Beautiful eggs

We sustain a supply of our own chicken eggs throughout the winter, although the numbers drop significantly. It means we have to ration the quantities we are able to pass on to those who have a regular order from us for a while. (We no longer put out any eggs to sell at the gate because the amount that get stolen is beyond a tolerable level).

Once past the winter equinox and the light levels begin to increase, so does egg laying. Now we are approaching something not far off twelve hours of daylight each day the eggs are coming thick and fast again.

Strangely enough, duck eggs seem to be a constant throughout the year with a short break every now and again. We have some duck eggs in an incubator and these are due to hatch soon.

We are still awaiting our first quail eggs from the quail we recently acquired.  

The two Norfolk Black turkey hens who escaped Christmas are also yet to lay. Their mate, a fine looking stag, is strutting around and not letting the hens out of sight. We are planning to hatch some of their eggs too, and by the looks of things they should be fertile.

Our chicken flock is a mixture of ex-commercial hens and various traditional breeds and traditional breed hybrids. One consequence of this is that we get quite a wide range of egg colours which is fun.