Chicken Eggs and More

     Have you ever thought about the eggs you buy at the grocery store. I know that we have and that is why we have raised our own chickens. We always think about what goes into the food we eat.

We have had a great winter for eggs this year. We raise a few Delaware hens, a few Australorps, Road Island Reds and a trio of Guineas (which are too young to lay eggs yet, and we would like them to hatch babies for the farm.) So far though the Delaware chickens have been laying eggs on a regular basis. The Reds and Australorps have taken a break for the winter.

Size Differences and Colors in Eggs

     Over the years we have seen some of the craziest kinds of egg shapes and sizes. We have had eggs come out very pointy and some very round but this past week we had a very small egg laid. We have had eggs that were even wrinkly on one end. Those eggs that have been laid smaller (sometimes called a fart egg or fairy egg) than usual could be caused be the cold winter weather or even due to the environment in which your birds of living in. For instance it could be the beginning of a moult or a lack of water or food or possible threat from a predator. I would have to say this small egg was caused by the start of a moult. Regardless the chicken may have started to produce the egg sooner than it was supposed to and it just didn’t become a fully productive egg. They are still good to eat and may not even have a yolk just whites.

     Eggs that are wrinkled or Albumen (as the professional term) are cause by the whites of the chicken thinning or becoming watery. This occurs in an older hen. Sometimes this is also cause by the viral disease Infectious Bronchitis (IB). These eggs can still be eaten, but we usually fed them to the pigs. They love eggs.

     There are many different causes for eggs not to form correctly. Some eggs even produce double yolks and I love those kind because I am not keen on the whites. This is possibly caused by overactive ovaries in the hen and the yolks pass too rapidly and join the previous yolk and it occurs in heavy breeders.

     We have had so many different colors to our eggs too. Some have speckles some are lighter and others darker. This can be caused by the time of year they are being laid or the time in which they moult. The same chicken can lay an egg with lots of speckles one day and lay one with less the next, there is nothing wrong with these eggs either. All our chickens lay brown eggs but there are some that lay blue green and even purple eggs. Yet others lay chocolate colored eggs. It just depends on the breed.

     Our Guineas are the best alarm system we have as far as predators go. They have a call that we can hear all over the farm area. We have ours in a huge dog pen right now because they are still young birds and we need to teach them that this is their area to protect. This summer we will put them out in the pasture with the pigs and they should stay where they can eat ticks and ants etc. We would love for them to lay eggs and hatch them to have more protection for the farm.

     Fresh eggs are great for all kinds of cooking and you can definitely taste the difference between a store bought egg and one from the farm. We have sold our eggs and shared them too. I always have a good supply in the refrigerator. Did you know that you should always store your eggs point side down? This keeps the air from the yolk and keeps it fresher longer.

     Here is one of my favorite ways to use eggs:

We eat lots of deviled eggs here and I take them to get togethers all the time and they go so fast.

First let me tell you the secret to an easy peeled egg. I have this wonderful steamer pan that I use to do up my eggs. It is a huge pan so I can steam as many eggs as I like at once. I put water in the pan just enough for the streamer to be above it, then I place the eggs in carefully. I turn the temperature to high until the water is boiling in the bottom of the pan then turn it off and let the eggs rest for 20 minutes. (Usually I just let them cool completely.) Time to peel them. Shells just pop right off with one crack.

I cut my eggs in half and take out all the yolks and place them in a medium bowl depending on how many eggs I have done. Most times I do 2 or 3 dozen at a time. Next I smash them well, Place whites in egg trays.

 For 12 eggs

 1/2 cup mayonnaise

 1 -2 teaspoon mustard

¼ teaspoon of garlic powder*

1 tablespoon sugar

Mix well.

Add a dollop of yolk mixture into each white and add a sprinkle of paprika to each egg. They are a hit at any get together and if you are last in line you may not get one.

I hope this gives you a great reason to check out eggs from a small farm in your community. You can’t beat the taste of a farm fresh egg. No matter if your eggs are white, blue or brown, double yolkers or some other kind of egg besides chickens, they are just good eating.

Quote of the day:

“This recipe is certainly silly. It says to separate the eggs, but it doesn't say how far to separate them.”
Gracie Allen

Scripture of the day:

Ps 139:16 Your eyes even saw me as an embryo; All its parts were written in your book Regarding the days when they were formed, Before any of them existed.

Weather Quote:

“When February sun shines cold, there comes a day when in the air the wings of winter, slowly unfold, and show the golden summer there.”
–Philip Savage (1868–99)

 * See my previous post regarding dehydrating