Eggs-Please educate me

[AngelaGT]

I typically purchase eggs from Costco or Aldi.  I purchase the "pasture free, organic, brown eggs."  I consider these to be my healthiest options for myself and the hens.  I am considering finding a farm to purchase local free range eggs.  My dh does not think the benefits are worth the extra effort.  So, are the benefits worth the extra effort and expense?  Please educate me.  Thank you!

[plansrme]

Probably not for nutrition, but they will taste better. I bought eggs from my "egg lady" for years before getting my own chickens. We did blind taste tests of her eggs versus the top-of-the-line eggs from my grocery store, and everyone in the family could easily taste the difference. I recently fed a visiting student from Central America (I have 2 CA high school boys who live with me; it was one of their friends) some scrambled eggs from my chickens, and he declared them the best eggs he'd had since he'd been in the U.S. He's been here since August, so that was pretty good.

ETA: Even now, when I am running low on my girls' eggs, I use cheap grocery store eggs in things where taste doesn't matter (meatballs, for instance) and reserve my girls' eggs for things where it does. You can taste the difference even in baked goods that have a lot of eggs, like pound cake.

Edited March 24, 2022 by plansrme

[Eos]

Well, you can support Costco - net sales in 2021 were $192 billion or Aldi, 2021 net sales just under $134 billion or you can support your nearby farmer who will in turn use that money to shop and purchase services from other community members and keep your money flowing through your community. Your local farmer will also use far less fuel and other resources to bring your eggs to market, especially if they are pasture-raised and don't use much grain to feed them.  Fully worth it!

 

Edited March 24, 2022 by Eos

[HomeAgain]

I think you have to decide what benefits you're looking for.  I like eggs from our local farmer's market or the egg stands on the sides of the road (usually a cooler, coffee can, and a sign in a wagon under a tree, so don't assume anything fancy. LOL It's an honor system.).  I like the flavor, though the consistency is different sometimes from supermarket eggs.  I don't drive out of my way to get them, and often get a dozen in trade from others, so the cost is down. 

On the other hand, there are less available in the winter, and while egg prices at the grocery store fluctuate, it's a flat $5/dozen from the roadside.  It can be a little steep compared to a good sale of $3.50 for Nellie's at the supermarket.  And I'd rather shop indoors or not worry about cash when the weather is bad or I'm running behind.

I do think it's important to support local small farms/coops, and I try to as much as my budget and time allows.  But there are times when convenience and one-stop-shopping wins out.

[regentrude]

"Pasture free"? I guess you mean either pasture raised or free range?

Pasture raised is better than free-range. More space, more natural environment for the hens. Free-range just means access to range, but not necessarily how much.

Living conditions for hens are often better at small local farms. Also, fewer hens, less disease.

I can taste the difference between store bought high-end (pastured, organic) eggs and farmers eggs, as well as the difference in eggs between different farms. One guy has the best tasting eggs, and there seems to be consensus among customers because his sell out first. 

I also like to support local farmers. 

[Katy]

Unless they’re from a local farmer who uses chicken tractors or truly lets the chickens free range, or unless they are fed grain with ground flax seed mixed in, there probably isn’t much of a difference in nutrition.

Free range sometimes means cage free in a giant barn. Pastured may mean they have access to a few square feet on a patio, not that they are eating more bugs & plants than grains. 

Brown eggs aren’t healthier. Egg color is only about the breed of chicken, not what they are fed or how they are treated. 

If you’re going to buy store bought eggs the Omega 3 eggs might be worth it, but otherwise it likely doesn’t matter. 

[Selkie]

Re. free range - The phrase conjures up an image of birds that are happy and healthy and roaming around outside like chickens are meant to do. In reality, most "free range" chickens spend their short lives crammed tightly into a filthy building and never see the light of the sun or breathe fresh air. The USDA does not require free range birds to spend any time outdoors.

[wintermom]

1 hour ago, Eos said:

Well, you can support Costco - net sales in 2021 were $192 billion or Aldi, 2021 net sales just under $134 billion or you can support your nearby farmer who will in turn use that money to shop and purchase services from other community members and keep your money flowing through your community. Your local farmer will also use far less fuel and other resources to bring your eggs to market, especially if they are pasture-raised and don't use much grain to feed them.  Fully worth it!

 

I fully support buying direct from the farmer. I was really disappointed to hear that farmers in Alberta, Canada can't sell their eggs directly to small-town grocery stores. Sort of like illegal raw milk sales, but with eggs. So stupid. The big stores and egg producer lobbyists are probably swaying political policies to the disadvantage of consumer choice and small business. ☹️

[Eos]

8 minutes ago, wintermom said:

I fully support buying direct from the farmer. I was really disappointed to hear that farmers in Alberta, Canada can't sell their eggs directly to small-town grocery stores. Sort of like illegal raw milk sales, but with eggs. So stupid. The big stores and egg producer lobbyists are probably swaying political policies to the disadvantage of consumer choice and small business. ☹️

Wow, that is unbelievable.  Raw milk sales are still a hot-button issue here, but local eggs can be bought directly from farms, through small stores, or like HomeAgain's eggs, on the side of the road in a cooler with a coffee can for cash.

