Musette Gonzalez became smitten with chickens at a young age. “I was raised in New York, and my mom brought home some chicks once. I think it might have started from there,” recalls Gonzalez.
These days, Gonzalez presides over Lé Koopé, a family-owned venture situated in Clermont, Florida, focused on pasture-raised chickens.
We spoke to Gonzalez about surprising chicken behaviors and the joys of French Marans. We also got into poultry hats.
A Rainbow of Eggs
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Gonzalez says that her family always had animals around while she was growing up, although she didn’t specifically pursue an interest in farming back then. But when she discovered the colorful array of chicken eggs it’s possible to produce, her outlook changed.
“I think everyone is used to just a white egg or a brown egg. But you can almost get a rainbow of colors, and you can match up chickens yourself to get the color you want in the long run,” she says. “That’s very interesting.”
Read more: Get the egg colors you want with these chicken breeds!
Give It up for French Marans
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Right now, Gonzalez anoints her French Marans as the chickens responsible for producing the most eye-catching eggs. “It’s the dark chocolate ones at the moment that are my favorite,” she says.
Getting into Chicken Behavior
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Once she began raising chickens, Gonzalez quickly realized that “they can eat you out of house and home!”
Digging deeper into chicken behavior, she adds: “They’ll tell you when they’re not feeling good, that’s the most surprising thing about them. You can really tell from their whole demeanor.”
Read more: Chickens have a lot to say!
Spotlight on Chicken Hats
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During the last holiday season, Gonzalez posted a photo to her Instagram account of a chicken decked out in a knitted hat. It turns out, the poultry headgear was a gift from her sister-in-law.
“She thought it would be cute to bring them over and put them on the chickens,” recalls Gonzalez. “[The chicken] was cool with it for a while, very calm and still. But we don’t usually do that. I do little photoshoots here and there, but we usually keep them as natural as possible.”
Celebrating the Final Plate
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Reflecting on her poultry adventures to date, Gonzalez says that she takes inspiration from “the final plate I see my clients produce at the end of it.”
She adds that it’s always motivating to hear people comment how Lé Koopé’s eggs taste superior to store-bought ones. “Those are the most rewarding comments I get, ’cause I know I’m doing something right,” she says.
Follow Lé Koopé at Instagram.
