********* Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I was curious, so I looked at the local craigslist. For $2, I can get a dozen eggs that are listed as 'GMO free, fresh, organic, free range, large brown chicken eggs'. That's only 31 cents more per dozen than the regular grocery store price around here. And this is just in the neighboring suburb, so not far at all. The highest price I see on my craigslist is $3 a dozen, and those are farther away. So is this for real? How will I be able to tell that they feed their chickens organically/free range? I've always just bought whatever the cheapest eggs were in the grocery store. I'm pretty sure I've never had a 'farm fresh' egg. Also, how long will the eggs last if I refrigerate them? I'd love to just pick up eggs once a month from a local farmer, but I don't know if they last that long... Thanks for any help. ETA: I just saw their ad says 'Buy 4 dozen, get 1 dozen free'. That would make them actually LESS expensive than grocery store eggs. But I really don't think I could go through 5 dozen eggs, even in a month, LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 All the locally grown eggs I've bought have tasted way better than eggs from the grocery store, and I don't buy the cheapest eggs when there. The price is about the same for me too. I can get them at the farmers' market and food co-op. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 The best way to find out if a farmer is for real is if the farmer will let you tour where the chickens live. Eggs do not actually have to be refrigerated. I buy my eggs from a local poultry farm (best eggs ever) 4 dozen at a time. 2 doz go in the fridge and 2 doz sit on the counter in a big ole bowl. I usually only buy eggs once a month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samiam Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 The best way to find out if a farmer is for real is if the farmer will let you tour where the chickens live. Eggs do not actually have to be refrigerated. I buy my eggs from a local poultry farm (best eggs ever) 4 dozen at a time. 2 doz go in the fridge and 2 doz sit on the counter in a big ole bowl. I usually only buy eggs once a month. Well, that depends on where you buy the eggs. Eggs have a "film" on them that makes the shell essentially non-porous...and as long as that film is not washed off, then they do not need to be in the fridge. Farm fresh eggs probably do not have the coating washed off. Store bought eggs, on the other hand, have been washed likely in bleach water, and those do need to be in the fridge because the film is gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenpatty Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I've always just bought whatever the cheapest eggs were in the grocery store. I'm pretty sure I've never had a 'farm fresh' egg. We've either had our own chickens & eggs or I do that - buy the cheapest. Honestly, other than color (homegrown yolks are more orange than yellow), I have not noticed a difference. That said, I do like the idea of buying local, but convenience and cost override that right now. (Although $2/dozen is not a bad price compared to sellers around here.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 (edited) It's probably for real. Go by the place. Look around, see if they are ranging or have safe areas to graze (sometimes hawks are about here, and so on those days they don't 'free range', but they get to play in the dirt and grass in a large pen moveable.) You can easily see my feed bags...all labled organic. That's not a racket. :) The difference between factory farm eggs and eggs from chickens who are cared for and pastured is night and day. They are not even the same product. The yolks are bright and they actually have a taste, and sometimes taste varies, pending on the grasses and bugs they've nibbled. I also give mine garlic, applce cider vinegar, and scraps from my veggies (almost always organic). If I peel a carrot, they go to the chickens. Any tough broc stalks or seeds from hard squashes are chicken food. I grow sunflowers for my birds. Their superior diet also makes the eggs more nutritious. Good eggs give a lot of bang for the buck. Edited February 21, 2012 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simka2 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I was really hesitant that I would notice a difference in taste. I hate store bought eggs, I HATE them! Okay, maybe with enough salt, Tabasco, cilantro and sour cream to weigh down a rhino...I might eat them, but otherwise they are good for cake and that is it! :tongue_smilie: Now, that I have my own chickens....I eat eggs. Honestly they taste like what I always thought eggs should taste like. Creamy, savory, and with substance. I still use them in cakes, but I love them fried. