EGGS!



Today I got 15 eggs out of the coop. Beautiful eggs that taste like nothing you can buy in the store. I love fresh eggs. And I love to bake, and baking with fresh eggs makes everything taste amazing.

Here's a little useful information for you. Did you know that, typically, fresh eggs from chickens raised in someone's backyard have half the cholesterol of most store bought eggs? Not only that, they have twice as much vitamin E, 6 times as much vitamin A, and 4-6 times the amount of omega-3's. And it doesn't end there, those are just some measurements using the popular buzz words. The differences in health benefits are beyond measure.

It seemed like it would take forever for our chickens to start laying eggs. We put a lot of money into building a secure coop and run for our birds. We brooded several sets of chickens in our house. All in all, it has been a lot of work.

My birthday is August 24th, and I went out to the coop thinking, "I can feel it. This is the day I find an egg. It will be a perfect birthday present." No egg. And my mother in-law's chickens that were younger than mine had already been laying for a couple weeks. A few more weeks went by with no eggs. Every morning I would go out to let my chickens out of the coop, excitedly look in the nesting boxes, and return to the house perturbed. What was most irritating, was going to the grocery store and buying expensive eggs that taste like junk, knowing I had 18 chickens at home! 18 chickens living in a mansion of chicken coops, being fed all kinds of wonderful food from my kitchen.

Finally, one started laying. That first egg was so exciting. And from then I determined I was not buying eggs anymore. It was slow going at first. And there was one morning I was in the middle of making muffins and realized I was short an egg. So I went out to see if my laying hen had laid her egg yet. She was in the nesting box humming, while I stood outside waiting and tapping my foot, thinking well it doesn't get any fresher than this!

Today I got 15 eggs! That is the most in one day. I get brown eggs in different shades and degrees of speckling, little white eggs, and even green eggs from my Ameraucanas. When we had 17 hens and a rooster, I figured I would get about a dozen a day. Now we have 21 hens and 2 roosters (that's another story). Here's the amazing thing: startup costs not included, monthly I spend the same amount of money on these chickens that I spent on eggs before... but now I have enough eggs to share with friends and family. And while there's a little work involved, 23 chickens are less work than the average single pet. And goodness do they add value just in the experience and entertainment they provide. I find myself hanging out by the window all day, just watching their antics.

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