Chicks grow into chickens really fast! And if you want happy, healthy hens that will lay plenty of eggs, it’s important to understand each stage of their development and
VIDEO: Adding the “Cluck” to Cluster Cluck
An Egg’s Incredible Journey
Perhaps the greatest joy of keeping a small chicken flock happens when an egg hits the frying pan The bold orange yolk is as pleasant to the eye as it will soon be to the taste buds No grocery store egg can compare with it That egg followed an amazing journey before becoming human breakfast
Months earlier, folks at Hoover’s Hatchery collected hatching eggs from their numerous brooder flocks and trucked them to Rudd, Iowa, then gently tucked them into incubators On each egg’s yolk is a tiny cell with combined genes from the rooster that mated with the hen
What is a Fairy Egg?
It started out like any other morning After I got my husband and kids out the door for work and school, I went out to check on my flock and collect any eggs that may be out there I was on my daily egg hunt (not all of my girls have taken a liking to nesting boxes) I was walking through the coop with a train of chickens behind me waiting for their morning treat And there, next to a few other regular sized eggs
Too Many Eggs? Dealing with a Surplus
Bringing fresh eggs from coop to kitchen is a backyard flock owner’s delight Trouble is, sometimes there’s too much of a good thing
Hens lay on their own schedule Adding light during winter’s short days tricks birds into thinking it’s spring so they lay more eggs during the dark months But lighting a coop isn’t a perfect solution
All hens seem to lay more as daily natural sunlight expands and days warm Families who don’t use artificial winter light see egg production strongly rev up come spring Those that do use lights often see a smaller increase Fancy breeds, not known
Tips for Cleaning Eggs
You’ve successfully raised your fluffy, sweet chicks into beautiful hens Your hens have started to lay and you can’t wait to crack open your first home raised egg When you go out to the coop to collect eggs, you might be surprised to see that your eggs aren’t always clean and perfect There are many things online about the do’s and don’t of cleaning eggs What’s the best and safest way to clean your farm eggs?
Should you wash fresh eggs?
You may be surprised to learn that the United States is one of the few countries that sells refrigerated eggs