Chickens and Eggs

After I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, I felt that I should start raising my own hens to have fresh eggs every day.  Yes, you can raise chickens in Wellesley, as long as you follow the regulations of the Health Department. 

Although so far I have not taken up the challenge of raising chickens myself, in the process of exploring the option I have learned some interesting facts about eggs.

It doesn't matter what the color of the shell is - there is no difference in nutrition or quality.

All eggs are examined, cleaned and graded for sale - either AA, A or B.  AA eggs are relatively compact when cracked open and have firm whites and tall yolks.  B eggs spread out more, their whites are thinner and their yolks sink.  Grades are mostly a function of freshness. 

Here's how you can tell if your eggs are fresh:

Most cartons of eggs have a "sell by" date stamped on them.  In addition, there is another date on the carton called the Julian date, which is the date of the harvest.  Each Julian date represents a day of the year beginning January 1 (001) through December 31 (365). If you want to buy the freshest eggs possible, check the Julian dates on the cartons.  You may be surprised to see the range of dates on eggs available at the supermarket.

This Sunday, November 6th at 2 PM, at the Main Library, Wellesley resident Amie Smith will discuss breeds, equipment, food, raising baby chicks, winter care-taking, coops and more for beginning chicken owners and curious observers.  I’ll see you there!

Janice Coduri, Library Director