Eggstra! Eggstra! Read all about ’em!

Egg prices and shortages have been in the news lately. As a tender of 26 chickens, I get a lot of questions about eggs. I feel very lucky to have healthy, happy hens who lay beautiful eggs. Every day, it feels like Easter when I gather them in my fuzzy chicken basket. Our chickens free range for a good part of the day and eat bugs and plants, and sometimes my flowers and vegetables if I don’t put them out of their beak’s way! I’m always happy to educate folks who have questions because, if you have never experienced farm life, chickens have a lot going on in the world of eggs. Here are the answers to some questions I’ve received:

Why are the yolks so orange? Are they bad? No. As mentioned above, the chickens have a more varied diet than most store-bought eggs. They are filled with vitamins and minerals, including selenium, phosphorus, Vitamin B12, Cobalamin, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, and Vitamin E. Eggs from factory farms have lighter colored eggs due to only having a corn or grain fed diet and I bet they do not come with as much bang for your nutrient buck as a pasture fed chicken.

How come you don’t refrigerate your eggs? If my eggs come into the house without any schmutz on them, I can leave them on the counter. They are protected by what the hen seals them in, called a bloom. It protects the egg from any bacteria getting into it; hence, refrigeration is unnecessary. If I clean them, then I immediately refrigerate them. They do go into the fridge eventually, but it’s nice having room-temperature eggs for baking and breakfast!

Do you need roosters for hens to lay eggs? No

Do fertilized eggs taste different from unfertilized eggs? No, there is virtually no difference.

Happy crackin’!

Tracey Bartel