Egg Report Cards

When you have five chickens in your backyard, especially if it's your first foray into the world of urban farming, expectations are a dangerous thing. When will my chickens start laying eggs? How big will they be? Will the shells be soft or hard? And, the biggest question on any urban farmer's mind, just how many eggs will I collect from these hens? After spending the last eight months with our happy girls, we've learned a lot about all of these questions (and more we thought we would never ask). And so, after a little over two months of egg production, the first report cards are out.

Raquel- Being one of the first chickens to lay lovely little brown eggs around the holiday season, Raquel has won us over with her consistency. Her eggs have some of the darkest, orange yolks I've ever eaten. Raquel produces approximately six eggs every week. A+

Ingrid- Small but mighty, Ingrid lays eggs that display the largest ratio of egg size to body weight I've heard of. We collect about four eggs per week from her. What she lacks in production she makes up for in supervising everyone else. That clucking and squawking sound coming from the coop? It's not the chicken laying an egg, it's Ingrid observing the act. A-

Ellen- We started collecting eggs from Ellen in January, and we've been quite impressed with how many of these strikingly beautiful eggs she puts out. We get about six eggs every week from Ellen, and their shells are slightly off-white and creamy. Yesterday she spent over an hour in the nest box laying the perfect egg. It was well worth the wait. A

Portia- Most improved chicken award!! Yes, she's earned it. The last to lay, Portia has increased her production from two eggs per week to nearly five. B+

Ursula- What can we say about Urs but DAMN! She may have the smallest comb and wattles, but she routinely plops out double yokers. Don't believe me? Here's the evidence, folks. Every two weeks, rain or shine, we find one of these in the nest box.

Seriously, this thing didn't even fit in the egg carton. I could barely close the lid. I was forced to stare at it for three days before I could crack it open (alas, early morning shifts don't lend to hot breakfasts).

Yummerific!! While we love the eggs from all of our girls, the best yolks are from the Dominiques. Ursula, you've earned your A+. Good work!!

In total, we collected 90 eggs in the month of February. So far this month we're up to about 37 eggs. What's a farmer to do with all these yummy treats? Well, we're currently selling some and bartering with the rest. Overall, we endeavor to keep most of what we grow and produce in our own neighborhood. That's the essence of eating local, and a 100 foot diet is even better than a 100 mile diet if you ask me. Are you in the 'hood? Stop by some time to visit the girls and nab some fresh goodies. This is local farming at its best.