Perfect Scrambled Eggs

Fresh eggs don't need much fussing with since they are bursting with freshness and flavor anyway, so I often find myself just lightly whisking a few with a bit of heavy cream, salt and pepper, then turning them into a sizzling skillet coated with a bit of olive oil and cooking them slowly until they are just set.  A sprinkle of fresh cut herbs - in this case some fresh dill - and there you have it...

Perfect scrambled eggs.

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Omega Ultra Egg Review and Giveaway

I recently discovered a new product called Omega Ultra Egg that purportedly produces stronger shells, more brilliant plumage, increases the omega-3 in eggs and increases egg production.  It is basically ground flaxseed with some additional vitamins.  When Omega Fields asked if I would like to try it out for a month on my chickens, I eagerly agreed. 

 I had been adding whole flaxseed to my special feed mixture that I call Breakfast of Champion Layers because of its health benefits, but I had to stop because ducks shouldn't eat seeds.   Ground flaxseed spoils very quickly and since I didn't relish the thought of hand grinding flaxseed daily, I had just been leaving the flax it out of their feed which I wasn't all that pleased about.

However, Omega Fields uses a milling process that protects the oils from oxidation, effectively solving the problem.   I really believe in the benefits of the flax and according to the Omega Fields literature, a typical egg has 40mg of omega-3, while an egg laid by a chicken who eats the Omega Ultra Egg has 325mg.  Quite a difference that translates directly into a healthier diet for our family.

The Omega Ultra Egg is easy to use.  You just measure out the right amount (1/4 Cup for 5 chickens, 1/2 Cup for 10 chickens or 1 Cup for 20 chickens) and sprinkle it over the feed. The chickens love the taste of it.  I had no problem getting them to eat it.   You can also feed it free- choice if you wish.

I have been feeding Omega Ultra Egg to my flock for about a month now.  Mind you, they ate a healthy diet previously, so  I kind of wondered if I would be able to spot any improvements in their appearance or egg quality, but they do look great now. Their feathers are nice and glossy, their combs are bright red.

Their egg yolks are a brilliant orange.

 

I also think the egg colors themselves have gotten deeper and richer due to the Omega Ultra Egg in their diet.  The blues are bluer, the browns a deeper brown and the creams creamier. 

I also notice that their shells are appreciably thicker.  I particularly notice the harder egg shells because I sell hand blown eggs for pysanky and other crafts on etsy and have had far fewer 'casualties' lately while I am blowing the eggs out.  I even dropped an egg in the run the other day and it actually bounced !

I am sold on this product. I think its a wonderful, affordable addition to any flock's nutrition.  In addition to the flaxseed, it contains folic acid, zinc sulfate, and Vitamins E, B-6 and B-12.  I highly recommend trying it yourself to see what you think.

Omega Fields has generously offered a 5% discount to Fresh Eggs Daily fans using the coupon code FreshEggs through September 30, 2012.

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NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY !

Three lucky fans will each win a bag of  Omega Ultra Egg. 

All you have to do is sign up to follow our blog, like our facebook page as well as Omega Field's facebook page and then post a photo of your most beautiful eggs on Omega Field's facebook page (link below). That's it.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

US addresses only please.

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Top Ten Flowers Your Chickens Will Love

Anyone who free ranges their flock even some of the time knows that chickens will eat pretty much anything you have planted, so why not choose some nutritious flowers that they will enjoy when you're planning your gardens in the spring ?
(As an added bonus, all ten of these flowers are also edible for humans.)

Check out our pinterest board Gardening HERE.

Here are my choices for
The Top Ten Flowers your Chickens Will Love:

1. Nasturtium not only attract bugs that eat the dreaded squash beetle larvae, the leaves and flowers are also edible for humans and make wonderful salad garnish.   Your chickens will love eating both the loeaves and the flowers, which are thought to be a natural wormer and also have antibiotic properties.

2. Squash blossoms are tasty stuffed with a sausage/ricotta mixture then fried, but the chickens love them also fresh off the vine.  The blossom is a good source of calcium, iron and Vitamin A, so let them indulge from time to time.

3. Violets make beautiful edible garnishes for cakes, cupcakes and ice cream, and also help with circulation and stop inflammation of the arteries. Your chickens will enjoy munching on them too.

4. Marigolds not only ward off insects in your garden, but they are also an antioxidant and promote the growth of new skin tissue.  As an added bonus, chickens who eat marigolds lay eggs with bright yellow yolks.

5. Bee Balm is a wonderful flower whose leaves can be made into a healthful tea with antibacterial properties that is also used to clear respiratory problems in humans and chickens.  It of course also attracts bees which help pollinate your flowers and fruit trees. Your chickens will enjoy both the flower and leaves.

6. Dandelions are a nice addition to salads. I guess technically a weed, instead of spraying them why not pick some for your chickens.  They are a natural detoxifier and one of the most nutritious plants in your yard, with lots of iron, calcium and Vitamin A.

7. Roses and rose hips cleanse blood toxins and act as antiseptics and antibacterial agents for both humans and chickens. Roses are also a classic as well as a beautiful way to decorate a cake with an edible garnish.

8.  Sunflower seeds are obviously a favorite among the feathered crowd, and also very nutritious, providing protein and essential oils to both humans and hens. The leaves are edible as well and your chickens will enjoy stripping the stalks of them.

9. Clover Blossoms are considered to be the most nutritious weed in your yard.  Both a blood purifier and an antioxidant, clover provides calcium, iron, magnesium and Vitamins A, B-12 and E as well as respiratory benefits.

