#Backyard chicken egg production how to#
He loves the eggs they produce.īeyond loving the eggs backyard chickens produce, this chapter takes fresh eggs to another level of understanding by exploring exactly how eggs are formed inside a hen, how eggs get their color, which chicken breeds lay colored eggs, the parts of an egg, and how to properly store eggs. My dad seemed relieved by this information and has remained fascinated by my chickens. Hens that are just getting into the swing of laying, lay smaller eggs until their bodies fully adjust to the laying cycle. She explained to my dad that when an egg is laid, it doesn’t grow in size.
My mom was laughing so hard she almost cried. My dad thought that eggs them-selves grew in size once they were laid until they reached the size you see in the stores. It took me a second to realize what my mom was telling me. Apparently he had taken the eggs to my mom and told her not to worry that they were small, to just leave them in the refrigerator for a few days and they’d get bigger. She asked what I had told my dad about those eggs. He took the eggs home but looked befuddled as he was leaving. He looked at me and said that was fascinating. I explained that chickens lay small eggs when they first start laying but not to worry because they get bigger over time. He asked why they were smaller than store bought eggs. My dad, who grew up in the city, just stood and looked at the eggs. When my dad came to pick some up, I immediately opened the egg carton and preened over the beauty of my fresh eggs. I gathered up a dozen and decided the extras should go to the rest of our family. Over the next few days, we received more and more eggs. It was delicious and we were forever hooked on the creamy flavor of the backyard egg. So I took a picture for posterity’s sake, then we cooked it and we all had one bite. In the end, we couldn’t resist tasting it. We debated whether to keep that egg or cook it. We all stood around the egg and admired it.
And then suddenly there it was! I remember grabbing that egg and running inside to show my family. My hens had started squatting as I walked up to them, so I knew eggs were imminent. I’d been waiting and checking the nest boxes every day. When the first egg came from my first flock, I was so excited. Once your chickens are finally old enough to lay eggs, it’s exciting to head out to the coop and check the nest boxes to see if you’ve gotten any eggs that day.
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