Quail and Hound is often asked how we manage egg production throughout the year. Our regular customers are always concerned that they will not be able to purchase our farm fresh eggs during the winter months. No worries... we usually have plenty of eggs for our regulars.
Quail and Hound has about 80-100 chickens at any given time; about 90% are hens. We specifically raise hens that are strong layers, and they will lay between 1 and 2 eggs per day depending on the hours of sunlight per day. So during summer months, we always have tons of eggs!
Egg production does naturally drop off quite a bit as our winter "days" get shorter. Some farms will add lights inside the coop to increase egg production, but this stresses out the young hens. At Quail and Hound, we choose to let our hens lay naturally and be happy, so we do not add any kind of artificial lights. So yes, we have less eggs, but we always have eggs.
During the extremes of winter and summer, we have to pick up eggs multiple times per day. Eggs can either get too hot or too cold, and those temperature changes can "ruin" the eggs including tiny cracks in the shells. If you ever end up with a wonky egg, the changes in temperature could be the culprit; just let us know, and we'll happily replace the eggs.
Earlier this year we added a small refrigerator to our front porch to regulate the temperature of washed, prepared packages of eggs. Our regulars usually drop in, take what they need from the fridge, and pay. If you're making a drive out here, order online the day before, and we'll prep your order for easy pickup. We love taking care of our girls, and we love providing our community with a superior product. If you haven't done so yet, check out our farm fresh, cage-free, omega fortified eggs!
