Ever wonder why eggshells have odd bumps or discolorations? Learn how eggs develop, and troubleshoot eggshell problems with chicken owner and writer Elizabeth Diane Mack. For small poultry flock owners, eggshell abnormalities can be a bit scary. The internal shell development process occurs in less than 24 hours, and during this time, even minor upsets […]

Our editor, Carla Tilghman, makes this recipe year-round for her family and friends.     An easy and delicious egg recipe that works for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Stracciatella is a diminutive of the Italian verb stracciare (“to shred”) and means “little shred” or “rags” — describing how you’ll stir the egg into the broth. A spicy […]

When I hear “designer eggs,” I immediately picture runway models rolling around in couture egg suits. But that’s not quite what designer eggs are. They aren’t beautifully painted Ukrainian eggs either.  Rather designer eggs have been nutritionally augmented, usually through the chickens’ diet. The eggs are enriched with nutrients already present in eggs, such as […]

Eggs, eggs everywhere but not a customer in sight. If this describes your egg business, it’s time to think about Marketing 101. This includes both what is in your ads and where you are putting them. If you don’t have ads yet, this is the perfect time to start. Marketing isn’t as scary as most […]

Michele Cook — A few years ago, I did something crazy. I quit my nearly six figure job to start a small farm. My husband lovingly called it “the hippie plan”. Basically, I would have laying hens, milk goats for soap, and a large garden. I would hawk my wares at the local farmer’s market […]

Egg are Seasonal   If you’re new to raising chickens you might not realize that chickens do not naturally lay an egg every day, year-round. In the late summer/early fall you might notice that your hens stop laying altogether. You might also notice that your coop is littered with feathers. This is the seasonal molt […]

I have big plans for breeding chickens this spring. I finally have my show-quality, heritage breed Buff Orpingtons. We drove from Mid-Michigan to eastern Ohio last year to pick up two beautiful pairs of Buffs at the Ohio National Poultry show. I can’t wait to fill my incubator with eggs from these gorgeous birds!   […]

Two Easter Egger chickens and their beautiful blue eggs have recently been putting smiles on our faces! We have come along way since we first embarked on our chicken raising venture, when we chose our first flock of chickens ‘blindly’, so to speak. Because it was recommended to us, our first flock were all golden […]

Let’s Start With The Soup This is great whether you’re fighting against a chilly day or you’re under the weather and craving soup.  Snuggle up on the couch with a warm blanket, your soup, and a hot glass of tea.  There are so many ways to use the chickens we keep and produce in our […]

It is a common occurrence in egg-laying-chickendom that hens slow down or cease laying eggs in winter. Shorter days resulting in less daylight would make anyone sluggish and long to take a break from the daily grind. If you have a strong reliance on eggs, this season in a hen’s life can be worrisome.  However, […]