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 If the chickens are free range, then $2 is probably right, but if they feed organic chicken feed, then no that would be low for my area. Free range is better, so if you drive up to find chickens hanging out all over the place, then I would buy a month's worth and be on my way. Fresh eggs can easily last a month in the fridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 We buy local free-range eggs for two bucks a dozen. They taste amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Yes, they are THAT good. Ours are free range, non medicated but not organic (meaning our feed isn't organic and our scraps might not be organic). They are so good that my friend just HAND CARRIED a dozen of our chicken eggs all the way up to the Arctic circle to Barrow, AK home with her from her visit here.........through airport security and all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 They are so good that my friend just HAND CARRIED a dozen of our chicken eggs all the way up to the Arctic circle to Barrow, AK home with her from her visit here.........through airport security and all. They didn't consider them a liquid? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 They didn't consider them a liquid? :) Must not have. They had asked ahead of time as plain store eggs there that aren't fresh at all are $13/dozen. She also takes produce, etc. with her when she goes and get strange looks for celery in her carry on. One of her 2 suitcases is a cooler filled with meats, etc. Just a way of life for them up in the arctic circle. If you saw the movie, Big Miracle (about the whales that got stuck in the ice) then you saw where they live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2abcd Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 No one has mentioned the Omega EFAs available in free range chicken eggs. Does anyone here happen to know the details about this? I've heard that chickens that are allowed to move around have eggs with more nutrients for human consumption than those in chicken farms who are packed in a building and can't move about. At our Walmart, they sell Cage Free eggs for (I think) $3.28. They sell Omega 3 eggs for $2.28 (not sure on price.) If the eggs are high in Omega 3, wouldn't they come from chickens that were allowed to roam? So theoretically, the eggs could come from the same chickens? A woman I know sells eggs for $3/dozen or 2 dozen for $5. When I asked her if they roamed about, she prevaricated. When I asked her how many chickens she has, she said 250. I wonder if they ever get outside or are crowded inside. Maybe the Walmart eggs would be healthier. The eggs did have a dark yellow yolk (not orange as I know the best pastured, free-range yolks are) and were very flavorful. Found these: http://www.motherearthnews.com/eggs.aspx http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2007-10-01/Tests-Reveal-Healthier-Eggs.aspx http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/2007-04-01/How-to-Decode-Egg-Cartons.aspx http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2007-04-01/Best-Eggs-Comparison.aspx http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/health-benefits-freerange-hens-eggs-2624.html I will have to ask this gal if her chickens are pastured or confined. 250 seems like a lot to have running loose, doesn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebug42 Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 We buy our eggs from a local farmer and we won't ever go back to store bought. The eggs are so good. I can barely eat eggs at restaurants or store bought after eating the yummy ones for so long. They will last a month in the refrigerator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Marmalade Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Wow, at $2 a dozen, and then buy 4 dozen get one free, I would be all over that! The awesome eggs here are close to $4 a dozen. And yes, the taste difference really is worth it, imo. Nothing like a farm fresh egg cooked simply and sprinkled with a touch of sea salt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeneralMom Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 There is a huge taste difference between store and pastured eggs. However, there is also a taste difference between different farmer's pastured eggs. We recently had out eggs go up to $4 per dozen because of the increased cost of feed (it is a drought here and forage is hard to find, so our farmer is having to supplement with more greens than usual) but I am willing to pay it. We go through almost a dozen eggs per day. I actually have a separate line on my budget for raw milk and eggs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 (edited) To me, it's like hamburger verses steak. There's just nothing like Fresh Farm eggs! And, their chickens aren't stacked on each other. I guess you have to trust about the organic feed. I haven't bought store eggs, except a few dozen for my dog... in years. Healthy & Beautiful egg yolks are just one of the reasons that I love fresh eggs :) Edited February 22, 2012 by NayfiesMama (BTW, they are 3-5 dollars a dozen here) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 We have our own chickens and sell our eggs for $4. There's barely a profit at that price and we definitely don't use more expensive organic feed. The $2 price and the fact that the person listed every farming "evil" in the book (GMO?? What does that even mean in relation to chickens?) makes me suspicious. I'd want to take a look. Also, free range means different