In Missouri, I had 8 hens and 2 of those were poor layers, but they did lay beautiful blue and green eggs when they bothered to lay! I consistently got 6 eggs per day from those red hens I loved and every now and then a blue or green egg to add to the 6. Everyone I knew saved their egg cartons for me and I always had a stack of them in the garage.
Here, I have 13 red chickens and consistently get 13 eggs per day from them, even though Miss Hattie has other things on her mind! 🙂 I get 2 eggs most days from my 3 black hens and 1 little egg per day from my 2 bantams. Most days, I get 16 eggs. That’s a whole lot of eggs. I hardly know anyone here and I get a few egg cartons but I get so many eggs, I need lots of cartons. It’s funny because some days when I go to get the mail, there are empty egg cartons in my mail box. I never know for sure where they come from.
I got tired of scrounging egg cartons and asking everyone for their empty cartons so I ordered some.
How many cartons do you think that is? 200
When Vince saw them, he looked at me in total disbelief. I don’t know if he realizes how many eggs I get each day. 200 egg cartons will hold 2400 eggs and that’s about a six month supply of cartons. I do believe he thought I bought about a 10 year supply of cartons!
Mary Ann Parker says
So now you need more chickens! They will eat more grasshoppers and fill up your egg cartons – so what do you do with all those eggs? Mary Ann
Kim Paventy says
So what do you and Vince do with so many eggs for 2 people? I would love to have chickens but I’m down to 1 kid and a husband.
Bonnie says
Same question others have asked – what do you do with all the eggs? How long do they last?
Karin says
you must eat eggs every day! I think I’d have to dehydrate some to save for when they aren’t laying 🙂
JudyL says
Not sure why I’d go to the trouble to have chickens so I can have fresh eggs and then dehydrate the eggs. Gross! 🙁
We sell the eggs we don’t need.
Krista says
I think everyone has the same question. Do (can) you actually keep 6 months worth of eggs without them spoiling? I’m glad your hens are doing their job 🙂
carolyn says
How cool is that. I have actually thought about getting some chickens bc I eat so many eggs and they have been getting SO expensive.
Susan says
That’s a lot of eggs. Is there a way to preserve them? I imagine they can be put in a jar and frozen, the inner part of the egg, not the shells, but otherwise, how does one preserve eggs, other than pickling? I can’t imagine dehydrating them. Sounds very messy! Egg leather? LOL
Chris Miller at the Resort says
Yup, ditto to all of the above. (I sense another Judy blog post coming up!)
tammy k. says
i’m asking the same thing – what do you do with all the eggs and is there a way to keep them? can you freeze them in ice cube trays for baking? or do you give them all away? or sell them? i buy farm eggs from a farmer and they sell them for $1.50/dozen or $1.25 if you bring a carton back. you can bet i always bring back my cartons!
JudyL says
I sell them. I’ve heard you can freeze them but I don’t need to try to preserve them because I have a pretty much endless supply.
Patti Tappel says
Wish I was close by to get some fresh eggs!
I saw egg cartons at Tractor supply . . gt this they wanted 99cents for ONE egg carton! Crap I can almost buy eggs for that at Aldi’s!
Have an Eggtastic day!
Debbie says
My goodness! How long do those fresh eggs last? That is a serious question. I actually have no idea.
JudyL says
Do a bit of research and you’ll find all kinds of answers. I rarely have eggs here that are older than 2 days. I use what I want and sell the rest.
lynne quinsland says
@patti, but if you only needed a few cartons, not 200, and you dont want to buy store bought eggs for their cartons coz you like your own few eggs from your own hens, then 99 cents is a good deal…..
and, yes judy, what the heck do you do with all those eggs? iu do hear that unrefridgerated eggs will last a long time. once you refridgerate them, they dont last as long….perhaps an urban legend but take it for what it’s worth.
then, there is always the float test to see if the egg is still good. take a deepish bowl of cold water and set the egg in it. if it floats, toss it. stays sunk-a good egg…..
lynne quinsland says
and, to clarify, once they have been refrigerated, they have to stay refrigerated….but until then, they last longer out–not forever of course, but a long time.
JudyL says
This is not what’s recommended. I believe the number they’re saying is 68 degrees . . keep them below 68 degrees so refrigerated is best.
Doris - The Quilting Queen says
I will gladly buy eggs from you on a regular basis and I didn’t know you needed egg cartons. I’ve been throwing them away! Sorry!
Barb Colvin says
Tell Vince there are lots of other uses for egg cartons. Sorting nuts and bolts, sorting beads, paint palettes, starting seeds, etc.
Suzanne in UT says
I save my cartons for the lady I purchase my eggs from. Some of the cartons are from months ago from a local store….out of date dates.
Linda Smith says
I paid $5.68 at HEB today for a dozen eggs that claim to be the same as farm eggs. That’s the most I have ever paid for eggs! Why was I so tempted that I bought them??? It was because of Judy’s wonderful chicken stories and thoughts of those delicious eggs that taste like eggs did years ago. I’m trying them for breakfast tomorrow, but I doubt that they will be as good as real farm fresh eggs.
HelenP says
$5.68/dozen for eggs at HEB,,, where is this HEB so I do not go there. Mercy
Judy, I would love to be close enough to buy eggs from you and visit and quilt with you and learn all that good stuff about quilting that you know.. but just can’t do it.. Have a great evening,, and I really enjoy your posts
Donna in KS says
I was getting all ready to package up the cartons in the utility room to send to you tomorrow…..till I got to the part about your ordering so many! I certainly wish it were easier to get my empties to you and buy a few dozen to bring back home! I have no idea why my husband has been stacking the empty cartons. I am glad that you have found a market for your eggs.
Angie says
Occasionally I buy fresh eggs from this lady who has an egg stand by the side of road and entrance gate to her home which is set way back from the road. She has an honor system. The eggs are in cartons in a cooler. There is locked metal money box on one of the gate support. Eggs are $3.00 a dozen. Take a dozen, put your money in the box. She has a huge colorful umbrella near the egg cooler. If there are eggs for sale. The umbrella is open….no eggs the umbrella is closed. I love the whole idea, and thought I would share it with you Judy—I imagine you and Vince are selling your eggs at Vince’s work place. I wish I lived where I could buy your eggs!
Katie says
I’m not sure what your community offers in the way of recycling, but whenever I go to our local recycling site, there are hundreds, maybe thousands, of egg cartons there. And I know that recycling there doesn’t always mean it goes to a site where it’s crunched up and whatever done with it – there are a lot of people picking up as well as dropping off. If you have a local site, go check it out. Of course, this piece of advice comes AFTER you’ve ordere and recieved your spanking new cartons…sorry!
Bon says
Today I was passing the farm of some friends of mine who have a few chickens and decided I’d stop and get a few eggs if they had any. He had just gathered them and they were still warm from the chickens. He had 8 so I got them for $2. They usually sell them for $3/doz. I can’t wait to have a couple for breakfast tomorrow. They are the brown ones.