Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Hooray, First Egg From The Young Hens

The winter before last, I lost most of my free range flock to predators, leaving me only two laying hens and a rooster. This past winter, a car got my rooster (had to be intentional), and a hen disappeared (likely a predator got her), leaving me with only one hen. Several months back, I bought five hen chicks locally. The remaining adult hen has been acting as their matron since. They've finally reached egg laying age. Here's the first tiny egg (early eggs are always tiny). I expect the others to follow suit soon. It will be nice, once again, not to have to buy crappy grocery store eggs. Even the so call "free range, organic" etc., eggs you get there are total crap compared to eggs from true free range, backyard hens.

Nice, brown eggs!

Pullet eggs.

Yep.

Yep, they are the best.

5 a day, everyday, since last September;

Very nice. Congrats Hawk.

Damb I just ate Lunch and you went and made me hungry again.

Congrat's of the successful raising of the chicks

I managed to steal a few eggs from the turkeys last month. Two hens share a nest in the barn, but it is a race everyday to beat the magpies to the eggs.

Turkey eggs, very pretty with brown speckles all over. Two turkey eggs about equals five large chicken eggs. The membrane under the shell is extremely tough. The final cooked product tastes just like the chicken eggs from the same cow, goat, and sheep pasture.

Also got a couple of duck eggs. Bigger than the chickens' smaller by far than turkey eggs.

The texture of the cooked duck egg is a little firmer than chicken eggs. Not quite rubbery.

Now the momma duck is running around with a dozen babies. Wish we could let them to the pond. But the kids catch three to four pound bass from the pond almost daily. Those ducklings probably would not survive their first crossing.

When I was in college we read about a study that been done using an egg as the subject, to trace the taxation applied to it from the hen to your plate. The number of times that a tax was applied directly and indirectly was in excess of 200. So enjoy those tax free cackleberries fellas :):)

Thanks. I'm surprised you haven't set your son up with a small, free range, laying hen operation on your farm. You guys don't like eggs?

We like eggs and the cat would probably enjoy the chickens.

I've got stray cats all over the place. They will try for a young chick, but will generally not try for a fully feathered pullet or cockerel. In fact, my hens go to my neighbor's yard quite often, and steal their cats dry food right in front of the cats, who are too intimidated to do anything about it. Good thing I have a friendly neighbor.

20 hens and a guinea fowl rooster. He is a heck of a protector and for some reason he is pretty quiet compared to most of them. We get about 15 eggs per day without the morning reverie.

Had 6 originally, Deb's GSP pup decided to use 1 as a play toy !

I stated last September above, but actually it was the year before.

Getting 6-10 more, from a lady that incubates, hatches & starts them, will be July, I believe.

Got too many friends & acquaintances that love our eggs !

Deb gets $5/doz for our surplus supply.

We got young hens last June. We've been in eggs since October. 15 hens, we only get 10 per day on average, but is more than we can eat, so we give a neighbor some and I benefit some tree harvesting land,.

You guys are making me crave eggs! We get all we can eat from a friend that has more eggs than they can eat. Hard to be home grown food of any kind!

Good luck with the new hens!

After the last ones quit laying in my flock, I didn't replace them.

I think I was tired of messing with them somewhat. Buying eggs is much easier.

I did enjoy the non-store bought eggs for a few years though.

Fresh eggs are good, but tough to peel when boiled.

Back when I used to maintain a larger flock (10-15), I used to sell them to a store for $5.00 per dozen, and to individuals for $6.00 a dozen, leaving more than enough for my own consumption. About five years ago I decided to keep my flock smaller, so as to keep me, and perhaps a neighbor or two, supplied, and no more.

Put them in ice water right after boiling, then after cooled, break and roll on a hard surface with your hand, cracking the shell into small pieces.

Shell should peel right off.

No comparison, IMO. Much better tasting when they come from backyard, free range, hens. I think the eggs marked free range at the store are a rip off. To mark your eggs free range, all you need is to provide a small door leading to a few square yards of ground for your hundreds of hens to access, should they happen find that door.