things to different folks. Our chickens get the coop door opened in the morning and have free range of the property. Other folks will have a pen for the chickens for safety's sake but still call their eggs free-range. Both are good arrangements for the chickens. I wouldn't assume anything about whether the eggs are washed based on where they come from. We wash all our eggs which means they have to go in the fridge. There's always the risk of contamination on the outside of the shell. It may not get into the egg when you're cooking it but there could be cross-contamination from those shells to the counter, your hands, other foods. Yes, I think there's a difference between our eggs and store eggs. Our chickens have a much richer diet and their eggs have a darker yolk and I do think they have a better taste HOWEVER I think eggs in general are pretty nutritious regardless of where you get them. I don't really think the gulf between our eggs and store ones is huge. My concern is more about ethical concerns. The chickens that produce store eggs just don't have much of a life, poor things. For me that's what the extra cost covers, a good life for the chickens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Researcher Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 I buy eggs from a local farmer each week and he charges $4 a dozen. There is a huge difference in taste, to me, between typical mass produced and free-range local eggs. If I'm really lucky I'll get them from one of my friends that has hens and is nice enough to share their surplus! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 If you want to make hard-boiled eggs, get regular white eggs from the store. You can peel them easily. If you want better tasting eggs in general, buy locally from someone with happy hens. The yolks will likely be a deeper yellow and they seem less watery than store eggs - the raw egg white is thicker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommee & Baba Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 (edited) I always wondered about fresh farm eggs. I just looked at our local farmers website and we have free-range organic eggs for $2/doz. The local farm listed the farm location and invited anyone to come by. I might take a drive myself to check things out and try out a dozen eggs to see how we like them. ETA: I just called the farmers number. WOW they were SUPER nice!! They welcomed us to come take a peek at their farm. They said the eggs they get are cream, white, brown, and green! She said they'd give us a little bit of each color for us to see which we liked better. She said they are richer in flavor because they are healthier. I'm excited to try them out. Edited February 22, 2012 by mamaofblessings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 (GMO?? What does that even mean in relation to chickens?) makes me suspicious. I'd want to take a look. To me this would mean that they aren't feeding corn or soy that isn't organic. You can barely get any corn/soy that isn't GMO if it isn't organic.... I WOULD NOT pay for eggs that are made from chx that eat regular feed :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 If you want to make hard-boiled eggs, get regular white eggs from the store. You can peel them easily. I steam my eggs... perfect :) Works for newer eggs or "old" eggs :) I actually do them in my rice steamer :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I just looked at our local farmers website and we have free-range organic eggs for $2/doz. That's a steal!! :) I can't taste the difference between the colors.... I do think it's fun to have the different sizes... The first few from a new laying chx tend to be rather small... so cute ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 If you want to make hard-boiled eggs, get regular white eggs from the store. You can peel them easily Salt the water you boil your eggs in or set aside some eggs so they can get a little older. The only reason store eggs peel easier is that they're a little older by the time we get them. Older eggs are better for boiling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 To me this would mean that they aren't feeding corn or soy that isn't organic. You can barely get any corn/soy that isn't GMO if it isn't organic.... I WOULD NOT pay for eggs that are made from chx that eat regular feed :( Ah, thanks. :) You wouldn't want my eggs then. They get regular laying mash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I agree about going to see where the eggs are coming from. I did this in the summer with my younger son, and he had a blast chasing the chickens around. The organic eggs do taste better. I buy low-heat pasteurized milk from an in-state pasture-fed dairy, too, and the kids won't drink regular milk anymore because they say it tastes like plastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Ah, thanks. :) You wouldn't want my eggs then. They get regular laying mash. Between what feed costs, I'm not sure that the Organic is unreasonable. Might be fun to compare costs :) Of course, that depends on whether you're concerned about organic and GMO foods... :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.