Handling of Eggs

I came across this from one of my bookmarked sites.... Proper Egg Handling.

It will be of help to those of you who have flocks and want to go into egg production.

Look Ma, No Housing

The housing for these layers that bring your fresh golden eggs on the table, had been blown away. We had moved other grow out batches in new ranges, to let areas rest and revive itself. These layers were left as they are a playful lot and harder to transfer as it will stress them.

But then, what you procrastinate on, God makes sure is done. Washed away and now letting the Sun do its disinfecting and revival on the ground.

There is a more interesting video taken (taking time to upload). That of the sounds that layers make. You know you got egg laying hens when you hear that. It is music to my ears....putak putaaaaaaaaakkkkkkkkkkkk putaaakkkk :)

Healthward

Started the day to go to the farm. After a storm, you go out to assess situation. The morning got me several photos to post and discuss for other topics.

Great exercise and brought home some goodies of Dayap and other fruits.

Rare that we get to eat a a big breakfast, but today will be different. We bought hot pandesal. Opened a can of corned beef, and Doc Rey made an omelet.

While all that was in the stove top...I cracked my appetizer. Wowwwwwwwwwwwwwww I miss my homemade leche flans! They always thought I add some color to my flans to get that deep deep orange color. Fresh photographs best.


"Oh, Yes....I take it raw"

Starshine

I go where the universe takes me. I always say that and when in doubt, when my initial vibes don't work, I throw the decision up and let the universe take it :)

That was how I got to the name Starshine for our layers. No intention whatsoever to name it at this stage. Just before I first blogged about Starshine...Zac Sarian mentioned "moonshine" in relation to something that skips my mind now.

Next thing I knew, I was blogging about our golden egg layers and voila...I typed the name Starshine. Very me...even the spur of the moment name went with the universe :)

So that's it. Our line of grass fed layers...Starshine.

I like the name. Catchy, cousin to Sunshine, nicknamed Star...and it shines!

Certified F1 Free Range Golden Brown Egg Layers

Certified Parent Stocks that will be producing our Starshine Golden Egg Layers have arrived. This is not our regular F1 dual purpose Sunshines. Our Starshine layers is a new line :)

Coming in March 2010. We are excited about it ourselves as the golden brown egg market is snowballing.

Hide And Seek

We pick our eggs off the range, literally. Our Sunshine grass fed layers produce the table eggs we sell to you. They are left free to roam, eating living grasses and herbs, fresh fruits on and off the tree and insects that they enjoy to run after.

There are no layer baskets where they lay their eggs. They choose their spot and DO it there :)

Yesterday, as Doc Rey was walking around to check on the farm...he calls me with a loud whisper and motions..more like convulsionly waving that I go to him...NOW

See what he has for me, as he steps on a patch of grass...

After a minute or so, the Sunshine stands and walks gracefully away...leaving the freshest, warm, brown egg!

Actually, that is our major problem. The egg picker walks through the range and goes on an "egg hunt" daily. That way, he doesn't really know where and when they lay. It is a presumption that he gets to see the day's harvest.

Truth is, we can't tell. We can't tell if we got all the day's lay. The rains are a major too. The range can get muddy and hides an egg or two from our eyes.

Oh why am I saying it is our major problem? At the end, the problem is the asset! We are able to honestly say and look at your eyes when we say we have eggs from grass fed, free ranging layers.

The occasional rotten egg is replaced and our regular customers understand and believe in our crude and basic way of raising our layers. That's the way we and they want it.

So it remains that we do our "egg hunts" daily and go hide and seek....it is easier to spot hatching eggs on Facebook :)

Meat And Eggs

Someone was inquiring today about getting all females for table egg production.

We may but we hardly do it. Takes effort, time and hard to say for sure. Best efforts are sometimes acceptable on day1, but as the booboo gets obvious, the customer forgets the agreement on best efforts :)

If you want 200 layers, I suggest get 400 day old chicks, which we box at random, straight run.

Today is perfect time. Why? You get to harvest the males in time for the graduations and fiestas. Then by September, you start having your eggs.

Think about the timing.

Salad Dressings

Now thinking about the healthy food bar that EDSA Garden House is opening, the everything PHP35...I remember the salad bowl she had. Fresh, healthy veggies and we were discussing different salad dressings. I gave her an input for fruit based ones.

Today I thought about making Chicken Sandwich and hey, why not make mayo from scratch, using eggs from our grass fed hens?????

That will be a great sandwhich and salad base. Use our Sunshine eggs to make healthy and delicious dressings.