小笠原ファーム
大多喜町で養鶏をはじめて35年、自ら建てた自宅で鶏とともに暮らす小笠原昌憲さん（家作りの著書もあります）。
広々とした鶏舎では、鶏たちが実に自然に、悠々とした様子をしている。あちこち走り回っては、喧嘩をしたり、寄り添ったり。いわゆる「平飼い」スタイルだ。
聞くと小笠原さん、東金市の孵化場まで毎度足を運んでは、生まれたばかりのひよこに自分で最初の餌付けをして連れ帰ってくるのだそう。配送ではなくわざわざ取りに行くのは「その後の育成が違う」から。くちばしの先を水をつけ、口に含ませて上を向かせ、ごくんと飲み込ませる。このように「水」を教え、「エサ」を教えることで親鳥の代わりをしながら、小さな命を育てていく。
そうしてできたのが「小笠原ファーム」の有精卵。サイズも色合いもさまざまな卵は、そのまま自然な産卵を物語る。ぎゅっと凝縮されたおいしさはもう格別で、まずは火を通さずに生のまま食べてみてほしい。食べごろは産んでから一週間後。たんぱく質が熟成されるまで待つことでよりいっそう味わいが増す。
Masanori Ogasawara, who has been raising poultry in Otaki Town for 35 years, lives with his chickens in a house he built himself (he has also written a book on house building).
In the spacious chicken coop, the chickens look very natural and carefree. They run around here and there, fighting with each other, or just cuddling. This is the so-called "heirloom" style.
When I asked him about it, he told me that he goes to a hatchery in Togane City every time, feeds the newborn chicks for the first time, and brings them back. The reason why he goes to the trouble of picking up the chicks instead of delivering them is because "their subsequent growth is different. He dips the tip of his beak in water, makes the chick look up and swallow. In this way, by teaching them about water and feeding them, they take the place of their parents and nurture their little lives.
The result is the "Ogasawara Farm" fertilized eggs. The eggs, which come in a variety of sizes and colors, tell the story of natural egg laying. They are so delicious that you should try eating them raw without cooking them. The best time to eat them is a week after they are laid, and waiting until the proteins have matured will enhance their flavor even more.
