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Friday, February 1, 2013

The Truth about Chickens



Answers 
for an earlier post







Are brown eggs more nutritious,  No, but it does matter what they eat.  When you give them a lot of greens, the egg yolk will be darker and taste less sulphur like.
do they contain less cholesterol,  Maybe. It is argued that Araucana chicken eggs contain less cholesterol. 
do you think that a hen house needs a rooster, No, not for egg production.
do you know the body temperature of a chicken,  Chicken body temperature normally runs about 102 degrees Fahrenheit.  A chicken heart beats 280-315 beats per minute.
which breed of chickens lay the most eggs,  Leghorns, the world record (1979) was set by a white Leghorn who laid 371 eggs in 364 days. In 1925 chickens laid an average of 100 eggs in a year. 
which breed of chickens lay blue eggs, The Ameraucana and Araucana, from South America. They are beautiful but most roosters are mean.
why are grocery store eggs white, Because Leghorn chickens, who lay white eggs, are the most prolific layers.
what is a pullet egg, It's the first group of eggs laid by a young chicken.  Bakers prefer to use these eggs because they are very fresh.  Large eggs are stored for months before they are delivered to the grocery store. Pullet eggs are not stored.
what is a capon, A young, male chicken that has been neutered, a relatively simple procedure because a chicken is easily hypnotized and their high body temperature prevents them from getting infections.  A caponized chicken grows to be very large and fat. 


how many eggs does a chicken lay in a year, Around 250, but depends on the breed.  Their most prolific laying time is in early Spring.  The time when chickens are thinking about hiding their eggs and sitting on their clutch of eggs.

And most importantly, do they taste better? Every egg tastes different.  Free Range chicken eggs are different from commercial eggs.  Commercially raised chickens are fed a prepared meal and sometimes marigold flower petals are added to make the egg yolk darker.  You are what you eat.  Right?



Have a wonderful weekend my dear
Blogging Friends.

And treat yourself to a big ole breakfast with steak and eggs and hash browns and home made biscuits with fresh butter and dollops of
home made preserves. 

Gina 




16 comments:

  1. Your chickens are fantastically photogenic, Gina!
    Your post brings back fond childhood memories of helping my grandmother collect eggs from under her chickens and being terrified of the sharp pecks!

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  2. Dear Karen, They do peck hard when you take eggs from under them. We always wait until evening when they are on their roost. Of course, when you have to have the extra egg for your cake you have to resort to more convincing tactics. I'm so happy that you have such lovely memories. ox, Gina

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  3. Dear Gina,
    Thank you for all the chicken facts! However, there is one problem: I've got a powerful craving for that big ole breakfast--- I don't think I'll be able to hold out til tomorrow morning--perhaps breakfast for dinner???!!!
    Warm regards,
    Erika

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    Replies
    1. Dear Erika, Cravings must be taken care of. We have breakfast at dinner time once in a while. There is nothing wrong with that. Especially for Mr G who was raised on a chicken farm and eggs were, at times, most plentyfull.

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  5. Hi, Gina - (I erred in my last comment).

    Very interesting facts. I noticed in a newspaper article just this week that doctors now say that an egg per day is healthy, and that's good news for me! I love them, but have to admit that I haven't yet acquired the expertise to distinguish between the eggs of hens raised differently.

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    1. Dear Mark, Eggs do taste differently. Even our eggs from the same chickens look and taste different in the winter. In the summer they get more greens...it changes the color and taste of the yolks. Some nutritiounists insist that eggs are the perfect food...the egg white cancels out the cholesterol of the egg yolk, or so they say.

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  6. So very interesting Gina.
    I have learnt more about chickens today.
    I love a fresh boiled egg..with toast and a cup of tea.
    happy weekend.
    xxxx

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    1. Dear Val, I like your breakfast menu. A timely reminder for me to drink more tea. Do you dunk your toast into the egg yolk as some of our English friends are apt to do?

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  7. Gina, you are very kind to post this egg/chicken update.

    I am looking forward to breakfast tomorrow...ham, eggs and toast. Coffee and orange juice on the side.

    I may dream of hens tonight! xo

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    1. Dear Frances, Another great breakfast suggestion, especially for weekends when we can be lazy and take a little more time with breakfast. Have a great weekend.

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  8. Very informative post and lovely montage of photos ~ ^_^

    Carol of (A Creative Harbor) ^_^ on Blogger visiting from Rurality

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  9. Love the eggs my girls lay. I only have 2 so when I had to buy from the store this winter I hated eating them.

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  10. I miss having my hens...I hope to get them again soon, love the collage.

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  11. Interesting egg/chicken facts... we always had a huge coop full as a kid... and I love eggs! Thank you for joining in 'Rurality Blog Hop #1' Hope to see you next Wednesday for #2...

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