We’re still collecting tons of eggs. I honestly couldn’t tell you what I thought would happen. But as the garden has faded away through the Fall and Winter, I guess I expected the eggs would be a seasonal thing too. Like, maybe chickens just don’t lay in the winter?
Ridiculous, I know. Well, at least now I know. In reality, our hens are healthy, happy and laying in abundance. Even the pair that took a break for 2-3 months are back in on the action. We’ve overcome two bouts of broody ladies that were determined to hatch something. We’ve survived a possum attack. We’ve even blended new hens into the flock.
Yes, it’s been an eventful year for our very first flock of chickens and they truly are doing great. Our newest ladies have even started to lay – adding to the daily harvest of eggs. We’ve been busy collecting, filling egg cartons and passing the abundance on to friends and family as we see them.
We’ve also made the most of scrambled eggs, fried eggs, breakfast foods, baked goods and beyond. Along the way, we’ve learned a few things about the eggs themselves.
First, they’re perfectly fine to hang out on the countertop. It’s completely counter-intuitive to what you buy at the store. But, because they’re not pasteurized and they have the natural protective coating from the chickens – they can totally handle themselves at room temp.
You can (and should!) check them before using them to make sure they’re good. We use the water test. Fill a cup or bowl with water and drop each of the eggs in. If they sink, you’re good to go. But, if they float – toss ’em! In our months of egg collecting, we’ve only found 2 floaters. Everything else has been totally delicious.