Category: Writing | Farm Posts

Good Egg…or Bad?

Ever wonder if the eggs you’re buying are fresh? Here’s how to tell.

At the large end of the egg, there is an air pocket about 1/8 deep and approximately as large around as a dime. As an egg ages, it loses both moisture and carbon dioxide causing the egg to shrink and the size of the air space to increase.  By placing an egg in water the size of that airspace determines the buoyancy of the egg – and its freshness.
When you submerge a fresh egg in water it will rest on the bottom.
An egg that is about a week old will bob slightly on the bottom.
At about three weeks old it will balance on its small end, with the large end straight up.
A bad egg will float.

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TBN Ranch, The Seven Year Makeover

Before and After Pictures of TBN Ranch

Seven years ago we sold our newly built cookie-cutter home in a residential neighborhood to buy the house of my dreams.  We traded cathedral ceilings, a sparkling pool, and gorgeous appliances for a move-in ready horse property. I guess we failed to see the harsh reality that TBN Ranch was going to need some sprucing up. Oh, and some major repairs.
Today I’m happy to say we have indeed made progress, thought I’d share the before and after pictures of this ongoing makeover. All I have to say when looking at the before pictures are WHAT WERE WE THINKING???

Below: The TBN ranch house, 2004

Above: It took three years to rid the house of its stark white and ugly aqua trim. The garage was an obvious add-on, not to code, and with wood siding that was falling off. The swamp cooler didn’t work, and that dinky two-ton AC unit was ancient and inefficient.
Below: The newly painted ranch house. The garage has been repaired and the wood siding replaced with stucco.  The AC unit on the roof has been replaced with a four-ton unit and the swamp cooler removed. It was not a surprise the house needed a roof, but we didn’t expect to find three layers of shingles during the tear-off. Nevertheless, it’s all done now, and what a difference!

Below is the service drive, what a mess. To the left of service, drive was forty feet of river rock that had to be moved so I could have a shoeing bay built, which took a month by hand. It took two dump trucks of sand to level the ground before my farrier could build a suitable place for horseshoeing.

Before

After,  Yes indeed… that is the same service drive!

Below was the yard from hell. It had twenty-seven thousand gopher holes and as you can see somewhat of a lawn. No trees for shade except for that overgrown hideous palm tree.

Below is a current picture of the yard, I planted three beautiful pine trees and an Arbor Vitae tree and called a professional to skin and trim the palm tree. [pictured right]
The automatic sprinkler system of course leaked, but that has been repaired, so the only excuse I have for the poor turf quality is our lovely dogs.

Below: The biggest problem was the weeds by the wash racks. Also, there needed to be secure ground footing atop the concrete slab.

The weeds were an easy fix and have been easy to maintain with a once-a-year ground service.

Below: There wasn’t any electricity in the stable, the ground footing was like concrete, and darn those weeds were everywhere. Also, the Palo Verde tree behind the pens was pushing against the roof and needed to be cut down. All the rail feeders needed to be moved from front to back so they were undercover and out of the sun and rain.

Below is the stable with crushed cinder block footing and each pen has individual overhead lighting. The Palo Verde tree has been removed and the feeders have been placed in the shade.

Below: The interior paddock fencing was pretty sad looking, to say the least, and the poles on both sides of the cattle gate were completely rotted. Eighty-five feet of PVC pipe for water to the stable needed to be replaced along the fence line too.

The most resent major upgrade was the pleasant surprise that the septic drain field needed to be replaced. Ouch!

What’s next? Well, there’s a to-do list a mile long, but that’s another story…

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What Are Egg Grades?

Source: United States Dept. of Agriculture, USDA
Food Safety and Inspection Service

There are three consumer grades for eggs: U.S. Grade AA, A, and B. The grade is determined by the interior quality of the egg and the appearance and condition of the eggshell. Eggs of any quality grade may differ in weight (size).
U.S. Grade AA eggs have whites that are thick and firm; yolks that are high, round, and practically free from defects; and clean, unbroken shells. Grade AA and Grade A eggs are best for frying and poaching where appearance is important.
U.S. Grade A eggs have characteristics of Grade AA eggs except that the whites are “reasonably” firm. This is the quality most often sold in stores.
U.S. Grade B eggs have whites that may be thinner and yolks that may be wider and flatter than eggs of higher grades. The shells must be unbroken but may show slight stains. This quality is seldom found in retail stores because they are usually used to make liquid, frozen, and dried egg products.
Sizing of Eggs
Size tells you the minimum required net weight per dozen eggs. It does not refer to the dimensions of an egg or how big it looks. While some eggs in the carton may look slightly larger or smaller than the rest, it is the total weight of the dozen eggs that puts them in one of the following classes:
Jumbo: 30 ounces
Extra Large: 27 ounces
Large: 24 ounces
Medium: 21 ounces
Small: 18 ounces
Peewee:15 ounces

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