At least one of our eleven pullets (raised from 1 day old chicks) has been spending time in one of our nine nesting boxes. With a couple of exceptions, I cannot tell our chickens apart making it hard to say exactly which hen or hens laid the eggs.
The pullets are 16.5 weeks old today and we weren't expecting the first egg for a couple of weeks yet (we were told by week 19 we could expect our first pullet egg).
That said, I was pleasantly surprised this morning when I found two eggs in the nesting box. A chicken's first eggs are referred to as pullet eggs and they are smaller than normal.
A quick internet search this morning provided me with more detailed information about pullet eggs. Apparently, I can expect to get pullet eggs for the next 4 weeks or so at which point they will begin to approach a regular sized egg. Also - because of their small size, the ratio between yolk and white is greater making the egg more flavorful. Pullet eggs (also referred to as "farmer's eggs") are supposedly coveted by chefs due to their creamy taste when cooked... I suppose we'll find out...
I told Ed, with the 1.5 dozen "store bought eggs" that I still have in the refrigerator and with our chickens now beginning to lay, I shouldn't have to buy eggs again (at least for the foreseeable future).
Factoring in the cost of the baby chicks (about $3 each) and the cost of their feed and bedding (and the cost of creating our infrastructure), the eggs will be relatively expensive eggs; however, given their diet (which is highly subsidized with greens, squash, etc.), they should be healthier than "factory" eggs.
Also, we should be able to get to the point of sustainability in terms of not needing to buy baby chicks in the future if we have at least one rooster and if we allow a broody hen to hatch out her chicks. At this point at least, the joy that the chickens have provided and continue to provide makes it all worthwhile. Having bounty to share is yet another benefit.
One last item of note as it relates to "homegrown" chicken eggs is that if you leave the bloom on the egg (i.e., if you do not wash the egg), they can sit on your counter without refrigeration for about two weeks or so (possibly longer I'm told by the homesteading YouTube channels I watch).
Because this is the first year of our chicken's lives, they will lay over the winter (not true of older hens). The "breed" of chickens we got are referred to as "brown egg layers" and were sold as averaging almost an egg a day per female bird. Because I have eleven birds (not sure yet who's male and who's female; the hatchery said to expect 90% hens and 10% roosters), that's going to give us a lot of eggs our first year here. I look forward to gifting the excess to family, friends, and neighbors!
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