Putting all my eggs in one basket

Just because they are pretty.

We've had our city chickens for three years now! Occasionally they all lay on the same day. I considered it a birthday gift. We don't eat a large amount of eggs, but I haven't purchased eggs for about 2 years now. I love how the eggs are as unique as our hens, which are all different breeds. I know exactly who layed which egg, and who may be trying to hide her nest somewhere tricky. My favorite layer of them all is Juliet, a red star or red comet. Her egg is the big brown one and she lays almost every day. She is also very calm and quiet. I would definitely recommend her breed for a backyard flock.

Nearly everyone is aware of the relationship between healthy hens and healthy eggs, but misconceptions are still prevalent, especially among people who have never actually seen a chicken lay an egg. Or as I like to call them, city-slickers. Brown eggs are not any healthier than white eggs, that's just the color of the shell and certain breeds will lay certain colors. A hen cannot change the color of her eggshells, and the color of the chicken's feathers or earlobes is not a good indicator of the eggshell color. Just ask my black-feathered chicken with the dark blue skin who lays bright white eggs. Chickens are not vegetarians, and a vegetarian-fed chicken should not be assumed to be healthier than any other, except they may be avoiding yucky animal by-products in their feed. Hens do not need the presence of a rooster to lay eggs, and they are wonderful at putting themselves to bed at night. In my opinion and experience, chickens are much easier to care for than dogs and still make fun pets.

Do you have any city-slicker chicken questions?

This post is part of Food Renegade's Fight Back Fridays.