Epic eggs : the poultry enthusiast's complete and essential guide to the most perfect food

Why chickens? -- The humble egg -- Keeping chickens for eggs: the basics -- Breeding chickens for egg color and other characteristics -- Other poultry and their eggs -- Using eggs -- Troubleshooting.;Backyard poultry is often described as " pets with benefits." On these pages, homesteader Jennifer Sartell delves deeply into those benefits - namely the eggs produced by chickens, guineas, quails, ducks - even geese and turkeys. Following a brief overview of the joys and responsibilities that accompany poultry husbandry, Sartell explores the production and anatomy of eggs, explaining poultry reproductive systems, how colors are distributed to egg shells, heritage breeds, and even breeding for specific egg colors. Accompanied by a generous selection of color photographs and illustrations, the informative text also addresses considerations such as: optimum living conditions and diets for obtaining the most flavorful eggs; grading and storing eggs; the eternal egg-washing debate; eggs in the kitchen - nutrition, baking, cooking, preserving; and egg troubleshooting. Epic Eggs is sure to prove an essential primer for anyone just getting into the growing poultry hobby, as well aw a must-have addition to the library of any veteran backyard poultry enthusiast.--COVER. This isn't a typical egg cookbook or guide to raising chickens, Epic Eggs takes a deep dive on the eggs themselves and tells you how to raise birds that will produce the best eggs you've ever seen. It may be true that most poultry found on small homesteads or in backyards especially are viewed as pets, but they are inarguably pets with benefits —namely eggs. In Epic Eggs , homesteader and writer Jennifer Sartell looks at the eggs of the most common types of poultry you'd find in your backyard: chickens , ducks , geese , turkeys , guineas , and quail . Don't jump to conclusions! This isn't an egg cookbook or a guide to raising poultry . Jennifer delves into the eggs themselves and explains reproductive systems, egg anatomy, and how and why different colors are distributed to egg shells. Jennifer will show you a variety breeds of bird s, and what sizes , shapes , and even colors of egg they produce; from white to blue, brown, chocolate, olive, and speckled, plus heritage breeds and how to breed for specific colors. Illustrated with fantastic color photography of eggs and their birds, Epic Eggs goes on to address how to optimize living conditions and diet for the healthiest and most-flavorful eggs, the process of grading and storing eggs, and the eternal washing debate. There's also discussion of nutrition , baking , cooking , preserving , pickling , and dehydrating . The book ends with advice for homesteaders looking to create business plans and a section on troubleshooting. Epic Eggs is for the backyard farmer that wants to get the most out of their poultry and learn what goes into raising birds to lay the perfect egg