I have been thinking about posting a blog about the various eggs that I collect.
Quite a lot of eggs going around here!
This first picture shows a collection of eggs my fowl currently lay - in October. I get some turkey eggs (top row), duck eggs (bottom row) and quite a variety of chicken eggs. Our goose lays eggs, too, but only in the spring!
This picture below is of a FIRST egg laid by a young hen that is just getting started. The first few eggs are often very small... they are so cute! Of course the egg to the left is a regular sized egg of an older hen. you can see in the picture above that my chicken eggs don't only come in different colors, but in different sizes as well. The size, just like the color, depends on the breed, but even more on the age of the hen. The older the hen, the bigger the egg, and the less often she will lay. Most breeds start out with one egg every day or every other day, but depending on the breed, the frequency goes down fast over the years.
I have hens that lay white eggs, green eggs, pink eggs, tan eggs, brown eggs, and even dark brown eggs. Here are some interesting facts I read somewhere: the brown color is derived from blood and can be wiped off just right after the egg is laid, still a little wet and warm. The green color of the Araucana and Ameraucan chickens comes from the gall bladder (gulp) and is inside the shell, hence, cannot be wiped off. Green eggs, brown eggs and white eggs are exactly identical on the inside - no different chemical composition. Some more eggs:
Now this big egg below is a goose egg. I just spent a lot of time looking for some more goose egg pictures, but cannot find any - I'll have to take some come spring and my goose starts laying again (it is only October and I already cannot wait for spring!!!)! Anyways, the goose egg below was very lop sided, with an almost flat long side. I keep track of my layers, in fact, I'll scan and post one of my logs, too. The geese probably lay for about 2 months in the spring, then stop for the rest of the year.
The ducks lay eggs almost the same size as the chickens, just a tad bigger. My duck hens are a Buff Orpington and two Khaki Campbells... they are not very big ducks, but good layers. They lay more eggs than then chickens all summer long - I probably average more than 6 eggs per week for each duck all summer long. since the ducks and geese live outside even in the winter, with just a big dog house for shelter and a green house that they dont like to go in much, even though their food is in there, I think they are more susceptible to cold weather and take a break from laying in the winter.
There isn't a lot of information out there about the differences in duck eggs, goose eggs and chicken eggs for cooking and baking, but I have heard that people with chicken egg allergies are not usually allergic to water fowl eggs, so they enjoy those eggs immensly.
Duck eggs look and feel different than chicken eggs for sure. The shells are thicker than chicken eggs and harder to crack. They stay "fresh" longer due to their thicker shells (even though even "regular" chicken eggs can be kept at room temperature (!!!) up to three weeks, and a lot longer if refridgerated!). The yolks are *very* firm and the whites are also very viscous.
I have read that they can readily substitute chicken eggs in any recipe, and that, in fact, they make baked goods more "moist and fluffy" and hence more delicious. Duck egg white has more protein, so it gives cakes more loft, and the egg yolkes are a little richer (more fat). Makes for tastier end product - sounds pretty good to me. :-)
I just learned something new about duck eggs, too, and wanted to share that. It is from this site...
HEALTH BENEFITS: Besides being great to bake with duck eggs are sought by cancer patients. Apparently, duck eggs are alkaline (basic), chicken eggs are acidic. Cancer cells don’t thrive in a basic environment, so some cancer patients adjust their body’s environment by eating alkaline foods like duck eggs.
source: “http://urbanhomestead.org/journal/2008/05/22/duck-eggs-2/"
now, here is a picture of two cracked eggs from my chickens. They tend to be more orange (I read that has to do with their nutrition, they eat greens with chlorophyl while running around outside, which makes the egg yolk darker) than store bought eggs, and their egg whites are more viscous as well - probably only because they are fresher. Did you know that an egg that is less than 1-2 weeks old can almost not be peeled once hardboiled? I tried. It is very difficult. I found that boiling the eggs with some oil helps, as does letting them sit out on the counter for a few days before boiling them - but of course I never have that much foresight...
I still haven't talked about the turkey eggs! Amazingly enough, they are the same size than chicken eggs, even though the turkey hen that lays them is about double if not triple the size of a chicken... wow. My turkey eggs always have speckles and are pointier on one end then chicken eggs. I use the turkey eggs that get laid off season and won't be put in the incubator for baking and cooking just like all my other eggs... I find little difference between the turkey eggs and the chicken eggs.
Goose eggs tend to be like duck eggs on the outside (hard shells) but more like chicken eggs on the inside (not quite as viscous), only double the size at least! I always think it's a lot of fun to use goose eggs for baking. Substitute 1 goose egg for 2 chicken eggs in a recipe if you ever want to try cooking and baking with them. Delicious!!!
