Life on the Farm During the ’50s and ’60s

Reader Contribution by The Mother Earth News Editors
article image

This story is from Carolyn Ringo, submitted as part of our Wisdom From Our Elders collection of self-sufficient tales from yesteryear.

We had a few people from “the city” see our “Eggs for Sale” sign and drive out to the farm. My father had a pet rooster and he would say “Sick ’em Cockeye,” to keep the people in the car until he had a chance to check them out. The rooster would make himself large and keep them from opening the door. When they tried the other door Cockeye would hop over the car and threaten them on that side. He did once attack someone who threatened my brother. Roosters can make fierce claw marks on a person’s back.

We also had a pet chicken we told mom we would never eat. She said we’d never know when we were eating it because it would just be one out of the freezer. That turned out to be true. Mom would periodically have to wring a chicken’s neck with the broom handle and wait for it to stop flopping around the yard to dress it.

Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368