Where my eggs at?

Since we've moved to our new house, we've gotten around 4 eggs from our chickens. That's 4 eggs in the last six weeks. I wasn't too concerned because it is winter and hens tend to stop laying in the winter. I've been reluctantly buying normal eggs from the store to satisfy our egg needs.

Our 5 hens have been wandering aimlessly around our property, taking care of all the bugs and weeds. When we first started watering all the fruit trees, a bunch of grass started popping up around the trunks. Those chickens took care of it in no time. They gobbled up the grass, pooped all around the trees and then scratched all dirt around them and worked the "fertilizer" right into the soil. It's the greatest thing ever to let the chickens take care of weed control.

So yesterday, Craig was working out in the yard and discovered 2 eggs under some roof tins by the barn. I knew they were laying somewhere in the yard, that was not in their nesting boxes! We took them inside and I was silently praying they were not rotten. Who knows how long they had been sitting out there. Fortunately, it's been pretty cold, and the eggs have a nice, protective coating on them when the chickens lay them, to help them last longer. So I took those eggs inside, washed them off and stuck them in the fridge.

Sunday mornings are waffle mornings for us. We make a bunch of waffles and feast. As I was making the batter, I went to get 2 eggs and saw the ones we found yesterday. I thought it would be a good idea to use them. I'm not going to lie. My hands were shaking as I went to crack them. In my head I was thinking, "Please don't erupt in an explosion of rottenness!" To my delight and surprise, they were the best looking eggs I've seen in a while. The yolks were dark orange and thick and the whites were super thick too. When I beat them, they were so thick. I was in heaven and was thinking that these were going to be the best waffles ever! And they were.

It was a total bonus for us. Not only are the chickens acting as our pest and weed control, they are laying superior eggs because of it. Healthy chickens lay healthy eggs. They look way better than the ones they even laid at our old house. Needless to say, I am loving life here at the new homestead. I can't wait to set loose our new batch of chicks in the yard and let them have at it!