Price of eggs

And I just want to say, I am not an egg snob. Or an organic snob. I'm extremely fortunate to be able to have my own chickens, and I wish everyone had the same opportunity. But grocery stores exist for a reason!

I don't buy organic, ever. Not because I don't think it's a good idea, but because I know it's pretty useless. You can't raise organic food and make a profit, so producers do what they must do to meet governmental guidelines, and that's it. So I personally am not paying more for food that is only marginally better (maybe) than the regular produced food. But if YOU wish to do that, that's you're right.

Alot of the difference between store/home raised eggs in taste/color is a simple matter of freshness. Those bright orange yokes and heavier eggs are because the egg hasn't undergone the evaporation that an egg that's sat in a cooler on a barge somewhere for a month, has. Egg shells are porous. And mass production thoroughly cleans each egg, thus stripping it of its natural microbial barrier (the bloom) that keeps the good stuff in and the bad stuff out. I don't chemically treat my eggs. I keep my coop and nests clean, and the occasional poopy egg (literally one or two a week from a clueless hen that forgot to wipe her feet before coming to work ) goes to a dog or cat. I rinse each egg with hot water before using it, and with antibacterial soap if I intend to eat it raw.

And again, when I said "free eggs", I was being glib Like I said before, I pay more than any of you pay for your storebought eggs for mine... maybe... I've worked out all costs, from coop to electric, and sans labor, I pay roughly 10c per egg. This decreases every day that I have my chickens, as startup costs are gradually absorbed. But it ain't about money. It's the enjoyment I get from animal husbandry. They make me laugh evey single day