The teases!

The end of 2010 (really, most of 4th quarter 2010) was largely eggless at Skookumchuck Farm. You'll all recall the trouble I had with my broody hens over the summer, resulting in a few frustrating "breaking" attempts involving both cold troughs of water and isolation crates (and finally in the hatching of four chicks in late July). Then The Moult 2010 began, striking first Teeny (who was in desperate need of a new frock) then undulating through the rest of the girls. So what, right? Well, broodiness and moult both result in a suspension of egg production. Yeah, it's embarrassing to admit, but we had to actually *buy* eggs to eat for a while.

Imagine my thrill to discover two gorgeous eggs in the coop the other evening! One brown, one green, both were perfect and lovely, with not a smidge of dirt on them. Yay!

Apparently my excitement was short lived, as I haven't seen another egg in the past two days. However, the days are slowly but surely getting longer, and the coop is less crowded now that three of the four chicks-turned-massive-horny-annoying-rooster-boys have been rehomed via the poultry auction in Chehalis. (My little boy, who really needs his own post, remains with the flock, all cute and sweet and so far not annoying at all.)

I do long for the days when not only are Paul and I eating our fill of those yummy eggs with the dark orange yolks and firm whites, but my egg clients are, too!

How do YOU like your eggs? Hard boiled? Soft boiled? Over medium? Scrambled with a bit of smoked salmon, cream cheese and green onion?

Prepping a couple days' eggs for hard boiling, April 2010 (with one oddball tiny egg for comparison).