Egg delivery protocol and egg facts...

In the Barn

We have been working to identify a corona virus safe system for egg deliveries.  I think we have identified a way to keep everyone safe and get their eggs!  

If you want eggs, we will need a physical address (where you want the eggs delivered), email address and phone number.  Send me an email at remarkablefarms@gmail.com to get on the egg list.  

We will send out an email on Wednesday to ask if you are interested in purchasing eggs.  Let us know by Friday at noon, what your order is.  The sooner you respond, the better chance of getting your order filled.  The eggs will be delivered on Friday afternoon.  

Make sure to leave a cooler on your front porch by 3:00PM on Friday afternoon.  Put cash (we are looking into maybe a PayPal payment but do not have it set up yet),  your loyalty card, and any empty egg cartons in the cooler.  If this is your first order, you will receive a loyalty card with your egg order.  A hard sided, nonporous cooler would work best, such as this...

We will take all precautions and use hand sanitizer before handling any cartons.  Once the eggs have been placed in the cooler, you will receive a text message stating that your eggs have been delivered.  If you think you might not be able to get to them right away, it may be a good idea to put a small ice pack in the cooler. 

This delivery system is a temporary situation.  Once the Moscow Farmer's Market begins, we will be selling eggs at the Market every other week. 

Storage of Eggs

Eggs should be stored in the refrigerator.  Sometimes I am asked if eggs need to be refrigerated.  When a hen lays an egg, there is an invisible bloom, or cuticle, around the egg that protects it from contaminants like Salmonella getting in the egg.  HOWEVER, we wash our eggs and this removes the protective coating.  Therefore, the eggs need to be refrigerated.  According to the USDA, refrigeration also increases the shelf life of the egg from 21 days (at room temperature) to 15 weeks from pack date.  For the best quality, use eggs within 6 weeks of their pack date.  We stamp the inside of the container with the pack date.  In other countries, hens are vaccinated for Salmonella and; therefore, they can store eggs at room temperature.  Here is a nice article about proper egg storage, if you are interested.

Egg Sizes

When hens and ducks start to lay eggs, the eggs are smaller.  As the poultry continue to grow, so does the size of the eggs that are laid.  

Initially, the eggs you will be getting will be small sized.  (We keep the peewee sized eggs).  We are giving an extra punch on the loyalty cards for purchasing the small sized eggs.  Hang in there...the eggs will get bigger each week!  In fact, many of the eggs we packed yesterday (3/29/20) were already in the "medium" size range.

Here is an egg size substitution chart.  For example, if your recipe calls for 2 large eggs, use 3 small eggs.

Fun Fact - Double Yolkers

As a pullet (young hen) starts laying eggs, her reproductive system is still maturing, which means a glitch, such as a double yolk, is more likely to occur. It is usually much larger than the other eggs and will contain 2 yolks.

Pullet egg on top and double yolk egg on bottom.

In young hens, the odds of producing a double-yolk egg are one in 1,000.  In the Wiccan belief system, a double yolk is a herald of good fortune for whoever cracks the egg.  Bring on the double yolks!  Double yolkers are also symbols of death and fertility (twins)...no thank you.  I like the idea of having good luck!

What is that in my egg?

Sometimes you will crack open an egg and see a small spot of blood.  Blood spots, also called meat spots, are the result of the rupturing of tiny blood vessels in the hen’s ovaries or oviduct. This area is full of tiny blood vessels and occasionally one will rupture during the egg making process. Eggs with blood spots are fit to eat. You can remove the spot with a utensil (or just scramble it up and eat).

One last note, Henry wanted me to make sure that you know that the duck egg shells are thick and can actually be challenging to crack.  The thicker shell increases the shelf life of the egg.  Getting that egg cracked is worth it because duck eggs are so great to bake with!  Here is a great article on Everything You Need to Know About Duck Eggs.

Have an eggcellent week and stay safe!
~Denise