Eggs & Hens
Eggs & Hens
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Caledonia Farmer's Market
Fresh Egg Handling
Fresh Egg Handling
Unwashed eggs can be safely stored at room temperature for up to two weeks and about 3 months in the refrigerator.
If you decide to wash your eggs before storing them, ensure that they are completely dry before placing them back into the container.
Egg Bloom or The Cuticle
Egg Bloom or The Cuticle
Farm fresh eggs have what is called a bloom or cuticle. It is an invisible protective membrane covering the egg shell, which also acts as a lubricant for a safe exist through the cloaca. The bloom seals 6,000-8,000 eggs shell pores, preventing bacteria from getting inside the shell, and reduces moisture loss from the eggs.
Large commercial egg producers spray their eggs with a chemical sanitizer before they package them.
all our eggs are unwashed
all our eggs are unwashed
Sources:
https://www.exploratorium.edu/explore/cooking/egg-anatomy
https://blog.whiteoakpastures.com/blog/washed-vs-unwashed-eggs
On our farm we have 4 Pekin Ducks and 6 Welsh Harlequin Ducks!
Female Duck is called a Hen. Our girls are Donna, Delphi, and Mrs. Quacks.
Male Duck is called a Drake. Our drake's name is Turbo, for his speed! You can see the little curly feather on Turbo's tail in the photo.
The Pekin Ducks lay White Eggs, they are considered Extra Large (larger than a Jumbo Chicken Egg)
Duck Eggs
Duck Eggs
Duck Eggs vs. Chicken Eggs
Duck Eggs vs. Chicken Eggs
Yolk
Duck eggs have a greater yolk-to-egg whites (albumen) ratio than chicken eggs. This makes duck egg yolks seem larger than normal. Duck egg albumen also appears clearer, as chicken egg whites are more cloudy-looking.
Protein
Since duck eggs are usually larger, they naturally contain more protein than a chicken egg. A duck egg contains about 9 grams of protein, and a large chicken egg contains about 6 grams.
Taste
The taste and texture profiles of duck and chicken eggs are very similar. Some note that duck eggs have a richer, creamier, and more intense flavor.
Cooking Duck Eggs
Duck eggs often need to be cooked or boiled slightly longer than chicken eggs because they are larger. However, be careful not to overcook duck eggs. Despite their larger size, duck eggs have less moisture and can become rubbery if cooked or boiled too long.
Baking with Duck Eggs
Substituting one type of egg for another in baking can alter the texture, moisture, and richness of the baked product. In many recipes, you can use one duck egg in place of two chicken eggs. Duck eggs make desserts more fluffier and moist. There are many recipes that include the use of duck eggs.
Did you know?
Did you know?
A drake can be recognized by a curly tail feather
Female ducks make loud quacking sounds, while the drakes drakes make a quieter, rasping sounds.
Our Chicken Breeds!
Our Chicken Breeds!
Red Sex Link
Red Sex Link
The Red Sex Link chicken is the result of crossing two heritage chicken breeds, a pure Rhode Island Red chicken rooster with a pure Delaware chicken hen. This chicken is not recognized by the "American Poultry Association".
Sex Links are some of the best layers out there, with the sweetest temperaments, and hardy both in heat and cold.
Interesting Facts:
Interesting Facts:
Red Sex Links can easily be sexed at day of hatch and the males and females are a completely different color even as they develop later into maturity.
The Red Sex Link is very popular and well known chicken kept by a lot of chicken owners and and were purposely bred for high egg production laying 300+ eggs per year, which is almost daily.
They start laying eggs at about 4-5 months of age, earlier than most breeds.
They are excellent foragers, are docile and very friendly.
Red Sex links unfortunately do not live long, about 2 to 3 years because of their high egg production and large eggs causes problems such as prolapse oviduct or egg bound. This also causes a calcium deficiency which is why they lay soft shelled eggs later in life. Red Sex Links also come in to maturity earlier than other chicken breeds which could be another probable cause of these chickens being short lived.
Sapphire Gem
Sapphire Gem
The Sapphire Gem Chicken, also known as the Sapphire Blue Plymouth Rock, are mainly known for their beautiful sapphire feathers and friendly personality. They're also excellent egg layers and great foragers.
Interesting Facts:
Interesting Facts:
Sapphire Gem hen can lay up to a staggering 290 eggs per year
They are docile and friendly
Sapphire Gems have a single comb
Are cold and heat-hardy
Not known for being overly broody
They are considered a medium in size
We have 3 Sapphire Gem Hens
We have 3 Sapphire Gem Hens
Their names are: Gemma, Sapphire, and Crystal
Gemma is our special needs hen. When she was about 2 months old, she was attacked by a cat, with severe bites to her right hip and tail area. We did not think she was going to pull through. She spent a month inside healing, with a crate set up in our main floor bathroom. We cleaned and irrigated her wounds with peroxide and iodine to prevent infection, as well as antibiotic ointment daily. She became our house chicken, and loved falling asleep while being held after eating her nightly treats, which consisted of tomatoes, grapes, and apples. Gemma made a full recovery and rejoined the flock, however because of the injury she has a permanent limp and crooked tail feathers.
Azure Blue - Arriving March 11, 2025
Azure Blue - Arriving March 11, 2025
The Azure Blue will lay 295 eggs annually or 6 per week and they will continue to lay for a long time
The eggs are LARGE and have a THICK shell
They are BLUE!
The females only get up to 4 lbs which means they require less feed, which is fantastic especially in the winter months when feeding chickens becomes more expensive as they aren't able to forage
The Azure Blue will start to lay eggs early, around 18 weeks
They are known to be excellent on pasture-based chicken systems and will forage for their food
Pictures Coming Soon!
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