We feel it’s safe to assume that most people know at least a few facts about chickens: they cluck, female hens lay eggs, males are called roosters...the list can go on. At Farmer Boy Eggs, you can bet that we know a lot about chickens. In order to keep our hens healthy and happy, we have to be up to date on what keeps them that way! As a bonus, better treatment leads to better tasting eggs. 

In honor of our chickens, we decided to share with you all some facts that we’ve learned about chickens and eggs since proudly operating our local Montana farm.

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Chickens Can Lay Different Colored Eggs

Chances are high that you have seen white, brown, and speckled eggs sold in stores, but did you know some type of chickens can lay blue or green eggs? Laid by Araucana, Ameraucana, and Easter Egger hens, these eggs vary in color from a light shade of blue-green to vibrant sky blue. While the color of the eggshell does not affect the nutritional value of the egg, the diet of the hen can affect the color of the yolk.

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Chickens Need a “Lighting Cue” to Lay Eggs

The lighting of the chicken’s environment affects the laying of eggs. Hens need some kind of lighting cue, which can be from either natural or artificial light, to kick start the process. Near their eyes, chickens have a photo-receptive gland that once stimulated, it will trigger the process of releasing an egg from the chicken’s ovary. The length of time that the hens are exposed to light can actually affect the size of the egg lain too. By using artificial light to simulate a longer day, farmers have seen hens lay larger and stronger eggs simply by providing hens access to at least 12 hours of light.

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One Hen Can Produce Between 250 and 300 Eggs Per Year

A hen will produce at most one egg a day. Sometimes, even in perfect conditions, a hen won’t lay an egg. After factoring in those days that a hen doesn’t lay, a healthy hen can still lay up to an impressive 300 eggs a year.

Not Sure if Those Eggs in Your Fridge are Still Good?

You can check the freshness of an egg simply by dropping it in water. Get a bowl that will hold enough water for an egg to be submerged under. Test by dropping the egg into the water. A fresh egg will sink, but a stale one will float. Repeat until you’ve checked all the eggs.

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Eggs are Sold in Several Grades That Describe the “Quality” of the Egg

You’ve seen it before on egg cartons in the grocery store. Standing out among all the text in bold is the “grade” of the eggs: AA, A, or B. But what does the grade mean? To start, there is no difference in perceived taste or nutritional value between grades. The term “quality” in this case refers to the external and internal shape, uniformity, weight, and aesthetics of the eggs. At Farmer Boy Eggs, we inspect each egg for imperfections, shape, and uniformity before passing along to be sorted by weight. 

Brief descriptions of the grades include:

  • Grade AA: Eggs whites are thick and firm, yolks are free from defects, unbroken shells

  • Grade A: Same as Grade AA, but egg whites are considered “reasonably firm”

  • Grade B: May be misshapen or have stains, rough areas, and thin spots