3 minute read
The Chicken and the Egg
If there was such a thing as a perfect food, eggs would be a contender. They’re readily available, easy to cook, affordable and packed with protein.
Eating eggs alongside other food can help our bodies absorb more vitamins, too. For example, one study found that adding an egg to salad can increase how much vitamin E we get from the salad.
Advertisement
Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet as a whole egg contains all the nutrients required to turn a single cell into a baby chicken.
They also make great pets for adults and children alike. For more than 8,000 years, chickens have lived close to mankind, their long proximity leaving its mark on our language. Terms such as things “coming home to roost”, we worry about “putting all our eggs in one basket” all stem from keeping chickens. Francine Raymond who founded the Henkeepers’ Association in 2006 found it grew quickly in the UK to over 10,500 members. She even found that when she downsized from her Suffolk smallholding to Whitstable in Kent she “didn’t have any chickens but I really missed them. I somehow couldn’t see the point of gardening without them.” Her two hens (she usually has more), have a secure run and a beautiful, handmade wooden coop but are allowed out to garden with her every day. Her most recent book, The Garden Farmer, promotes the virtues of food producing in an urban setting.
“I always keep pure breeds, up to about eight hens. I try and hatch out two new ones each year. In their first year, even rare breeds will lay an egg a day.” The Orpington bantam is a fluffy mass of rusty gold feathers, laced with black, while the speckled Sussex has feathers that gleam a dark rust-red marbled with white. “The Sussex is a vigorous layer but something of a greedy pest when it comes to scratching up the garden. She has drumsticks of steel.”
Raymond’s new garden is already well established with fruit and nut trees, vegetable beds and an eclectic assortment of plants growing out of pots and containers. Her chickens contribute by eating pests and clearing fallen fruits, fertilising the garden and providing company throughout the year. On a wintry day, they add a splash of colour. For Raymond, the decorative beauty of her hens goes hand in hand with their utility. “Growing your own protein gives you power,” she says. So if you are inspired to start keeping chickens we are blessed with a number of people in the County who sell everything poultry related. Including hens. A great starting place for research is Francine Richmonds website www.kitchen-garden-hens.co.uk/
To rescue ex commercial hens visit www.bhwt.org.uk/rehome-hens/ n
A single large boiled egg breaks down as following in terms of your recommended daily alowance (RDA)
Vitamin A: 6% of the RDA Folate: 5% of the RDA Vitamin B5: 7% of the RDA Vitamin B12: 9% of the RDA Vitamin B2: 15% of the RDA Phosphorus: 9% of the RDA Selenium: 22% of the RDA
Eggs also contain decent amounts of vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin B6, calcium and zinc. This comes with 77 calories, 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of healthy fats. Eggs also contain various trace nutrients that are important for health.
Enjoy Mother’s Day at our award winning restaurant with fantastic views!
Sunday Lunch Buffet Served 12noon - 4pm Adults £12.95 | Children £5.95 (height restriction applies 1.2 metres) Sunday Dinner Buffet Served 4pm - 9pm Adults £14.95 | Children £6.95 (height restriction applies 1.2 metres) Full A La Carte available all day
