Poultry · Fresh Eggs · Lloyd, FL
We have kept chickens for years. Different breeds, different setups, different lessons learned along the way. But when we moved onto this property in 2023 and started building the flock we always wanted, we knew pretty quickly that the Lavender Orpington was something special. This page is our way of introducing you to the birds behind the eggs you pick up at the stand — and letting you know you do not have to wait until Saturday to get them.
If you have never seen a Lavender Orpington in person, the first thing you will notice is the color — a soft, dusty blue-grey that catches the light differently depending on the time of day. The second thing you will notice is the size. These are big, round, beautifully fluffy birds. Our flock running across the yard on a breezy morning looks exactly like what they are: fluffy storm clouds moving through the fields.
We chose this breed for a few reasons, and every one of them has held up.
Orpingtons were originally developed in England in the late 1800s as a dual-purpose farm bird. The Lavender color variety is relatively recent and has become one of the most sought-after backyard breeds in the country — and once you spend an afternoon with them, it is easy to understand why.
Every good flock has a good rooster, and ours is Chester. He is a handsome, attentive, and frankly very serious rooster who takes his job protecting the girls about as seriously as anything we have ever seen. He is not aggressive toward people — he knows his flock and he knows us — but let something unfamiliar come anywhere near his hens and Chester is the first to sound the alarm.
He keeps the flock calm, calls them in when something feels off, and generally runs a very orderly yard. We think the world of him.
We are currently running ten hens with Chester. About six weeks ago we hatched five new chicks — our first time hatching our own — and we are watching them grow with a lot of excitement. Our goal is to build up to around twenty hens over time.
The hens free range every day the weather allows. They have full access to the yard and the compost area, and they make good use of both. On days when the weather keeps them in, they have a spacious, clean coop with good ventilation and fresh bedding.
We believe a chicken that gets to live like a chicken produces a better egg. The foraging, the movement, the variety in their diet — it all shows up in the yolk. That deep golden color is not an accident. It is the result of hens that are healthy, active, and well cared for.
Our hens are fed Kalmbach Henhouse Reserve — a premium layer feed that we genuinely love and recommend to anyone keeping backyard chickens. It is a cut above standard layer pellets. It includes whole grains, seeds, and a variety of ingredients that chickens actually enjoy eating rather than just consuming out of necessity.
Combined with daily free ranging across our four acres, our hens have access to insects, grass, vegetation, and whatever the compost pile is offering that day. Their diet is varied, natural, and complete. You can taste the difference.
If you keep chickens and you have not tried Kalmbach Henhouse Reserve, it is worth looking into. Our hens are healthier, more active, and producing better eggs since we switched. We have no affiliation with them — we just genuinely like the product.
Lavender Orpingtons lay a light brown egg — not white, not dark, just a warm, natural shell color that looks exactly like what it is: a real egg from a real chicken living a real life. Our hens are currently producing eight to nine large eggs per day.
Deep yellow-orange yolks that stand tall in the pan. The color comes from an active, varied diet — and it carries through in the flavor.
Good nutrition means strong shells. Our eggs do not crack easily and hold up well. A thin shell is often a sign of stress or a poor diet — you will not find that here.
Every egg is marked with a pencil on the day it is collected so you always know exactly how fresh it is. No guessing.
Eggs are washed, dated, packaged, and refrigerated immediately after collection. Quality and food safety are not an afterthought here.
Our chickens are like family to us. We tend to all their needs, keep their environment clean and low-stress, and let them be the chickens nature made them to be. We firmly believe that a happy, healthy chicken lays a better egg — and we think you will taste the difference.
You will always find fresh eggs at our stand on market Saturday mornings. But you do not have to wait.
We collect and refrigerate eggs daily. If you would like to arrange a pickup outside of market days, just reach out by email and we will get you taken care of. No need to wait until Saturday.
✉ Contact Us for EggsThese hens are not just a source of eggs for us — they are part of our life on this land. Every morning when we walk out and Chester sounds off and the girls come running, it reminds us exactly why we moved out here. We are glad to share a little of that with you.