Eggonomics 101

I suppose I was like most Americans.  When we needed eggs, day or night, summer or winter, I made a trip to the glass-covered refrigerator near the back of my grocery store.  I didn’t think much about how those eggs got there in the first place.  Nor did I worry about their availability.  Then we bought our first chickens and I learned a few things.

Did you know?

-Unless chicks are desired, hens do not need a rooster to lay eggs.  God just created them to do their job…lay eggs.

-Hens do not lay an egg every day…their bodies simply are not designed to produce 365 eggs.  Even if they could, creating an egg is about a 26-hour process.

-For most birds, production is highest in spring and fall.  Heat, cold, and strange weather patterns throw them off course and can cause them to stop laying altogether.

It’s easy to understand why large egg producers turn to automated, highly controlled systems to provide American consumers with the vast quantities of eggs that are consumed.  For those who prefer local eggs from a smaller farm this may also help you understand why your farmer may simply say, “Sorry, I have no eggs today.”

On Love Led Farm, we are entering our notorious summer “eggonomic slowdown.”  There are days when David and I sternly ask our hens, “Girls, where are the eggs?”  But although it is easy for us to grow impatient with our feathered friends, we are learning to adopt a more patient, understanding attitude.

For in nature, things work best when they are allowed to follow the plan designed for them.  And maybe when we do have the pleasure of eating a delicious free-range egg, we will more deeply appreciate what it took to appear on our plate.

Meanwhile…

Our meat birds are looking mighty fine!  Our second flock of 100 chicks will arrive next week, and we will order the third flock next month.  If you haven’t placed your orders, you will want to get hopping.  Summer is flying by–don’t miss your chance to fill your freezer with our famous, Love Led Farm chicken.

Warmly,