Eggs...questions and answers

Ok, now that we have eggs I'd like to take a minute to "enlighten" everyone on what I know about home grown eggs. Let me warn you, what I know is limited, but I had some concerns, so maybe you all do also. Here are some basic question and answers for anyone who cares.

1. Am I going to crack an egg for breakfast and get a half grown chicken (trust me, this concerned me)? First off, to get a half grown chicken we have to have fertilized eggs. We have 2 standard roosters for 20 standard chickens. That about maxes out the 10:1 hens to rooster ratio. The most important thing though is collecting the eggs often. We are collecting right now about 3 to 4 times a day, but I am sure that will dwindle to once in the morning and once in the evening after the newness wears off. An embryo will not have the chance to even start developing once collected and refrigerated. Just FYI, a broody hen (one that will actually sit on and incubate eggs) would have to sit on an egg for almost a week before an embryo could even be seen. We are not even sure we will ever have a broody hen.

2. Are fertilized eggs/brown eggs better for you? Brown eggs are no difference nutritionally than white eggs, it is really just a personal preference. It is debatable whether or not fertilized eggs are better nutritionally. Some say they have less cholesterol, but this is not 100% proven from what I can see/ had read. It is proven however that free range eggs are healthier and our bird are partially free range (we are hoping to move them to almost all free range except at night). Here are the benefits of free range eggs:

1. For starters they are often fresher, as with most foods the fresher the foods the healthier they will be. It is often possible to buy free range eggs directly from the farmer, from a farmers market, or in my case, I just take them from my hens every morning. Please note, my hens do not have roosters with them, so it is not like I am stealing their babies, they are of a breed that does not pay attention to their eggs after laying them.
2. Free range eggs have been found to be lower in cholesterol, by as much as 30%.
3. Free range eggs contain 2 times more Vitamin A and E.
4. Free range eggs are alkaline. Battery hen eggs are acidic. Studies have shown that diets higher in alkaline foods are likely to prevent cancer.
5. Free range eggs have twice as much Omega-3 Fatty Acid. This is very likely due to the hens having a more varied diet.
6. Free range eggs have ¼ of saturated fat than do battery hen eggs.
7. Free range eggs have 5 times more Beta Carotene.

3. Can you tell and egg is fertilized? Will it taste different? Yes, you can tell if an egg has been fertilized. Here's a pic (and tons of good info on fertilized eggs): http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=16008&p=1

And no, you cannot taste the difference.

3. Are our eggs organic? Nope, not really. To be considered "organic" birds have to fed organic feed, which we do not do. They do get plenty of treats, like melons and left over goodies from the house and they free range some which adds all the yummy "organic" materials from the yard.

4. What are the advantages of home grown eggs? Well, I think for us it is simply knowing where our food is coming from and knowing it is as fresh as it can be. There are certainly health benefits (as mentioned above) and having eggs on hand whenever we want them is great. It is also a great family project. We are all enjoying the chickens/eggs and the kids are really being responsible with them and having fun. I wish we could grow all our own stuff ("Little House" here I come).

5. How long will the eggs stay fresh? Let me let WikiAnswers cover this question:

Farmers have 30 days from the day an egg is laid to get it to stores. Then, the stores have another 30 days to sell the eggs. The FDA recomends a maximum of 5 weeks in your refrigerator before you discard your eggs. What does this all boil down to? On April 1st, you could be eating an egg for breakfast laid on Christmas. *Someone who talked with an egg farmer was told from the day it was laid, the egg has 30 days. I assume that means until the sale date, but that was not made clear. *Even if that is true, keep in mind that farmers generally get their eggs to stores within a week, and both the "pack date" and "sell by" date are stamped onto the carton. The numbers run from 1-365 depending on the day of the year. Lastly, there is a big difference in taste between farm fresh eggs and one week old eggs. If you want the freshest eggs, you can buy from a local farmer.

A great way to check if any egg is fresh is to stick it in bowl of water. If it floats it is bad, if it sinks, it is good.

6. Do we wash our eggs? Not until right before we eat them. We are trying our best to keep the nesting boxes clean, which will in turn keep the eggs cleaner, but washing the eggs right after collecting them strips the natural "bloom" off the egg. This "bloom" is a protective coating that every newly laid egg has. It keeps bacteria out and the egg fresher longer. The FDA requires store bought eggs to be washed, but often times they add mineral oil for a "faux" protective coating.

So, please feel free to ask if you have any more eggie questions. We will be selling our eggs once we start getting a regular amount and they are more normally sized. We have 20 standard hens right now and I would guess that only 7 or 8 are actually laying and they are still small. Once we are at full laying capacity we will get 15 to 20 eggs a day. That is 8 to 11 plus dozen a week. We will probably eat 3 plus dozen a week, we will have extra. I would be happy to set aside eggs for anyone who specifically knows if they want some (like Mindy :)), but for every one else, once the eggs are really up and going, they will be in our fridge. We are asking a $1 for a dozen. That will help with feed for them and maybe offset our costs a bit.

So, do you feel like you have been egg-lightened? I hope so. :)

Julie