The winter brings a lot less to worry about in the yard, the veggie garden and fruit trees are resting and in our chicken coop so are the hens. Something most people wouldn't realize is that with the shorter days comes reduced egg production. Chickens need light to lay. The average laying chicken needs approximately 13 hours of daylight to trigger egg production. Often times chicken owners will install an artificial light source to keep those eggs a comin; after all we still have to feed and care for the birds regardless of whether or not their making us breakfast. I didn't get around to that this year, and for 2 strait months my egg bowl on the counter sat empty...no eggs (this is another little known perk about chicken husbandry, freshly lain eggs don't need to be refrigerated. An invisible yet protective membrane is washed away before lining them up in a cartons for sale in stores).
This is a bitter pill to swallow after a plentiful summer of more than 3 dozen eggs a week, I was selling them to neighbors for heaven's sake! A little part of me died each time I had to pay for eggs at the grocery store, I know it's not a handsome fee but to have little egg making machines scratching around in my own backyard and then pay for far less than superior eggs just killed me. Well, the days are getting noticeably longer, and we got our "first" egg this week. When I compare the two it's no contest, my eggs are better. Look at the difference! You couldn't buy an egg that big at QFC!
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| organic free range egg on the left from a grocey store/organic free range egg on the right from our Marigold |
