Standing in the mirror doing my makeup and running late as usual, I see my husband walk in with a cute smile on his face! “LOOK!” he says. I turn around to look and then hear myself squeal with delight. We jump up and down like kids who just won the biggest prize. He is holding our first ever eggs, from our first chickens. We have eggs, really, truly farm fresh eggs! I know the chickens were the ones who actually laid the eggs, but for some reason I feel proud and happy and accomplished all at once. I no longer care that I am running a bit late, after all, my chickens have laid some eggs.
Our research shared that our chickens would begin to lay their eggs at about 5 to 5 1/2 months. Our Rhode Island Red chickens are right on time. We have six of them and we are now averaging four eggs per day. Their eggs are a beautiful, light to medium brown color. We have tried to feed them as organically as possible. Actually, they are pretty spoiled with fresh vegetables from our garden and fruit from our trees. Because they are our first chickens and we raised them from tiny chicks to the pretty hens they are today, they are more like pets to us. We are not using them for meat, just eggs. When we gather the eggs, we thank them. They respond with an awful lot of squaking and carrying on and such.
There is definitely a big difference between store bought eggs and farm raised… you can tell when you crack them. These farm fresh eggs have thick shells and it takes a bit more effort to crack them. Their yolks are a deeper yellow and they taste amazing. Farm fresh eggs literally taste like “farm fresh eggs.”
Our five Americanas have not started laying yet, though. We wait patiently. We have been told that their eggs may be blue or green. Actually, it is as fun and exciting for our family to wait for them to start laying, as it was for the first batch.
So far, we are pretty much using what the chickens are producing. We look forward to when all of them lay their eggs more steadily, so that we can share and sell them. David and I have both had successful businesses and run corporations… blah, blah, blah, yaddah, yaddah, yaddah. Yet, somehow, this farm thing that we are doing has us both feeling legit in the most awesome of ways. I mean, maybe we will be able to sell a few dozen eggs per week for maybe $5 or $6 bucks per dozen. Really a no biggie, except – it is to us! I already have my sign – Farm Fresh Eggs For Sale!
