Can you please share your egg routine?

[superchemicalgirl]

At end of day when the chickens are going to bed I grab the egg basket and head lamp and go out to the coop. Try to avoid stepping in large grotesque poo piles or on chickens since they all fly off the roost to see what treat I might possibly be bringing them. Walk into the coop, go to nest area. Throw broodies off nests (there's ALWAYS broodies on nests). Collect eggs. Hang up basket in coop, scrape poo boards and roosts and put into compost bin. Grab egg basket, do chicken head count, lock pop door and people door, make sure gate is shut on way out. Go to duck area. Climb over duck fence, which is just tall enough to make me have to get up on my tippy toes, and try not to fall into the mud and/or get clothing caught on fence. Scare the crap out of the ducks so they run into their coop, lock ducks in, then go into house with eggs, making sure to take off poo coated boots in garage.

I then lay out the eggs on a clean kitchen towel on the counter, and write down what I got (ie 1 white, 3 green, 2 cream, 19 brown). I take a hot washcloth and scrub off major poo, dirt or yolk from egg accidents. Place into cartons in a nice arrangement (usually 1-2 white, 1-2 green, rest various shades of brown). Full cartons go downstairs into fridge to sell, non-full cartons stay upstairs for our breakfast.

Wash hands.

 

[mommissan]

Quote:

I like to arrange the eggs in different orders... size, then color, then chronologically, then alphabetically by layer's name.....

 

[helenl]

Get up and go visit the girls. Have a chat with them....."how was your night". "Getting hot now?". Then let them out, pick them up and have a pat. Wander around to the nesting box and check what has been left for me. Then thank them, feed them and leave.
Generally I can hear them from the office, so know that one has laid

 

[Life is Good!]

Our morning routine:
1. Check weather - cool, jacket; wet, raincoat; warm, just go
2. Refill second waterer (I have two that I rotate - one in coop, other under mudroom sink drying from day before) - while filling, switch to 'chicken shoes' (ya know, the ones that don't leave the property and you wouldn't want anyone to see you in? Yeah, mine are old garden wellies) Grab egg basket (no pocket omlettes for this chicken momma!) Carry both outside while NOT tripping on dog who's trying to get out first.
3. Carry water outside to coop. Place on ground outside coop door.
4. Open coop door, say good morning to everyone - open pop door so they all can rush madly outdoors which leaves me alone in the coop to do my thing.
5. Change waterers (fresh in, old out - water dumped on compost pile and waterer set to side to bring indoors). Re-fill feeders as needed. Scrape poo or sift pine bedding as needed.
6. Open windows in coop for day - we've been closing at night due to chill in the air. Hang egg basket on hook in rafters for later in the day when the girls lay. Try hard to NOT knock my head on basket as I'm leaving - ugh, no one warned me about head room for me, just how much square footage the chickens needed!
7. Leave.
8. Return at lunchtime (earlier if I cannot stand it!) to check egg status. Place eggs in basket hanging in rafters - search for mis-laid eggs (rare), carry basket indoors triumphantly like they're nobility! Thank girls on way past the run. Return later with extra goodies, because I enjoy them so much!

Hope this helps!

 

[BarefootMom]

My chicken routine:

Get up at daylight open the doors, rinse out the kiddie pools and refill them, check the chicken feeders, throw some scratch out.

Feed all other animals.

I might check the nest boxes about 4-5 pm, but I don't gather eggs until the chickens have went to bed and I have to shut their doors. My chickens lay in the afternoon and late evening. This evening I went out there around 6:30 and there was a BR on a nest and an EE on the nest. So I guess my chickens are weird? I don't like to gather at random times in the day because it is harder to keep a count on how many eggs and where I got them from. We have at least 4 different places the girls lay and I like to keep track.

When it is dark and all chickies are in the bed I shut their doors and go to bed myself.

 

[Hammerj]

On school days, my girls get the eggs when they get home: Get egg basket, open the door to let the chickens out to roam for a bit, collect the eggs, which lately have been 7 eggs for 7 hens. Bring the eggs in and wash them in warm water and egg wash (natural enzyme formula). Rinse, dry and place in refrigerator, FIFO method.

Days we are out of school...I let the chickens out to roam and sit in front of the coop with my coffee and wait to hear the egg song. When I do, I rush into the coop and tell her how proud I am of her! Most of our hens lay their eggs by 10:00 am. One is later in the day. My husband laughs at me...life is good.

 

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

I go out so often anymore that I often have to lift a sitting hen up and remove her egg before she gets up, lol.

 

[gale65]

thanks everyone. I didn't even think of all that preparation. Mainly I was wondering do you put your eggs on the counter (and for how long until they go in the fridge), right in the fridge, separate dirty from clean, wash them, wait to wash until you use them, put them in a bowl, a basket, a carton, whatever. But I loved all the stories!

 

[Chickann]

Get up in the morning, usually after being attacked by our two youngest kidlets. After an hour or so get everyone dressed and walk out to The Poultry Palace. Brace ourselves for the stampede. Open the door, doing my best to avoid getting hit by a flying hen. Daughter (Lily) opens the chicken door....no one is left to come out.

Convince kids we have to do barn chores before getting eggs. Feed the rabbit, clean the convalescent cow's pen and feed her...and the meat birds THEN!!!!!! Go back to the coop and let the girls collect the eggs, ideally with no broken ones thanks to the one yr olds lack of eggtiqutte.Giggle excitedly, go to the house put in cartons and refrigerate.

 

[real_redhead]

Great stories!