Testing Eggs

Our hens are kicking it into high gear!! We are getting anywhere between 6-9 eggs a day....whoo hoo!

Last month we started selling them and hope to have a solid customer base built up in the next few weeks. Currently I am about 3 dozen ahead. We are planning on putting a sign up in the yard in case we have neighbors who would like to purchase them locally rather than at the market.

I always find it interesting what questions people ask about fresh eggs...questions always come up like: "Do you have to have a rooster for hens to lay eggs?" or "How long do fresh eggs last?"...or "Do fresh eggs taste better?". If you have chickens ...you know the questions...lol.

If, in the event, we end up keeping our eggs for longer than a month...I test them by the following method. Have no idea who came up with this but it has always worked for me!

Coop Moving Day

With our new Ameraucana chicks outgrowing the dog kennel rapidly, we are faced with moving the coop and adding on. Of course we had to pick the hottest weekend predicted to break records to do the new move. High here today 102 with heat index of 115. Nice. Of course the old Hubs is just raring to get this project started. Hopefully, within an hour or so at least the original coop will be put in place and back together

Bella + 1

The waiting is over. During the night or possibly early evening...one egg hatched into a little yellow chick( I mean really...what else would it hatch into for pete's sake...lol).

Bella is keeping the chick warm along with the other remaining eggs that have yet to hatch.

I'll give those eggs another day or so to see if they do or maybe see if Bella decides to abandon them, meaning they must be duds. Still can't believe she's a first time Mom at age 10!

On another topic, I had planned to buy some Barred Rock and Rhode Island Red chicks from Hudson's Hardware. Apparently raising chickens has taken this part of the county by storm and they are selling out in 2 hours. Along with quick sales are long lines. I may have to resort to a mail order business to get all pullets. May work out since I am not really ready with the new coop...uhhh not even close....as in I haven't even decided where we are going to relocate the existing one. Decisions, decisions!

Bella

Jeff the"Proud Papa"


Bella, the last hen of our original bantam mix flock is sitting on 3 little eggs. Because I did not pay attention to when she starting sitting, I am guessing on when we will have chicks. Best I can tell, it will probably be the end of this week or first part of next.

I have often joked that she never laid an egg in her little life(she was my smallest hen)... however guess she showed me...funny she only laid 3 though. My past clutches have ranged between 8-13 eggs. I'm assuming she gave it her all...haha..seeing how she is 10yrs old. Wonder how that equates to human years?

Now, we just wait and see and hope they are not all roosters.

Automatic Garbage Disposal

Know what's nice about having chickens?

Well they'll eat most anything. Leftovers such as rice, potatoes, veggies are devoured by the girls and Jeff(rooster).

I love the fact the scraps aren't going in my trash. I love the fact the chickens get more variety in their diet.

It's a win-win situation.