Texas

[Bazy]

Quote:
I have a separate pop door and run for my 7 week olds. They have a cage which has a removable roost and access to a heat lamp inside (just a cged 60 watt light bulb) the coop. I found out the hard way to be sure they know where safe home is when I found them huddled outside in the rain and lost one to hypothermia. I just make sure they can get in to 70 degree warmth if they feel the need to.

 

[RustedOak]

I had 4 BRs in a chicken tractor and decided to double my flock with 2 EEs and 2 SLWs which I was housing in a dog kennel temporarily. I finally completed my hoop coop and got them all integrated without too much disruption. They all but stopped laying as a result though. (or is it the weather shifting? Shrug) Since I'm not getting too many eggs these days, I decided to try my hand at freezing eggs. I put up 2 dozen yesterday. I've never done it before since everything chicken related is an experiment this year, but I've read several articles about it and followed up with my own research so I figured I'd give it a shot. Anyone ever done this? I also whipped out a batch of watermelon preserves last night. Needless to say, my house smelled amazing. Anyways, hope everyone is doing well! Have a great day!

 

[Brookshire11]

Quote: They have access to the coop full time right now. I have a little run attached to their coop until they are big enough. I have a little pen, then they'll move to the chain link run until I'm sure they're big enough to free range without slipping out. I moved to fast with the last chicks I had and they ended up slipping under a TINY hole at the bottom of the fence and met the neighbors labs :/.
I leave my mudroom door open (its an add on so it's closed to the rest of the house) so the bigger girls can go in if its too gusty or raining. I'm a softy :/ lol

Do you use bedding in their coop? Would that help with warmth?

I had 4 BRs in a chicken tractor and decided to double my flock with 2 EEs and 2 SLWs which I was housing in a dog kennel temporarily. I finally completed my hoop coop and got them all integrated without too much disruption. They all but stopped laying as a result though. (or is it the weather shifting? Shrug) Since I'm not getting too many eggs these days, I decided to try my hand at freezing eggs. I put up 2 dozen yesterday. I've never done it before since everything chicken related is an experiment this year, but I've read several articles about it and followed up with my own research so I figured I'd give it a shot. Anyone ever done this? I also whipped out a batch of watermelon preserves last night. Needless to say, my house smelled amazing. Anyways, hope everyone is doing well! Have a great day!

I haven't frozen yet, but we pickled a dozen Silkie eggs and I plan on dehydrating (after I get one...Christmas is coming! lol)
I have NEVER heard of watermelon preserves.,.how neat!

 

[ChicKat]

I had 4 BRs in a chicken tractor and decided to double my flock with 2 EEs and 2 SLWs which I was housing in a dog kennel temporarily. I finally completed my hoop coop and got them all integrated without too much disruption. They all but stopped laying as a result though. (or is it the weather shifting? Shrug) Since I'm not getting too many eggs these days, I decided to try my hand at freezing eggs. I put up 2 dozen yesterday. I've never done it before since everything chicken related is an experiment this year, but I've read several articles about it and followed up with my own research so I figured I'd give it a shot. Anyone ever done this? I also whipped out a batch of watermelon preserves last night. Needless to say, my house smelled amazing. Anyways, hope everyone is doing well! Have a great day!

So cool - I was being buried in eggs - and so I froze some - made some frittatas froze them etc. Still getting a lot more eggs than I can use up -- but I expect getting into the 40's tonight so eggs will start to slow down.

first I scrambled the eggs, then I poured them in muffin/cupcake pans and froze the pans - then I removed them and put in the fridge, as many as a container could hold. They weren't that easy to remove. Since I still have a lot of eggs, I haven't used any yet. I think one - large muffin tin (didn't use papers, kind of wish I had) would be equal to one egg when thawed...for the mini muffin size - two muffin sized frozen egg mixtures.

Watermelon preserves...the rinds...like watermelon pickles. Those are so good. yum.

 

[Bazy]

Quote:
I use pine shavings in the coop. I keep them stirred up so they stay dry and don't stink and add to them when necessary..then every couple of weeks, I sift out the big clumps or replace if I feel like it's too dirty. It happens often for me but I have 18 grown-ish chickens roosting and five in the little run (soon to be 28 (oops) and 17 in the incubator, but they don't count because they haven't hatched..chicken math strikes again, not to change the subject.... I just add it to the compost bin!

