the chance.
19 December 2008 at 09:06
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