We raise free-range laying hens that produce the most delicious & nutritious eggs around! Our eggs are in high demand, but we are continually adding to our flock to try to keep up!
What are your chickens fed?
Our chickens are pasture raised. They enjoy a diet of mainly grass and bugs when there is no snow on the ground. They are also get an organic feed mix that doesn’t contain any corn or soy and have free access to loose minerals and oyster shell. We love to give all of our animals some healthy treats, so the chickens get dried & live meal worms and extra produce on occasion.
Are your eggs organic?
Our eggs are not certified organic. BUT… the pastures they live on do not get sprayed with any chemicals, their feed is organic, and we only use essential oils for any health issues. Their living conditions surpass large organic producers since they have plenty of coop and roost space, and are rotationally grazed on 4 acres of lush pasture.
How do you get the blue eggs?
The blue & green eggs come from 2 specific breeds we have on the farm. The Ameraucana and Easter-egger breeds. Easter-eggers are generally a cross between an Ameraucana and a brown egg laying breed. The chickens themselves come in a variety of colors and I love seeing the mixed flock out in our pasture. They are great egg layers!
What breeds do you raise on your farm?
In addition to the Ameraucana and Easter-eggers, we raise mostly heritage breeds – check out more here. We have some Delaware, Dominque, Black Australop, Wyandotte and Welsummer hens that all lay brown eggs. The only “standard” breed we currently have are Rhode Island Reds. When choosing which breeds to add, I focus on ones that are hardy in cold temperatures and are good foragers.
Are your eggs graded?
No. Our eggs are ungraded and are not USDA inspected. They are also not weighed, so we do not offer cartons of medium, large, or jumbo sized eggs. You will get a mixture of all sizes in each carton. We do keep the smallest eggs to use ourselves. We are state inspected for licensing to sell at farmers markets. During the last inspection, all eggs in our refrigerator were inspected & graded at AA!
Help! What’s that red spot in my egg?
Occasionally, you may find a tiny blood spot on the egg yolk. These spots do not indicate a fertilized egg. They are actually caused by a ruptured blood vessel on the yolk surface during formation of the egg. Both chemically and nutritionally, eggs with blood spots are fit to eat. You can remove the spot with the tip of a knife, if you wish. Many egg producers candle the eggs (hold a light to them to look for spots). We do not. Taking the time to candle all of our eggs would just add to the cost.
Help! What’s that white blob in my egg?
An egg yolk is basically a bag of concentrated food for the development of a chicken embryo if the egg is fertilized. It doesn’t float around freely inside the clear egg white, but is anchored to the shell by two little twisted ropes called chalazae (pronounced cuh-LAY-zee), and these are the white things you are seeing in your egg. (It is NOT the start of a baby chick.) One chalaza connects the yolk at the more pointed end of the egg and the other at the rounder end. This tethering ensures that the yolk is protected against hitting the inner walls of the egg if the egg is moved around. A lot of people pick these things out when they crack an egg, but they are quite safe to eat. They can also tell you something very useful. As eggs age, these structures start to disappear, so clearly visible chalazae are a good sign that your eggs are fresh.
You may also see the spot that could develop into a chicken as a little white region on the yolk. This is called the germinal disk or blastodisc and every egg contains one. If the egg were fertilized, it would have genetic information from the mother hen and from the rooster’s sperm, but it wouldn’t actually be rooster sperm. Once fertilized, it is referred to as the blastoderm. Even if the egg is fertilized, the embryo still doesn’t form unless it is warmed at particular temperatures for several hours by either a hen sitting on the egg or in an incubator. A fertile egg that is never warmed, will never contain an embryo.