Hey friends, happy Thursday! Does anybody else feel super confused about the weather? Did fall arrive yet, or is it still summer? Who knows, but the 90 degree weather definitely feels like summer to me.
In other news, we officially have SO MANY EGGS on the farm. Pasture raised eggs? Yes please!
Pasture Raised Eggs
Our chickens started laying eggs about a month ago. Ben came inside one evening with the best surprise – three tiny eggs.
For the first week or two, egg production was pretty inconsistent. We would find an egg every few days, but the eggs were super tiny. We didn’t have enough eggs to make a meal, so we stored our little eggs and anxiously waited for more chickens to start laying.
(Side note – when chickens first start laying eggs, the eggs are super small. The size of the eggs progressively increases as the chicken continues to mature.)
Well friends, the day has officially come! We aren’t 100% certain which chickens are laying, but we think about 6 out of our 10 birds are laying. We’ve been averaging 6 eggs per day for the past week, which results in approximately 3.5 dozens per week. Can we just pause for a second and realize how exciting that is?!
Happy Chickens = Delicious Eggs
We have an awful coyote problem in Chicagoland, so we sectioned off a large area of the farm with an electric fence to keep our farm animals safe. The chickens are free to roam around the farm and frequently mingle with our trouble maker goats. Aside from scavenging for bugs and grubs all day, they have free choice access to organic, non-GMO chicken feed in the coop. Needless to say, our chickens are very happy.
Ben and I collect eggs on the farm once or twice each day. Once collected, we store them unwashed on the kitchen counter. Unwashed, pasture raised eggs will stay fresh on the counter for approximately 2-3 weeks. The unwashed eggs will also stay fresh in the fridge for approximately 4 weeks.
Prepping to Sell
Once all 10 of our backyard chickens lay eggs on a consistent basis, we should average at least 4 dozen per week. Egg production will only increase once our Easter Egger chicks start producing pink, green, and blue eggs in the next few months as well. Our little family obviously doesn’t need 5+ dozen eggs per week, so we’re planning to sell the excess.
We aren’t quite ready to sell yet, but we’re getting closer! Chicagoland friends – leave me a comment or sent me a DM through Instagram if you’re interested in purchasing eggs from our little farm. I’ll start compiling a list and will contact those who are interested once we’re ready!
Pasture Raised Eggs: Questions
Have you purchased eggs from a local farmer? Can you taste a difference?