Eggs

Collecting eggs is a little like having an Easter egg hunt every day especially when the floor becomes covered in bedding for the hens lay here, there, and everywhere.

It's our oldest granddaughters favorite chore at the corrals and at the time of this picture I was needing to clean the coop. Not that it was real deep but the hay build behind the nest has become the place where they lay most of their eggs. The others are strew here there and well, a few everywhere. Just give them a clump of hay and that's where they'll lay. I suspect it isn't because of the cushy seat. No, I think it's the snacking that must go on while they wait on the internal elevator to roll out the egg. You think I'm kidding don't you? But every time I toss a pile of nice new alfalfa hay in the corner it's nearly gone by evening. I'm hoping it is inspirational. Okay, maybe that's a bit strong of a word but wouldn't it help to encourage the hens to spend time in the corner. Snacks as you go kind of thing just like putting wooden eggs in a nest to set the mood hopefully causing a hen to become broody.

Oh dear, that does cause the brain to wonder off. Don't even breathe a word about this cause Kirk doesn't read my blog so he'll never know unless you tell but Oh, dear if I left snacks in the bathroom I'd never get him out of there. He already has a knife book or two set by the throne.

Okay, you'd never get me out of there.

But really how do you guys do it? I read all these posts and everyone is putting down sawdust, or straw in their coops and if I did that I'd be having a egg hunt every day. Your nests must be much more attractive than mine. I provide munchies what else do I need to do. It's almost Easter and the time of year I force myself into the store to buy a dozen white eggs for the grandkids to dye eggs. To refresh my memory I looked up what the numbers on the side of the carton mean.

267 Sell-By Oct 23

The sell by date is a no brainer but the 267 is the day of the year the carton was packaged. So that means it was packaged on September 24 th. So if properly refrigerated they will be good for 4-5 weeks. The sell by date can not by law be more than 30 days past the Julian date.

Eggs have thousands of pores in the shell and as time passes moisture leaks out through these holes. The egg yolk becomes flatter and the whites runnier. Keep this in mind if your making angel food cake for eggs are a leavening, old eggs - flat cake or souffle. They are used as a thickener. Think of the custards such as the one in ice cream. Oh, yeah by the way ice cream is great made with yogurt. Chicory is about dry and the other two goats are so I used goat milk and store yogurt that was on sale to make ice cream last time. Yum!. can't wait to make goat milk yogurt and try it instead of the stores.

Another thing that is handy to know is how to combine egg sizes to equal the number of large eggs a standard recipe calls for. Then I really need to run off to town and go shopping. Yes, the Easter Bunny has much to do before this weekend.

4 large= 4 extra large = 5 medium

5 large = 4 extra large = 6 medium

6 large = 5 extra large = 7 medium

Got to go but I talk with you again tomorrow.