What is a pullet egg?
Updated: May 10, 2019
A pullet is a young hen. The first eggs that she lays are petite in size. As she grows, so does the size of her eggs. Here at Fairytale we are anxiously awaiting the “new girls” first cute mini eggs.
As the hens grow their eggs will increase in size according to their breed. Some breeds of hen lay large eggs as adults, however all hens egg size increases as they age. My old ladies in the "homestead" flock that are 5+ years-old lay less frequently, but sometimes lay giant JUMBO eggs that I can't even measure accurately on my egg scale.
Hens reach their stride egg-laying wise up until they are about 2.5 years old, then their production decreases and they lay less frequently.
The breeds of hens at Fairytale are all dual purpose, meaning they can be used for eggs or meat. For a small farm this is a good choice but there are laying breeds that can lay up to 7 eggs a week, like Leghorns. My girls lay between 3-6 eggs per week during the Spring and Summer slowing down in the fall as the days get shorter. The chickens body is cued by day-length not temperature when it comes to a good time to lay eggs. This is because, the chances of a chick surviving in the warm months is a lot better than in the dead of winter. They also lay less frequently when they molt their feathers in late summer, their bodies focusing energy on growing new feathers instead of making eggs.
Keep checking in and subscribe to the Weekly Harvest to reserve your pullet eggs. I will have limited quantities this Spring and before you know it the new girls will be laying a rainbow of full sized eggs. Hopefully they will be laying these tiny treats in time for Easter because my girls love to dye them for the bunny to hide!
Update: A few folks have requested that I include the recipe for pullet eggs mayo in this post.
Ever make homemade mayonnaise? I love homemade mayo. It is so easy to make but...I have a hard time eating it all before it spoils (3 days!). The perfect solution, a small batch from a tiny pullet egg! Pullets are young hens, there first few eggs are much smaller in size. The smaller yolk is perfect for a small batch of mayo!
Recipe for Small Batch Pullet Egg Mayonnaise: 1 pullet egg yolk 1 TBS lemon juice 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard pinch of salt 3/4 cup olive oil (or canola oil)
1. Place egg yolk, lemon juice, mustard and salt in a small bowl or blender. 2. Using a hand mixer or blender slowly add the olive oil in a drizzle. Blend until thick.
Can be stored in a refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Please note, consuming raw eggs can increase the likelihood of food-bourne illness.