Hen eggs

From the outside in, an egg is a shell, two thin membranes, the white (albumen), and the yolk. Twisted strands called chalazae hold the yolk near the center. The shell is mostly calcium, which is why a laying hen needs a ration that puts calcium back.

Shell color is paint, not quality. A Lohmann Brown hen lays a brown egg because that is what she was bred to do. A white-egg breed lays a white egg. Brown, cream, and pale green shells can all be excellent. The tint does not tell you the nutrition.

Yolk color is different. Greens, maize, and similar plants leave yellow and orange pigments in the yolk. A deep yolk usually means the hen ate those foods. It does not mean the egg came from a different kind of bird.

After a yolk is released, the hen builds the white and then the shell. The whole trip takes about a day, often 24 to 26 hours, so a good layer in her first year lays on most days. Many hens lay in the morning.

She needs clean water, enough daylight, and feed made for layers. Without calcium the shell goes thin. Without water, laying stalls. A pullet — a young hen — usually lays her first egg around 19 to 21 weeks. The eggs start smaller and settle to a steady size.

Broilers are not part of this story. A broiler is grown for meat and is not kept to fill the basket. Eggs on this farm come from layer hens.

A fresh egg has a yolk that stands up and a white that stays close to it instead of running thin across the pan. We collect by hand and pack dozens while they are still fresh.

Keep eggs cool, and use the older tray first. Wash a dirty shell just before you crack it if you need to. A clean nest keeps that job small.

Ask for a dozen or a tray. If you want the brown eggs typical of Lohmann Brown hens, say so when you order.