Sponsored Post Tips from Nutrena: Gift-worthy Eggs!

[Bogtown Chick]

I've had personal Labels made for my cartons (the vintage 4 x 3 styled) And then within I make a checkerboard alternating the blue and brown eggs. People LOVE it. I give them as hostess gifts, etc. And I have to say those touches really do make an impression on people. I love the idea of making a card or slip with a small description about the flock that made those eggs. I think people are genuinely intrigued if they are going out of their way to buy precious backyard eggs.

Good article.

 

[MarcoPollo]

Bogtown Chick - That is really creative to arrange the eggs in a checkered pattern. I'd be impressed too.

After getting fresh eggs for over a year now, I notice that grocery store eggs are so obviously not fresh. Yes they are definitely edible, but grocery store eggshells are nearly see-through and they are not my favorite.

 

[loundrew]

Okay information, but sounded like a long commercial for Nutrena chicken food.

 

[MaPa26]

Thank you! I enjoyed the article. I'm not an "ALL natural" rebel who refuses to use commercial food. I serve it (layer variety) to my hens twice a day, moistened, and I keep a feeder full of pellets in their pen in case they want them. Since they are up before I am, they munch on them until they get their breakfast. lol. I am happy with the quality of the eggs my girls lay. They could use more calcium, especially in the Spring. They temporarily had thinner shells, so I put out some oyster shell. You KNOW your eggs are fresh when you drop one on the stove, the end of the egg cracks open and most of the "whites" spill out BUT you can scoop it up with a spoon! Can't do that with a "runny, watery" egg from the store! My girls free range and eat lots of greens, grass seeds and about anything that moves. They give eggs with an orange yolk. During the winter, after the grass was no longer green and the insects, etc, were gone, the egg yolks lost some of their color, but still looked better than store-bought eggs! We serve OCCASIONAL treats--not every day, though. They eat more commercial food during the winter, which stands to reason. Not much else to eat unless I give them more scraps. My hubby and I just don't have many leftovers or stuff they'd like. I end up buying some greens and veggie/fruit treats for them.

 

[bayvistafarm]

Feeding hens some nice alfalfa hay leaves will keep the yolks nice and dark all winter long. They love it!!

 

[moblak]

Love the idea about the vintage cartons - looking into them for friends and family.

 

[WendyF]

I am thinking about building a cold frame in my girls' run to keep healthy greens going throughout most of the winter. Water cress, spinach, I'm going to try dandelion but I don't know if it will tolerate the cold, many lettuces are cold hardy also. I'm going to use the principles in this book: http://www.amazon.com/Year-Round-Ve...03200877&sr=1-1&keywords=year+round+gardening. I am also going to steal the idea of putting a wire barrier over the crop from these plans: http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog...cken-Run-Raised-Bed-Building-Plans-p1248.aspx so that the girls can eat away when I prop open the cold frame, but leave the roots for regrowth. They will be dong their own 'cut & come again' harvesting.

 

[bopup]

A little card that have the picture, name and "story" of the hen works well too. I've done that with sheep fleece, and customers will call in the spring and want the fleece of "their" sheep.

 

[mmanco]

Very informative.Am liking everything here.

 

[Cheryl1948]

Bogtown, I do the same thing; personal labels, checkerboarding the colored eggs and I also bought colorful ribbon to tie a bow through the holes where the carton closes. I also love the idea of putting a note inside the carton with info about the flock. FUN!