Frequently asked questions about our eggs

Hmm. 4 years without a new post. I guess that makes me a terrible blogger. But here, finally, is a list of FAQ I meant to write a long time ago. Let me know what other questions you have.

• Why do you deliver eggs seasonally?
  
  • ​​​Chickens need sunlight to produce eggs so they naturally lay a lot of eggs in the summer and very few in the winter. Most commercial egg producers leave lights on in their coop (or factory farm) to force hens to lay eggs all year.  We have found at Barn on the Creek Farm that by letting hens enjoy their well-deserved winter's rest they are healthier, with more robust immune systems, a more peaceful social order,  and that they continue to lay delicious eggs throughout their naturally long lives! Makes sense when you think about it.

• Why are the shells so colorful?
  
  • ​Our eggs come from a rainbow of different breeds of chickens. Many of the breeds are not commercially available and will not be found in any store bought eggs.  Usually, a dozen eggs from our flock will have a mix of brown, white, blue, green, speckled, pink, tan, olive, and more!  
    

• Why are the yolks different colors?
  • ​Most customers comment on how much more richly flavored our eggs are from commercially produced eggs and that the yolks and whites are more deeply colored. Throughout the season, chickens have a variety of plants, flowers, and bugs to eat on the farm, along with the hand-fermented feed and organic pellets we supply them. Yolk colors vary by their diet, the weather, their age, and by many other factors.
    

• Why are your eggs different sizes?
  
  • ​Along with the variety of breeds, our hens are a variety of ages. Younger hens tend to lay smaller eggs. Commercial producers don't sell eggs that aren't consistently the same size with no visual irregularities. Our customers get the full range of sizes and shapes that nature provides us. In fact, some of our customers request any oddball eggs we find to show their kids! Every once in a while, we get a double-yolker (ouch!) or a "fairy egg" that is tiny. These are all natural and nutritious.
    

• Are your eggs organic?free range?cage free?humane?pasture raised?Omega enriched?vegetarian fed? happy?
  
  • ​Almost, but not legally speaking. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Um, maybe. No. Yes!
    
  • Labels on egg cartons are usually misleading.  We are very small producers and we follow the absolutely best, healthiest, environmentally friendly, humane practices we are aware of. Speaking for myself, our eggs are the only eggs I eat. I know exactly how these hens are treated, what they eat, and I never plan to have a flock that is too large to sustain by these high standards. 
  • We do not kill chickens for meat or for aging out of egg production. Our oldest hen is 10 years old and all our ladies are pampered.
  • Our flock has uninterrupted daytime access to a secure, shady pasture filled with edible plants. They have dry dust baths all year and hygienic, well drained sand underfoot.
    
  • The hens lay their eggs in comfortable nesting boxes and everyone roosts together safely in a spacious coop at night.
  • We ferment a daily mash of wholesome grains and seeds for our chickens and we always have organic pellets and fresh water available to them. We also have free choice supplements available like oyster shells, grit, black oil sunflower seeds, and daily treats.

• Are your eggs fertilized?
  • Yes! Our flock currently has seven handsome cockerels named Johnathon, Michael, Snow Owl, Romeo Jr., Steve Jr. Jr., Mr. Man 1, and Mr. Man 2.  Along with keeping the eggs fertilized they also alert the flock to dangers at roosting time, keep the hens safe while hunting and grazing, herd the hens toward especially delicious morsels, and keep the peace. All our roosters are very friendly toward us and toward each other. They have plenty to share so have nothing to argue about!

• Will fertilized eggs hatch?
  
  • ​Only if you sit on them for 21 days! In the wild, broody hens will lay and gather a clutch of eggs for up to two weeks before trying to hatch them. Then the eggs need mom to sit still and keep them at the perfect temperature and humidity continuously for another 21 days to produce a chick. We collect our eggs every day so there are no surprises!