Farm Fresh, Free Range Duck Eggs from Johann's Garden

I sell duck eggs, but because both my egg customers and my nursery customers often ask about my ducks, I thought I'd share a bit of information about them.  Spoiler alert, if you want to know "which breed" of ducks I keep, the answer is... they aren't a breed!  😎

Ducks love our local climate.  It doesn't seem to matter what the weather is, they will be out and about, enjoying their day.  Suitability to Western Washington conditions aside, I've had some tough lessons over the years while learning how to actually keep free range ducks without just losing them all to wildlife.  Secure containment during the "danger hours" (dusk till mid morning) has proven to be critical, along with an ever watchful eye and ear during the daytime while they are out and about.  Over time, I've learned to distinguish the sounds of their various moods and am now well versed on what they sound like when it's time to chase off the local bobcat!  

The process has been worth it and my birds get plenty of enrichment and exercise; swimming and mucking about as well as lots of waddling up and down and all around the quite variable terrain we call home.  During their daily adventures, they come access a large diversity of plants, many of which they consume along with any various slugs and bugs they come across.  Not only does this enrichment ensure a good quality of life, but I truly believe it helps to ensure their ability to produce more nutritious eggs than they could if they relied exclusively on commercially formulated feeds.  Note: I do also provide commercial feed though, since the caloric needs of domestic ducks are higher than of wild ducks which lay far fewer eggs and are able to migrate seasonally to find everything their diets need.  Fortunately, I have been able to switch from purchased the feed from large national brands to a local feed producer (X-CEL Feeds Inc.) located in Tacoma, so the ducks feed bill helps in its own small way to support the local economy!

Having long ago lost interest in the "prestige" of keeping pure bred livestock, I have found much joy in building my duck flock by crossing multiple breeds to produce my birds which typically lay "Jumbo" size eggs (minimum 2.5oz per egg, but frequently larger).  As a result, my flock's variable phenotypes show influence from Ancona, Golden 300's and even a bit of Pekin.  However, it has actually become quite normal for some of the ducks I raise in each new generation to express traits which I hadn't seen in any of the original ducks I started with!  

Compared to chicken eggs, duck eggs have disproportionately large yolks, giving them a richer quality.  I particularly love eating them fried, soft boiled or poached, but also can't resist scrambling them into various dishes as well.  My mother has always insisted that when used in baked goods, they help to ensure extra fluffy results (though with my tendency to go off-recipe, my baking is always too variable for me to actually know if this is true... haha).

I sometimes manage to get SOME of my ducks to lay their eggs in nest boxes which helps keep them cleaner, but the reality of ducks is that they like to lay their eggs on the ground, often even dug into the ground a little.  This means the eggs tend to get dirty despite being gathered fresh every morning.  I'm sure everyone has heard that if you leave your eggs unwashed, you can keep them on your counter without refrigeration where they can last for a couple weeks.  However, my thought is why not wash them and keep them in the fridge where they can still be fresh even up to a couple of months?  Aside from that, egg shells are filled with tiny pores and although unwashed eggs do have a protective mucosal layer which helps form a protective seal, it's no match for the grime which can cover duck eggs.  Trust me, if you leave them unwashed, the smell and flavor of duck poop infused dirt will soak right into your eggs and lead to a less than satisfactory eating experience!  I've found that a gentle washing with warm water is quite sufficient to ensure my eggs head out the door in top condition for eating.

Because egg laying ducks (and even chickens for that matter) need to take breaks sometimes, the actual quantities of eggs I have available do fluctuate throughout the year.  While I do my best to keep production as consistent as possible (futile though it may be), it's never a bad idea to email or text me in advance to confirm quantities available (you can use the contact info from my nursery website). 

Pricing:

• $9/dozen - Jumbo (2.5oz per egg minimum, but often larger)
• $8/dozen - XL (2.3-2.4oz per egg)
• $7/dozen - Large (2-2.2oz per egg) Note: I sometimes also have free range chicken eggs available in this size category.

I strive to produce Jumbo size as much as possible, but the other sizes are available at times as well.  If you'd like to pick some up, I am willing to reserve requested quantities up to two days in advance.

Note: I do re-use egg cartons as long as they are clean and serviceable and will happily accept empty cartons for re-use.