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.