Look what my chickens can do!

I didn't expect to be so excited when my chickens began laying eggs. But it kind of feels like when your child does something new and really great for the first time, and you feel that surge of awe and wonder.

And little did I know, they'd been laying for awhile already! We weren't expecting them until the end of the month, by our miscalculations. So, we hadn't even begun to look for them, until Mark came in today, with a handful of gorgeous brown eggs, telling me he'd just gone 'grocery shopping'.

If you're unfamiliar with chicken farming (I am!), people often feed them crushed oyster shells for hard shells, but we haven't and the shells are very hard. Our chickens are 100% free range. We don't coop them at all, even when we're gone during the day. They roam all over our yard, and even a ways into the woods. In the winter they'll need oyster shells though, as they won't be getting the dirt and grit like they are now. eta: I knew it. I don't have a clue what I'm talking about. Mark informed me, it's the calcium in the oyster shells that make the egg shells hard. So, the chickens are getting it elsewhere right now, but it's not from the dirt. Bugs, maybe? I have no idea! But I do know, they eat dirt to aid their digestion. end of edit.

There were a ton of eggs outside when we started looking today, mostly broken to pieces. I'm not sure if the rest will go to waste, as I'm not sure how long they can sit out there for... Anyone...? I do have a handful here that are definitely fresh. Aren't they beautiful?!

As for the broken ones, the kids had found most of them, not knowing what they were, and unbeknownst to us, had a big ol' happy break-as-many-eggs-as-you-can party the other day with their cousins! Aapo told us, "I saw a bunch in the weeds and I was breaking them 'cause I wanted to see what's inside them." Mark and I got a chuckle out of that one. I never thought to explain to them that there would be eggs lying about, and to bring them to us when they found them! {I've mostly purchased white Eggland's Best eggs, and only occasionally have we had brown ones.} It's time to get that coop built!!

Most of them have been roosting high up in a tree at night, which until I had chickens, I never knew they'd do such a thing!, as they've long since outgrown their tiny, temporary coop.

Oh, I'm so happy! Farm fresh, Organic, free range eggs all in my own backyard! We're going to be selling them, eventually. They're going to be coming out of our ears before you know it! I'm a little apprehensive about that part, at the moment. I've got to get all that figured out pretty quickly! But, for now, I'm ridiculously happy about the whole thing. Maybe I'm easily amused, but I find wonder in anything that pertains to nature. It may be a simple thing, but it's a beautiful thing!

Happy Friday, have a great weekend!

Always,

The Chicken Lady

P.S. Have I mentioned before, how much I love my chickens?

Comments

[kaitlin]

Thats awesome! I could come live with you, I loove eggs! In the summertime I had them everyday, sometimes more than once, which probably isnt good..but.
I tried telling mom to buy brown eggs cuz the chickens that lay them have a better diet, like organic, but she apparently doesnt care. :]

[Amanda K.]

Looks like fun! Just make sure you don't have a chicken growing in them! Ha ha...

[~ Junkyard Jennifer]

Keeks, you'll have to come out here and try them...*ahem*...this fall! I haven't even had one of ours yet, but organic, free-range eggs are more flavorful than the other ones. I never really cared for eggs until I started buying them. The yolks are more of a gold/dark yellow, and they taste so good! I'm so excited to try these.

[Darlene- Our Creative Life]

We recently started buying fresh eggs from a lady my mom goes to church with and what a difference from the store bought eggs! They are so much bigger & the best part is we know the chickens haven't been shot up with antibiotics & who knows what else.
I just started a blog myself so if you get a chance stop over & say "hi"

Have a great weekend
Darlene

[Mindijo]

Beautiful.

[KJS]

You go you chicken farmer, enjoy your eggs!!

[Beatle]

How awesome! I would be excited too! You can't get them any "fresher" than that!

[joan]

Way to go chicken lady! :) It's always fun to get the eggs. Pretty handy if your baking! We always pick our eggs everyday (when we're home) especially in the summer. But in the colder weather they're fine sitting out there for a couple/few days. Just remember to get them when it's like, I don't know -10 outside. Funny thing but they crack fast in that kind of weather! :P No matter how long the eggs sit out there, they're fresher than the ones you get from the store. Happy farming!

[joan]

Oh, I remembered a test to check for freshness. Fill a bowl with water and put the eggs in, if they float, they're bad. We did it on some of our eggs and they didn't float so we ate them and we're still here to tell about it; so I'm assuming it works. :)

[Wendy]

I was going to suggest the water test also. Oh, and the color of the egg has nothing to do with their diet or anything like that, that is all in the breed. We have bantams that lay white eggs, bantams that lay blue egss, Rhode Island Reds that lay brown eggs and Auraucana's that will lay blue eggs. Good luck with the chickens!