They are shipped in from Washington, at least the ones in that box I took pics of. I'd bet from an egg factory. The organic, free roam, save the planet hippie eggs are nothing I'd knowingly buy unless they were the same price.
Yea I dont think it matters where you live. There are many chicken farms around me and store bought eggs look the same. Out of curiosity @nate do you mostly feed your chickens chicken feed. My yolks are normally a more orange color when I let them out more but when feed more feed they become more yellowish.
They eat grass, table scraps, chicken feed, bugs, whatever else their dumb little brains think is food to include the OSB inside the coop and foam board that used to be around the bottom of the coop outside.
Many years ago, we had chickens. I recall how well the yokes stood up and had a bright color. These store bought ones are pale and more yellow, the yokes are more flattened. Plus, I knew there wasn't antibiotics and chemical in the ones I got from my hens. Wife isn't friendly to the idea now, but ok if I buy them from local people who have some or sale. Local eggs are good and good for you.
The store eggs I speak of are white. IIRC brown eggs are local eggs(from local farms). Brown eggs are Much better that the white tasteless eggs. Our Araucana(commonly called Easter chicken) eggs are green. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Araucana Yep, We have green eggs and ham on weekends.
Laying hens are not really much good for eating. Very tough. little meat. you can take what meat you get and dice it up and use it in soup or stew. Has to be really small bits like what is in canned soup.
Yep, was disappointed in the size of the one I butchered due to a dog. But I tell you she was a fatty....
The store bought eggs are probably 4-6 weeks old. It's a no brainer to have eggs the same day as they are laid. My farm fresh eggs are worth the extra cost of feed. If your yolk color is not more bright orange than store bought, then your not feeding them very good or free ranging them enough. In the spring, when it rains a lot and the nite crawlers come out, the yolks are the brightest orange ever and probaby 20% bigger! Yes night crawlers make the best eggs.
My FIL has a bunch of layers. Not sure how many, but he's getting about 3.5 doz eggs/day. He has a large family and supplies everyone with eggs. I haven't eaten a store-bought egg (outside of travelling and eating at a restaurant) for 5+ years. I will do a couple batches of meat birds a year...usually in the spring and fall. Usually 7 weeks from when I get them to when they go to the freezer... If you think the eggs taste different, try the chicken. No joke.
We average 8 a day out of 10 hens. They were free ranging but travel too far. I'm getting ready to put them in the tractor on some of the garden beds.
I've been wanting to make a 36" x 18" tractor to lay in between rows of plants in the garden during the growing season. Weed removal and fertilizer in one shot.
I'm in the middle of a 48 hour shift. My daughter called and said the neighbor's dog has killed most of the flock. The dog got one rooster a few months ago and the neighbor said he would keep the dog up and take care of the problem so that I wouldn't have to. Well, it's time to take care of the problem the old fashion way.