 

[RustedOak]

I haven't frozen yet, but we pickled a dozen Silkie eggs and I plan on dehydrating (after I get one...Christmas is coming! lol)
I have NEVER heard of watermelon preserves.,.how neat!
[/quote]


Watermelon preserves are made with just a bit of the pink and the rinds minus the skin. My Mama made it every year when I was growing up so I'm keeping the tradition alive. It's really good on toast but also tastes great on pork. I went a little heavy on the simple syrup and saved the excess to glaze a ham with! My dad used to pickle eggs but I don't care for them. Never tried dehydrating but may give that a shot later

 

[RustedOak]

So cool - I was being buried in eggs - and so I froze some - made some frittatas froze them etc.  Still getting a lot more eggs than I can use up -- but I expect getting into the 40's tonight so eggs will start to slow down. 

first I scrambled the eggs, then I poured them in muffin/cupcake pans and froze the pans - then I removed them and put in the fridge, as many as a container could hold.  They weren't that easy to remove.  Since I still have a lot of eggs, I haven't used any yet.   I think one - large muffin tin (didn't use papers, kind of wish I had) would be equal to one egg when thawed...for the mini muffin size - two muffin sized frozen egg mixtures. 

Watermelon preserves...the rinds...like watermelon pickles.  Those are so good.  yum.

That's why we froze them. My girls were producing way more than we could eat. I was giving them away to family but since they slowed down on me, I figured I needed to put some up because I can't bring myself to buy store bought eggs anymore

 

[Brookshire11]

I haven't frozen yet, but we pickled a dozen Silkie eggs and I plan on dehydrating (after I get one...Christmas is coming! lol)
I have NEVER heard of watermelon preserves.,.how neat!

Watermelon preserves are made with just a bit of the pink and the rinds minus the skin. My Mama made it every year when I was growing up so I'm keeping the tradition alive. It's really good on toast but also tastes great on pork. I went a little heavy on the simple syrup and saved the excess to glaze a ham with! My dad used to pickle eggs but I don't care for them. Never tried dehydrating but may give that a shot later[/QUOTE]
Oh wow! I would have never thought of pork..that sounds great!
I'm not a fan of pickled eggs either, but I had a dozen and..they're smaller so I thought they were the right size.
I don't know why but I'm never sure what to do with those little eggs. I got her for my daughter and to serve as a broody for next year. I went off what I heard and wasn't counting on her being a reliable layer..but she lays..pretty much everyday, but at least 6 days a week!

 

[ChicKat]

I haven't frozen yet, but we pickled a dozen Silkie eggs and I plan on dehydrating (after I get one...Christmas is coming! lol)
I have NEVER heard of watermelon preserves.,.how neat!

Watermelon preserves are made with just a bit of the pink and the rinds minus the skin. My Mama made it every year when I was growing up so I'm keeping the tradition alive. It's really good on toast but also tastes great on pork. I went a little heavy on the simple syrup and saved the excess to glaze a ham with! My dad used to pickle eggs but I don't care for them. Never tried dehydrating but may give that a shot later[/QUOTE]

stop!! LOL

Thinking of small eggs at those highway places 'Buckee's' is that how it is spelled? they sell pickled quail eggs for $6-7 a jar.

 

[bnjrob]

I had 4 BRs in a chicken tractor and decided to double my flock with 2 EEs and 2 SLWs which I was housing in a dog kennel temporarily. I finally completed my hoop coop and got them all integrated without too much disruption. They all but stopped laying as a result though. (or is it the weather shifting? Shrug) Since I'm not getting too many eggs these days, I decided to try my hand at freezing eggs. I put up 2 dozen yesterday. I've never done it before since everything chicken related is an experiment this year, but I've read several articles about it and followed up with my own research so I figured I'd give it a shot. Anyone ever done this? I also whipped out a batch of watermelon preserves last night. Needless to say, my house smelled amazing. Anyways, hope everyone is doing well! Have a great day!

I use mineral oil to preserve eggs for long term storage, since having working electricity is not a guarantee and I prefer to have things which do not require a freezer for preservation. The eggs get a little runnier, but it still lets me be able to separate them into whites and yolk if I am making mayonnaise or boiling eggs - unlike freezer kept eggs that are supposed to be scrambled before freezing for best quality. I think my eggs would do better and not get a little runnier if they were kept colder instead of at room temperature, but am working on how we can get a "cellar" for colder storage of food items. Right now I just pack them into a carton and then stick the cartons inside of cheap foam ice chests that sit on the floor of my kitchen. We're eating eggs from April/May that are still good. Have been considering going to an oil/beeswax mixture for coating the eggs to see if that gives an even better impermeable shell coating.