The Wholesome Steward

So, we got our first chickens nearly 2 years ago now. That first winter there probably wasn’t much in the way of eggs, but the chickens where still developing, and I didn’t pay it any mind. Then, come the fallowing spring, they really started laying and I assumed it was because they had grown and where mature. They layed so many eggs! I had to look up ways to use lots of eggs! We were reaching out, asking people to take them because we couldn’t use them fast enough!

Well, this winter we had like no eggs really. A couple a week, tops! We had just brought them in for winter and I figured they were in shock and protesting a bit. It carried on this way for some time! Eventually I googled “why are my chickens not laying eggs?” and it seemed natural for winter and possibly molting. Anyways like 2-3 months later after finally breaking down and buying eggs at the store. Which felt so, so very wrong, by the way! To be feeding them, carrying buckets of waters down there, running heaters to help keep the waters from freezing over too fast: all that work and money, just to have to break down and buy subpar eggs at the floor felt very deflating! I had accepted this was my new reality!

Then something happened! I guess the days started to get longer and they started laying again… just a little at first, but before I knew it there were tremendous amounts of eggs, I felt rich again! After waiting so long I didn’t want to give these precious eggs away! I stated using them! We eat eggs for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even dessert! So very many eggs! But I still couldn’t keep up!

After consuming copious amounts of eggs, I realized I needed to plan for scarcity again! I am fortunate enough to have a freeze dryer. So, I did my first time of freeze-drying eggs! It took soooo long! I didn’t prefreeze them. I put the trays in the machine, then blended the eggs, and poured them into the trays right there! More than 24hours later, they were done! I used a big flat metal spatula to cut and lift this strange light airy stuff out and into the food process for powdering. Then, put the powder in jars and vacuum sealed them. This was so nice to have in a week or two when the temps got cooler and the chickens stopped laying again!

You can even bake the egg shells in the oven to dry them out and make them more brittle. I have heard everywhere from 350-400 degrees, and 10 minutes to an hour… I go somewhere in there! Once crushed or blended into small pieces or a powdery like substance you can either give back to chickens to increase their calcium intake. Or add to garden and they will slowly release calcium over time!