The Front Porch Swing

[LindaB220]

I needed a change in my egg collecting process, baskets I can collect in *and* wash in without having to handle the eggs an extra time. But was feeling too cheap to buy a whole bunch of "real" egg collecting baskets. I found a solution listed at Dollar Tree website, but they didn't have the little plastic-coated wire baskets in the store. I had to order a whole case of 36 ... for $36, or less expensive than just 2 of the "official" baskets. They aren't very big, but that's okay as I can collect a couple times a day and bring the eggs inside during weather extremes. They came in three colors ... Blue, Whte & Black. I've snagged a few baskets to use elsewhere in the house ...

Today was the first test drive ... I can comfortably get 2 dozen eggs in each basket.

You know that looks like a fabulous Christmas present to me. Thinking about buying the case and keeping them.

Then I can add eggs and put a bow on it. Instant present.

 

[Triple Willow]

Hey there PrairieChicks. Great to see you on The Porch! That is COOOLD! Tell is about those long day... how long are they? Have you chickens laid very well this winter?

 

[PrairieChicks]

Thank you for the welcome! In June, we probably have about 18 hours of daylight. We pay for it in the winter with the long nights. But lately when driving to work at 7am, the sky is getting light! I can hardly wait till I can be out working in the garden (middle of May). I have 10 hens (that hatched the beginning of June) and have been getting anywhere from 6 to 9 eggs a day. We try to go out 3 times during the day so the eggs don't freeze. .

 

[PrairieChicks]

Welcome to The Porch!!!

Always room for one more! So glad you came...and all the way from Canada! Woot! Chickens are so much tougher than folks imagine, aren't they? Mine have been out and about for most of the winter, subzero temps, snow and all. They just don't know they are supposed to be fragile little house birds, do they?

I noticed you're from WV. What are your winters like? Lots of snow? I should maybe give my chickens the option to go out more often. But we often get wind and that makes it so much colder. I have a heat lamp, but have never put it up. I thought I'd see how they would manage, and so far they haven't skipped a beat.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

You know that looks like a fabulous Christmas present to me.  Thinking about buying the case  and keeping them.    Then I can add eggs and put a bow on it. Instant present. 

They come in round and oval. The oval ones are a little shorter.

 

[Triple Willow]

Thank you for the welcome!  In June, we probably have about 18 hours of daylight.  We pay for it in the winter with the long nights.  But lately when driving to work at 7am, the sky is getting light!  I can hardly wait till I can be out working in the garden (middle of May).   I have 10 hens (that hatched the beginning of June) and have been getting anywhere from 6 to 9 eggs a day.  We try to go out 3 times during the day so the eggs don't freeze.  .

Wow those long days would be great during the summer. Your pullets have done really great in that cold weather!

 

[Beekissed]

I noticed you're from WV. What are your winters like? Lots of snow? I should maybe give my chickens the option to go out more often. But we often get wind and that makes it so much colder. I have a heat lamp, but have never put it up. I thought I'd see how they would manage, and so far they haven't skipped a beat.

Depends on what part of the state if you get lots of snow. Where I used to live it could get 3-6 ft. in places(once it was deep enough to cover our house to the roof...that was back in the 70s), where I currently live it hardly ever got past 2 ft. and the most we've had in many years is around 6 in. at a time. We've had subzero temps this winter much like other folks but we haven't had such as these since the late 70s, early 80s, so these temps are not the norm. Single digits at the most on a normal basis.

 

[LindaB220]

They come in round and oval. The oval ones are a little shorter.

Well, Leslie, thanks for the tip. I did order the round ones along with a few other things. A very good buy. I also ordered 8 of the metal 30" hanging basket poles. I'm going to put a couple of them about 30 inches apart in the groung and string small chain on each and put a log to make a swing for my babies in their run. I'll let you know how THAT turns out.

 

[LindaB220]

That's pretty big still....I love how they look! Could be that you could sell your extras in a special 2 doz. egg offer to your customers so they could have an egg basket of their own to display their farm fresh eggs. A "gift basket"...long about Easter I bet that would be a real hit. Folks could buy them for their friends as a gift. They have nifty shrink wrap bags you can get to place over gift baskets to complete the "look" of a gift basket. Maybe a little stuffed chick in amongst the eggs and a colored raffia bow on top. Cha-ching! Fifteen dollar egg baskets!

I look at it this way. Why not buy a bunch of these and use for customers. $3.50 first time and they bring it back next week and get new one for $2.50. At $1.00 a piece picked up at the closest Dollar Tree, that's almost as cheap as buiying 100 of the foam ones plus shipping.

Edited: Oops, I see great minds think alike. Just found your other posts.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I look at it this way. Why not buy a bunch of these and use for customers. $3.50 first time and they bring it back next week and get new one for $2.50. At $1.00 a piece picked up at the closest Dollar Tree, that's almost as cheap as buiying 100 of the foam ones plus shipping.

They would be a decent option for duck eggs. I can't close the "regular" cartons on my duck eggs, and the "Duck Egg Cartons" cost $1 each anyway, before shipping.

Duck eggs have sturdy shells, so less chance of damaging those during transport. A basket that size should be good for 1 dozen duck eggs easy.

When I started selling eggs I had the idea that each customer would have their own egg cartons, with their names on them, etc. ... so we could reuse the cartons without getting grossed out by mystery smudges. I had one customer organized enough to manage that. She was very fastidious about germs and stuff, so she was motivated. The 25 cent deposit wasn't enough incentive for the others.

Not that I want to decorate the entire planet with little baskets any more than I want to decorate it with egg cartons ...