10. Echinacea (or coneflower) flowers and seeds are excellent for improving respiratory health. Chickens are extremely susceptible to respiratory illnesses, so planting some echinacea will benefit them greatly.

Flowers to Steer Clear Of:
For the most part, chickens will avoid those flowers that are harmful to them, but to be on the safe side, it's best to AVOID planting the following potentially toxic plants in areas your chickens can access:
azalea, black nightshade, buttercup, castor bean, clematis, corn cockle, foxglove, henbane, honeysuckle, irises, lily of the valley, oleander, privet, rhubarb leaves, rhododendron, St. John's Wort, sweet pea, trumpet vine, vetch, yew


There are many,many more potentially harmful flowers and plants....but if you stick to the ten safe AND nutritious flowers above, your chickens will thank you !

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Duck Eggs

We raise Pekin ducks on our farm here in Virginia, right alongside our chickens.  We have four ducks, Penelope, Sasha, Sonia and Brigid and one drake, Gregory, and collect between 3 and 4 eggs every day, right through the winter. In fact, the ducks out layed our chickens this past winter !

The ducks are a lot of fun to raise, but what we love best about them is their eggs.  I had never eaten a duck egg before our ducks started laying them for us, so I didn't know what to expect.  

Turns out, they are pretty similar to chicken eggs.  Of course the duck eggs are larger - about 30% larger to be precise.  Our duck eggs usually weigh in right around 3 ounces, which is considerably heavier than even jumbo chicken eggs. 

Duck eggs contain slightly less water and more fat which makes them superior for baking.  They make cakes and breads rise better. On the flip side, overcooking them makes them rubbery, so they aren't best used for frying or scrambling, although we do eat them both ways with care taken not to overcook them.  I find the eggs do have a bit stronger 'egg' taste than chicken eggs which makes them stand up better to strong cheese such as Swiss or sharp cheddar, say in an omelet.

I always use our duck eggs in a one-to-one ratio in recipes that call for chicken eggs (I try and use the smallest for baking), but since a large chicken egg contains roughly 3 Tablespoons, you can also lightly whisk the duck eggs and then measure out 3 Tablespoon amounts to equal the number of eggs the recipe calls for.

Duck eggs stay fresher longer than chicken eggs due to having thicker shells.  Their whites are firmer, and ounce for ounce they contain more calcium, Vitamin B-12, Vitamin A, and Vitamin D than chicken eggs. They contain less Vitamin E and about the same amount of protein as a chicken egg, and one duck egg delivers almost a full day's serving of cholesterol.   Neither duck or chicken eggs contain any Vitamin C.  One duck egg contains about 130 calories, half of which are fat calories.  

Their larger size and thicker shells make blown duck eggs coveted among the pysanky crowd.  I sell some of our hand blown eggs in our etsy shop ...

to be made into beautiful ornaments such as these beautiful pieces of workmanship by EggstrArt.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/94458370/decorated-chicken-eggs-set-of-3-wax

Overall, the large, rich duck eggs make a nice contrast  in color, size, taste and composition to our chicken eggs and  I feel blessed to have both provided by our backyard flock.

Purchase hand blown duck eggs HERE.

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Light Sussex - Pink Egg Layers

This spring I decided to forego ordering chicks from one of the large hatcheries, which has been my M.O. the last couple of years, and instead try hatching some chicks myself.  

I was fortunate enough to get some hatching eggs donated by Chicken Scratch Poultry, a small breeder that focuses on a few less-common breeds that I have had my eye on for awhile.

One of those breeds is the Light Sussex.  This was a new breed for me, but I was interested in raising a few because they are purportedly a friendly breed that are good layers of pink eggs.

~photo courtesy of Chicken Scratch Poultry~

Out of the beautiful pink hatching eggs, emerged two tiny fluffy yellow chicks. With fans' help I named the chicks Daphne and Guinevere.  "Daphne" means bright, alert and playful, charming and elegant. One look at what Daphne will look like as an adult and you know the name fits.  "Guinevere" means fair and white (how apropos!) and of course was the legendary Queen of King Arthur.  Since this breed originated in England around the time of the Roman conquest in 43A.D., I thought Guinevere was the perfect name.

By one week old it was clear this is a very friendly breed. Any time I took them out of the brooder, they seemed perfectly content to just stand on my lap.

I had also ordered day old chicks from Chicken Scratch Poultry that arrived at the same time my eggs hatched, so one more Light Sussex joined Daphne and Guinevere in the brooder.  By a week old they were already starting to lose their yellow chick fluff and one was even sporting a few tiny tail feathers!

At a month old, their feathers were coming in white and the black markings had started to emerge. True to the breed, the three of them continued to be curious, friendly chicks, having a grand time exploring the ground outside their coop as I snapped photos.

By five weeks, it was clear that I had a rooster.  It's hard to tell roos from hens at this young age, but by comparing chicks of the same breed and age, it can sometimes become apparent at an early age.  One chick's comb was much larger, turning red and he was already starting to grow wattles.  His legs are thicker and he is more stocky than the two females.  So it looks like we have a Lancelot for our Guinevere!

I am enjoying watching the chicks change and grow. They were adorable chicks, are now gangly teens, and as adults they will be absolutely stunning.  

~photo courtesy of Chicken Scratch Poultry~

I am so glad I chose to raise a few Light Sussex. From everything I have seen, they will be extremely friendly hens and will add a nice bit of color to our flock, that up until now hasn't included any white chickens.  

And oooh, those pink eggs !  I can't wait.

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