Something I have always done as a child and hope to one day do again with my boys is raise our own chickens. I love fresh eggs and I cannot tell you the last time I purchased eggs from the store. I am fortunate to have family who have chickens as well as some friends, so I always have the ability to pick up eggs when I’m running low.

Let’s talk basics first, we won’t go into the whole who came first theory but there are some differences we should talk about. For starters, many people do not know there is a difference between chickens. Not just between laying hens and fancy birds and meat birds but also in color of eggs and so on. The picture above is the exact eggs I have in my fridge right now. They do not look like your typical brown eggs most would assume are farm fresh eggs, but they are.

There are many different species of chickens and if you want eggs then you need to stick with the laying birds, those species can include: Rhode Island Red, Black Giant, Ameraucana, Leghorn, Plymouth Rock, Brahma, Sussex, as well as a few more. These birds are specifically used for egg production. Any of these breeds and I am sure you’ll have an abundance of eggs.

Meat birds are raised for specifically, well, meat. These birds grow quickly with the single goal of gaining weight for meat products. Majority of the time, these are the birds you see in those ever so popular PETA videos– used to discourage people from purchasing meat products. If you have not figured out my feelings towards PETA, head to my Facebook page. They portray animal abuse as well as negligence. I will not go into my soap box with that, we will save that for another day. Usually, the videos include birds unable to walk due to the weight of their bodies and so on. My advice on that subject is to purchase your chicken from a local farm, like I do for my family. Eventually, it is in my plans to raise meat birds myself because I want to give my family the freshest products possible, and there is nothing as fresh as on the farm. If you decide to raise your own farm fresh chicken, species to look for include Broilers, Cornish cross, Jersey Giant, Leghorn, and Bresse. You will also notice there are birds called dual-purpose. That means they can be used for both meat and egg production.

Now, lets talk about egg color. Fun fact! Eggs are colored solely based on the chicken’s genetics, usually the color of the chicken’s ear lobe. That’s right, the only reason eggs are colored are because of the species of chicken you have. White eggs are no different than brown eggs, or even blue eggs. Ameraucanas lay, yes, a blue egg. Typically, we see white eggs in commercial grocery stores, this is because majority of the commercial laying hens are Leghorn chickens who have white earlobes or do not release any pigment on the egg, whereas other birds apply pigment—why we have different colored eggs.

Another thing you may notice at a farmers’ market, is that the eggs are not stored in the refrigerator and are often a little dirty. Eggs naturally have a film over the shell that protects the egg, if you do not wash the egg then you do not need to refrigerate it. Once you wash the egg, you remove that film and therefore the eggs need to be stored in the fridge to keep from spoiling.

If you have questions you should always ask a farmer and keep off social media, unless a credible source.

As always, support local and be sustainable!