In the spring of 2003, my husband Andrew announced that he was going to get a couple of chickens for our young daughters. “To help them learn about the cycle of life”, he said. I was against the idea, already overwhelmed by the cycle of life. Andrew pursued his plan and brought home a hatchery catalog. Andrew and the girls ordered a couple of chickens. I ordered geese, ducks, pheasant, partridge, and quail.
I’d hatched a plan to collect various sizes of eggs from this enormous flock of birds, and eventually sell blown eggs to the egg art community. With a BA in photographic art and science, I couldn’t resist taking thousands of digital and film photos of the birds in all stages of their lives. These images became cards, framed artwork, and prints and another product line was added to the plan.
“The eggs and feathers are incredibly beautiful,” I say, interviewing myself. “The egg is certainly a symbol of fertility and rebirth, but to me it is also a fascinating little life machine.” I continue. “Feathers are an amazing adaptation. They can insulate from both heat and cold, and can repel the rain in everything but the hardest downpour. Each feather is adapted for the part of the body it protects. If it weren’t for the work required to keep the feathers healthy, I’d want them myself instead of hair.”
A blown egg artfully covered with feathers is known in the egg art world as a “Feathered Egg”. This seemed an obvious name for my poultry pursuit, and so I took it on. The products offered by the Feathered Egg have grown since the idea first cracked over my head. Egg arrays with stands joined the blown eggs and the packaged feathers. Hinged eggs rise out of a pyramid of broken eggshells and egg dust.
I see each sale as an opportunity to exercise my values of honesty, integrity, and communication. Each customer, whether one-time or regular, receives careful attention. Happy buyers are essential to my business. I plan to be around for a long time to come, with new products all the time. We really are Organic (uncertified), Domestic, Humane, and Mother Built!