Eggs 101
What do I know about Eggs? That’s an eggcelent question! According to the USDA, egg prices across the nation have increased in recent months, and so there’s no better time than the present to contemplate getting yourself some egg-laying, backyard hens. I’m not sure if you’ll really end up saving any money after the cost of layer-feed, chicken coops, chicken run, and the cost of the chickens themselves, but it’s fun, they’re cute, and you’ll know exactly where your eggs are coming from.
Everything I know about eggs comes from the information I learned since getting chickens three years ago. Research, baby! But I’ve done the research, so you don’t have to; you’re welcome.
Let’s start with the basics: only hens lay eggs (you’d be surprised how many times I get asked this as Tractor Supply). Hens also lay eggs with or without a Rooster, so you don’t need a Rooster in order to produce eggs. The reason you would get a Rooster is to fertilize the eggs in order to hatch chicks —or in some cases to protect the flock from predators (check your local zoning guidelines because many residential areas don’t allow Roosters because they’re loud AF and call all day).
Hens start laying eggs around 6 months old, and they can continue laying up through TEN YEARS!! However, they’re most productive in their first two. Also, their laying frequency depends on the light, so they’re more active in the summer when the daylight lasts longer, and they’re less productive as the daylight wanes into Fall. You can fux with their production by leaving the light on in the coop, but I don’t recommend it — especially if you have a Roo because they become more aggressive with the light on all day (just like me). Rooster get particularly Agro when it’s a white light . . . *shrug* weirdos.
When you first get your hens, and you have their coop and run all set up, place some porcelain eggs in the nesting boxes, so the hens know where to drop their baggage off. Hens are actually really loud when they lay an egg — they squawk and cluck and brag about it to anyone within ear shot. Hens will lay about 6 eggs a week, and when they come out, they’re warm and naturally covered in a protective coating. The coating is called a cuticle (also referred to as the bloom) and actually protects the eggs from having to be refrigerated. This protective coating works by sealing the shell's pores and preventing air from penetrating it, helping to keep bacteria out, so you can leave them out on the counter for about 2 weeks before they start to turn. Washing the eggs removes the cuticle, and as a result, requires refrigeration. If you wash the eggs and refrigerate them, they’ll last up to 2 months and if you’re experiencing a laying-boom and need to preserved your unwashed eggs, then stick those puppies in the fridge, and they can last up to 3 months! (The Purina Animal Nutrition Center)
How can you tell if an egg has gone bad? Well, there’s the obvious sign that it stinks like a rotting egg, but that means you’ve left it there hella long, and you should probably consider changing up whatever routine you have. If you’re unsure of whether or not your egg is safe to eat, place it in a cup of water; if the egg floats, then there’s air in it and it’s no-good to eat. If the egg sinks to the bottom, it means that there’s still no air in the egg, and it’s safe to eat.
And that’s all I know about eggs. Keep calm and crack on, my peeps.
