Frequently Asked Questions

Visit the Find Us page for an up to date list of locations and markets where we sell our eggs.

This depends heavily on the local market. Feel free to contact us and ask about a specific market, or better yet, come by and ask! 😉

Lot’s of things! Being pasture raised, they have access to several different types of plants, grass and weeds. They eat all the bugs they can catch, and all the worms and grubs they can dig up.

Additionally, we plant seasonal gardens for the chickens (yes, gardens just for the chickens) consisting of sunflowers, melons, gourds (cucumbers) and other vegetables. We also rotate seasonal pasture areas planted with sorghum, buckwheat, ryegrass, and other forage blends, which the chickens absolutely LOVE.

When chickens have full-time access to large amounts of outdoor space, this is what the term pasture raised, or pastured chickens, means. Minimum amounts of square footage, or the type of environment, can vary greatly from farm to farm that use this term. In our case, it means our birds have access to about 40 acres of grassy pasture from the time the sun comes up until it goes down. Although they only utilize just over 2-4 acres, this still amounts to at least 750 square feet of pasture, per chicken, with plenty of shade, fresh water and food available to them. Each night, after all the chickens are roosting inside the barn, the automatic doors close, keeping them safe from nighttime predators. Then early in the morning, at first light, they open again, letting everyone out.

No, they are not “grain fed” chickens, where grain is the sole source of their nutrition. Various types of grain are included in their diet, but it’s not the only thing they eat.

We’re not a farm where eggs are mass-produced. Nor do we only have one breed of “production” hen. Because we have many varieties of chickens (different breeds) and different hens at various ages, many of our eggs produced are different sizes, shapes and colors! However, because all our chickens have essentially the same diet, no matter what size, shape or color egg you end up with, they will all taste the same – delicious!

Okay, I know I said all the eggs should taste the same, because all the chickens have the same diet,- but sometimes people will say that a certain color egg tastes better. Upon request, we can prepare a carton of eggs for you with the color egg you prefer, assuming there are enough of that color to make a dozen. Personally, they all taste the same to me 🙂

Usually, no. But when we do, it’s not to “sterilize the egg”, just to rinse visible debris from the shell.
The large majority of the eggs produced do not have any visible dirt or debris, or if it does, it can easily be wiped off. Eggs that require cleaning are washed using only warm water, and a clean rag. We do not use bleach or other harsh chemicals. Because of this, we recommend that you keep your eggs refrigerated, and to use safe handling practices. (don’t eat our eggs raw, and when cooking with eggs, treat them the same way you would raw chicken)

Yes. Not only is it a requirement of the Texas Department of State Health Services, but also because we do wash our eggs. Eggs are laid with a thin protective coating called the bloom, or cuticle. This seals the porous eggshell, helping prevent bacteria from getting inside the egg. When eggs are washed, this protective membrane is compromised or removed. To stop bacteria that may be in or on the egg, from growing, eggs are placed in the refrigerator.

Our egg cartons are proudly made in the USA from locally procured recycled papers and 100% reclaimed fibers.

We cannot reuse cartons, or sell our eggs in cartons that aren’t printed with our name/address on the carton. This is a requirement of the Texas Department of State Health Services.

However, we will gladly take any used cartons you may have, and recycle them for you or reuse them in other ways. (compost, meal worm farm, etc.)

Kept in the refrigerator, they should last 30 days, at least. Many people will say longer, but to be safe, we say 30 days.

On very rare occasions, we will. We have no set price on laying hens (roosters are free), but usually we sell surplus, older, or broody hens to any loving home willing to take them in as pets or additions to their existing flock.

Yes! Honey, pecans, and occasionally pickles, pickled eggs, salsa and other items. Most sold at our Roadside Market Stand.

The large majority of our chicks come from McMurray Hatchery. The most abundant breed we have are Red Stars. These are our star layers that produce the big, beautiful brown egg. We also have Light Brahmas, Buff Orpingtons, Buff Cochins, Black Minorcas, Ameraucanas and a handful of other breeds.

Yes. We do not sell eggs from other producers. If you buy eggs from us, you’re getting eggs produced from our own flock.

In the state of Texas, we can sell eggs, unlicensed, directly to the consumer, or to someone that is licensed. Because we’re unlicensed, we cannot sell eggs by size (large, medium, small) or as graded (A, AA, etc). However, if you were to take a dozen of our “bigger” eggs, place it on a scale, it would weigh more than what a dozen large eggs purchased from the supermarket would weigh.

Even though we have about 40 acres available to the chickens, they only utilize about 2 to 2.5 acres, which comes out to about 750 square feet, per chicken.

Yes. What most people don’t realize is that hormones are not given to egg laying hens, so saying our eggs, or anyone’s eggs are hormone-free is redundant.

Yes. We never give our chickens antibiotics, laying or not.

This question really threw me for a loop! But what the person meant was since we don’t give our chickens antibiotics, and if they get sick – essentially we’re just letting them die! Well, not entirely true. Pasture raised chickens are healthier to begin with, so illnesses are few and far between. When a chicken gets sick or injured, we do treat them, just not with antibiotics or other medications.

We’ve been fortunate to have very few issues with predators, but I attribute that to having various forms of deterrents. Dogs are our primary defense. They do a fantastic job chasing away animals that they don’t think belong. We also have predator lights all over the property (little red blinking lights that deter small predators), security cameras, motion sensing lights, and automatic doors that close the chickens inside after they’ve gone to roost for the night.

We do not offer tours of our farm. It’s very small, and I doubt it would be worth the trip, unless you lived close by. Aside from that, there is a real biosecurity issue that we must consider. You’re more than welcome to follow us on Facebook where we post updates, photos and videos of things going on at our little farm!

Absolutely! Follow us on Facebook! We post regular updates, photos and videos there, showing what’s going on at our farm!