All About Our Homegrown Eggs
Abma’s Farm began in 1932 as a small mom and pop style farm, producing just enough to sustain the Abma family. There was an orchard, a small vegetable field, cows, and pigs. Soon, first generation founder Barney Abma began raising chickens for eggs and meat.
Over the next few decades, Barney's sons James and Henry expanded the egg operation from 1,000 laying hens to more than 25,000 at peak in the 1960s.
Pictured (circa 1935) is Barney Abma, ready to deliver his cleaned and graded eggs to homes and businesses in Wyckoff. His son Henry would deliver them by bicycle. Patrons visiting the farm would use the “honor box”: picking eggs from a cooler and dropping money into the box. The barn in the background was once a three-story chicken coop, renovated in the 1970s and transformed into the retail Farm Market you see today.
Presently, we have vastly broadened our variety of vegetable crops and now house around 10% of our original poultry numbers: approximately 2,000 White Leghorn and Rhode Island Red hens.
Our chickens are fed a custom feed made specifically for Abma’s Farm consisting of an all-natural grain, corn, soybean and flax mixture, making it a rich source of Omega 3. Our feed contains NO antibiotics, NO growth hormones and NO animal bi-products. Although it is costlier, we utilize Flax to incorporate a natural source of Omega 3. We never use synthetic Omega that is commonly used in commercial operations in effort to keep costs down. This quality grain ensures our birds will remain extra healthy and happy!
How Do We Clean Our Fresh Eggs?
About Our Chicken Coop:
-
Our chicken coop consists of three levels:
- The floor level contains feed trays, water spigots, and shavings, making it a comfortable area for the hens to scratch and nest. Our hens love nesting in these shavings.
- The second level contains individual nests. This is where our hens lay their eggs. When it's time to lay an egg, Once the hen leaves the nest the egg rolls onto a conveyor belt to be collected. We collect these eggs twice a day.
- The sub floor level is the bottom-most level underneath the floor level that collects chicken manure. This manure is later used in our fields for fertilizer.
Our chicken coops are cage free.
Abma’s Farm Eggs Are Sold Two Ways:
-
Abma’s Farm Eggs Are Sold Two Ways:
1) Nest Eggs: White (White Leghorn hens) and Brown (Rhode Island Red hens) eggs are collected fresh each morning from the coup (usually still warm), sold by the piece and are not graded (sized) or washed. What makes these eggs so special is that you’re buying it completely in its natural form. As the egg is laid it has a natural protective cover called the “bloom” also known as the cuticle. The bloom helps to prevent bacteria from getting inside the shell and reduces moisture loss from the egg. Since Nest Eggs still have their Bloom, there is no need to refrigerate them, although you may still do so. You will never have an egg as fresh as our nest eggs anywhere else! Enjoy the difference!
2) Carton Eggs: White (White Leghorn hens) and Brown (Rhode Island Red hens), in sizes Medium, Large, Extra Large, and Jumbo.
Carton eggs are collected twice daily from the same coop and brought over to our egg room where they are cleaned with water and graded to be sold by a specific size. Our washing process checks the eggs for any regularities and rinses off any dirt or bacteria. This wash process also washes off the Bloom, so you do need to refrigerate these clean eggs. Since there is no extra time or transport in our on-site process, you receive the freshest carton eggs available. Enjoy the benefits of a local flock in your back yard!
Egg-ucation:
-
- Eggs contain the highest form of protein you can buy, more than chicken or steak!
- Eggs have all 9 amino acids, making it a complete protein.
- Eggs are rich in choline. Choline promotes normal cell activity, liver function and the transportation of nutrients throughout the body.
- Omega-3 or DHA eggs are from chickens that have been fed a diet supplemented by a source of omega-3 fatty acids (often flax seed).
- Eggs are gluten free.
- Shell color simply points to a different breed of laying hen and has no impact on taste or nutrition.
- Hens with white feathers and white ear lobes lay white eggs; hens with red feathers and red ear lobes lay brown eggs.
Eggs...
-
...help keep your muscles strong.
...increase your brain and memory function.
...help keep your immune system working properly.
...lower your risk of heart disease.
...help develop healthy babies during pregnancy.
...keep your skin and hair looking healthy.