A heritage chicken lays an egg and Jed Greenberg gathers it, but he never washes it. By not washing Jed maintains the bloom on the egg, a liquid that develops when the egg is laid. The bloom dries in seconds, but it covers the entire shell thus protecting the chick from bacteria. Washing, Jed says, lowers fertility and drives dirt into the egg which contaminates the inside. Unwashed eggs can be kept in a 60-70 degree room for 7-10 days, after which fertility drops. Jed stores his eggs in plastic egg crates with the bulbous end up.
March and April and May are when Thanksgiving starts if you are a turkey farmer. Even with all the scientific advancements made by humankind, there is still only one way to produce a turkey poult for Thanksgiving and that is through a hen laying an egg. Once the egg comes out, we have learned how to replicate what the mother would do in nature, but the beginning of the cycle has always been the same. Follow along with us, step-by-step, as we explore this fascinating process!
Good Shepherd Conservancy President Frank Reese and Jed Greenberg will be leading a virtual workshop at the REGENERATE Conference on Monday, October 25th from 11:00 am - 12:30 pm. The workshop will teach participants about how modern industrial poultry hybrids were created, the dramatic impact they have on today’s poultry industry, and introduce Standardbred heritage poultry production as an alternative to that system.
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