EGGS!

In January and February eggs are sure a high point here in the North Country! So far, up until today, I got more frozen eggs than not. BUT, today made a difference. We're above freezing for the 2nd day so that helps tremendously. If I'm not out there to get them soon after laying, I get this:

And another angle of the same 2 frozen eggs:

Frozen solid! The dogs and cats love them though and they get a few.

On the warmer days and the end of last week I was gifted with these:

I managed to find these BEFORE they froze. The egg on the right is a thinner shelled egg than I like to find. I'm out of oyster shell and the feed store hasn't been able to get me any. :( So I need to make a trip to the big feed mill a couple towns away or to TSC. I'm going to need grit and a few other things too. I hate losing eggs to weak shells. I do crush my shells up really well and I mix them into some table scraps and feed them back but they need the oyster shell too.

The end of last week I got these:

I found a new nest and these were the only good eggs. There were several frozen. Bah humbug! But at least I know the girls are doing THEIR job!

I had managed to collect a full dozen so made pancakes. I like extra eggs in my pancakes. They add extra protein and make them a pretty yellowish shade. As soon as I had made the pancakes I was back to no or only 1 egg a day. So, what are they up too? We had a snow storm but that only means it was snowy outside of the barn. Shouldn't that give them more time to hunker down IN the barn where it's dry and warmer and just lay some extra eggs?

Then today when I was getting 2 eggs from a nest I can hardly get too, I hear another hen off to the right. Ah ha! There just be a nest over there. Of course that is hubby's "junk" corner in the barn and I only got a quick glimpse of the hen coming out in a big hurry. FINALLY, peaking between some wood standing on end and JUNK, I spy a nest.... WAY out of my reach. So I had to move and move and move things. Then I got my grill tongs I keep in the barn and managed to pull out these beauties, 2 of which were not from the well-hidden, near to impossible-to-get-to nest:

For egg laying being the hens' job, I sure do have to work hard to bring a few eggs to the house! I can easily say I'm all ready for Easter! I've been practicing egg hunting for 3 weeks now and have successfully managed to put close to 3 dozen in the refrigeration.

I'm also having the urge to set a few aside to put in the incubator! With wood heat and it still being Winter, it's a few weeks too early. So I better get some oyster shell in these girls and get the shell quality such they can be incubated!

And for now, I'm off to find my Easter banner to see how many days until then so I'll know how many more days of practicing the Easter egg hunt I have to go!