overwhelmed with eggs

[The Chicken Lady]

Quote:
Do you still have a copy of the "educational" part of that e-mail? It might be worth sharing so that others can see how you worded it.

To the OP: I suggest putting up fliers in stores in your area. Sometimes, there is a community announcement board in the store entrance. Try putting up fliers at a natural or health foods store.

Another member here delivers eggs to a local school once a week and sells them to the teachers.

 

[Chicken Salad]

Quote:
That's what I was going to recommend. I know our local missions, shelters and food banks are getting stretched to the max with the economy the way it is now.

This is from the National Center on Home Food Preservation. I've done tray thing before and it works pretty well.

Freezing
Eggs
Eggs can be stored for at least 1 month, covered in the refrigerator. Freezing is often unnecessary, but it can be done.

Preparation – Select fresh eggs and break each separately into a clean saucer. Examine each for freshness and remove any pieces of shell before mixing with other eggs.

WHOLE EGGS — Thoroughly mix yolks and whites. Do not whip in air. To prevent graininess of the yolks, add 1-½ tablespoons sugar, 1-½ tablespoons corn syrup OR ½ teaspoon salt per cup whole eggs, depending on intended use. Strain through a sieve or colander to improve uniformity. Package, allowing ½-inch headspace. Seal and freeze.

Another method of freezing a whole-egg mixture is to use ice trays. Measure 3 tablespoons of egg mixture into each compartment of an ice tray. Freeze until solid. Remove frozen cubes, and package in moisture-vapor resistant containers. Seal and freeze. Three tablespoons of the egg mixture (one cube) equal one whole egg.

EGG YOLKS — Separate eggs. Stir yolks gently. To prevent graininess, add 1-½ tablespoons sugar, 1-½ tablespoons corn syrup OR ½ teaspoon salt per cup of egg yolks, depending on intended use. Strain through a sieve. Package, allowing ½-inch headspace. Seal and freeze. One tablespoon of the yolk mixture equals one egg yolk.

EGG WHITES — Gently mix whites; do not whip. Strain through a sieve. No sugar or salt is needed. Package, leaving ½-inch headspace. Seal and freeze. Two tablespoons of the egg-white mixture equal one egg white.

 

[ZZsBabiez]

German Pancakes - Iregooken sp? (Flour Cakes)

8 to 12 eggs.

use mixer med/low to beat eggs..

add 1/4 cup veg. oil keep mixing..

add 1/2 cup milk... keep mixing...

slowly add 1 cup (or more) flour till thickened..

cook on hot griddle like pancakes.

Serve with jam or jelly.. NO butter, NO syrup.

Will reheat in microwave the next couple of days..

 

[freemotion]

Chicken Lady, I found one of them, there were two or three, but this was the first. I have found, since writing this, that my girls eat less grain in the summer when they are free-ranging. But you also have to factor into the cost of the eggs the cost of keeping hens when they are not laying, if you do not cull them during the molt, etc:

We will have a limited number of eggs for sale, hoping to defray the upkeep costs of the girls. Right now it will be $3/dozen or $4/dozen-and-a-half. If you want some, please call or e-mail me to reserve, and I will leave them on my porch for pick-up or bring them to the office with me. We now know why the price of eggs is so high...the price of corn has skyrocketed due to demand from pellet/corn stove users.

Our eggs are not fully organic, but close. Our chickens are pastured and cruelty-free. (Free-range and cage-free means the chickens are not stuffed into cages, but it does not mean they are free to scamper about in a field. They are still confined and often very overcrowded, and any time outdoors is usually on a tiny dirt lot. Organic eggs may be from overcrowded hens, it is just that they are fed organic grain. I never knew this until recently.) Even right now, the hens go out and forage most days and actually find green stuff to eat.

Our eggs are not from "vegetarian" chickens, either. Chickens are NOT vegetarians, so this is not a natural diet for them. Commercially, laying hens are killed after one laying season, so their long-term health is not a concern. Many operations will even starve the hens when production drops off, to trick their bodies into a few more weeks of a daily egg. Those who survive the starvation period, that is. Yikes.

The main reason that egg-layers are not pastured but rather crowded inside is that they burn more energy moving around and need more feed, and lay fewer eggs. However, the eggs are HIGHLY nutritious, a superfood. Very low in cholesterol and high in Vitamin A and omega III's. So no more egg-white omelets!

Oops, didn't mean to do a sales pitch, as we will have a limited number available....oh, and a few are green and blue! Will try to put a couple in every dozen, as available. We also appreciate your saved egg cartons! Come visit the girls some time, just call ahead, please...

Cock-a-doodle-doo!

 

[freemotion]

Oh, I should've added, feel free to use any or all of this as your own, guilt-free, you have my permission!

 

[chickorama]

We get 10-14 on average with 20 hens. Some of them are ornamental or meat birds, and don't lay much.

 

[chickorama]

I suggest egg nog! It is very good homemade.

 

[chilisweet]

I second the food back option...seriously most food banks around the country are almost empty! What a blessing it would be to give a family that has almost nothing a dozen eggs...for you and for them.

I also sell my eggs on www.localharvest.com. You can see the link to my "farm" in my signature line. I have a waiting list 2 pages long for eggs, and I only have 5 girls laying now. Next spring will be insane when all 13 are laying.

Do you go to church? Can you ask them if they know of families who are in need and to give them eggs? I do that on a weekly basis, and the people who get them are so happy and surprised, they cry! That's not why I do it, I have extra, and I feel it's my job to help others out.

Good luck!
~Caran

 

[Aurelious]

I sell 90 dozen eggs every 5 days at whole foods market in portland maine. Contact the dairy manager at a local supermarket, they will usually be excited to buy local eggs. The catch is you generally need to provide your own, non second hand, packaging. I just buy flat top cartons online and stamp them with company and farm name with custom stamps I ordered online. Eggs can actually make a good profit if you can get a buyer who is willing to pay extra for fresh eggs, especially free range, cage free and organic eggs. Of course I have 357 hens and how much effort you wanted to expend in selling your eggs would probably depend upon how many extra eggs you have.

 

[Wifezilla]

With the growing awareness many people have of where food comes from, just the fact that your eggs come from well-cared for chickens make them easily worth $3 or $4 per dozen.

I am big on bartering. You might want to post a "for trade" listing on your local craigslist.