The Caribbean Chick

My journey into raising chickens started in the Fall of 2020. My father actually acquired some of his flock in 2019 before the rumors of a pending pandemic. He did it just because. Then he adopted 7 more from neighbors who moved away. And then it became way too much due to accessibility challenges. So I gave it a try and was ‘hooked’!

I became fascinated with chickens after discovering the rare blue eggs amongst the brown ones. Although I earned my PhD from research Vitamin A metabolism in chick embryos and we raised some chickens back in the 1980’s, I never fancied myself as a chicken expert. Now, I am amazed by the variety of breeds, their entertaining little quirks as chicks and adults, and the unique characteristics of eggs from different breeds.

My small flock of 8 hens and one Dominique Rooster I call ‘Lenny’ produce 6 eggs per day. I have a 3 acre backyard that is ideal for them to forage during the day. I even add herbs like sage, oregano, and lavender (all grown in my backyard) to the their water or supplemental organic non-GMO nutrition. These birds also get good old fashioned Caribbean kitchen and table scraps too! Yummy things like cooked dasheen, cassava, rice&peas, Trini-style calaloo, etc. and fruits like mango🥭, coconuts🥥, grapes, and bananas. They will come running for some curried fish or potatoes & Channa!

So that is why the are The Caribbean 🌴Chick’s chickens😉.