We also have hens which give us the most delicious eggs but this time of year you can't give them away, everyone is awash in eggs!  Like zucchini in late summer.

[MEmama]

16 minutes ago, Eos said:

Wow, that is unbelievable.  Raw milk sales are still a hot-button issue here, but local eggs can be bought directly from farms, through small stores, or like HomeAgain's eggs, on the side of the road in a cooler with a coffee can for cash.

We also have hens which give us the most delicious eggs but this time of year you can't give them away, everyone is awash in eggs!  Like zucchini in late summer.

Spring eggs are the best! (Also ummmm I’ll buy your extra eggs! Lol)

[ScoutTN]

Absolutely buy from a local farmer if you care about quality and animal welfare. 

[HomeAgain]

6 hours ago, Katy said:

Brown eggs aren’t healthier. Egg color is only about the breed of chicken, not what they are fed or how they are treated. 

 

Slight tangent here, but one of our friends sets aside "Easter eggs" for us each spring.  We end up with a variety of pink, blue, and green eggs along with speckled ones thanks to her hens.  My kids love it because they hate hard boiled eggs, but never wanted to miss out on the fun of having pretty eggs on Easter morning.

It's one of the benefits, I guess, to local sources. 🙂  More chicken variety.

[Clarita]

I hope I'm not derailing the original question, but my option for local farmer egg "could be fertilized." My question is would I notice when I'm using the eggs? (I'm scared that I'm going to crack open and egg and find like a partial/whole baby chick in there. Sorry it was a thing that I've seen people eat in my childhood and it grossed me out.) 

[kbutton]

2 minutes ago, Clarita said:

I hope I'm not derailing the original question, but my option for local farmer egg "could be fertilized." My question is would I notice when I'm using the eggs? (I'm scared that I'm going to crack open and egg and find like a partial/whole baby chick in there. Sorry it was a thing that I've seen people eat in my childhood and it grossed me out.) 

I've had maybe 2 bloody eggs in 10-ish years of buying farm eggs when I can (anywhere from all to half of my eggs, depending on who is selling them locally). We go through a lot of eggs. I get double-yolks far more often than that (once from a store egg).  

[Arcadia]

3 minutes ago, Clarita said:

I hope I'm not derailing the original question, but my option for local farmer egg "could be fertilized." My question is would I notice when I'm using the eggs? (I'm scared that I'm going to crack open and egg and find like a partial/whole baby chick in there. Sorry it was a thing that I've seen people eat in my childhood and it grossed me out.) 

That can also happen with Trader Joe’s fertile eggs. I have seen that in childhood too so know what you mean, though it is the duck embryo (balut). 

[bluemongoose]

My hens' eggs are fertile. If you have a rooster, most of the eggs will be fertile. Roosters are very...um...proficient at their job. As long as the farmer is taking the eggs every day, you wont really notice the difference. The problem comes when an egg has been allowed to incubate at all. That is when you will find a chick inside. So, it just depends on the farmers practices. 

[Miss Tick]

7 minutes ago, kbutton said:

double-yolks

Has anyone ever heard of what happens if these were allowed to incubate? I assume space restrictions would never let them be viable, but two teeny twin chicks would be so cute!

When my grandfather was young, one of his jobs was "candling" eggs before they were sent by train to grocery stores. He and the other boys would hold each one in front of a candle to see if there was an embryo inside. You could try that if you are worried about cracking an incubated egg.

[bluemongoose]

Just now, SusanC said:

Has anyone ever heard of what happens if these were allowed to incubate? I assume space restrictions would never let them be viable, but two teeny twin chicks would be so cute!

When my grandfather was young, one of his jobs was "candling" eggs before they were sent by train to grocery stores. He and the other boys would hold each one in front of a candle to see if there was an embryo inside. You could try that if you are worried about cracking an incubated egg.

It is very very very rare (ie nearly impossible) for a double yolk to actually be viable. 

Yes you can candle eggs. If you see veining that would be an egg that was allowed to incubate. You can use a flashlight in a dark room. Just set the tip of the egg over the flashlight.

[Katy]

I’ve had bloody eggs from the grocery store, so I always crack the eggs into a separate bowl before pouring them in the recipe. It also helps if you get broken shell in the bowl.  I don’t think I’ve ever had that bloody farm eggs. 

You get blood in fertilized eggs left in a nest for just a few days, but it takes a few weeks for it to start looking like a chicken. I think that’s extremely unlikely. 

[ktgrok]

Not an answer, but I'll say of the store bought eggs, Nellie's Eggs are the absolute best I've found for taste/color. They say free range, not pastured, i think, but taste like local pasture raised. And some pasture raised ones I've bough at the store are nothing special tasting (although still better for the birds). I keep meaning to look into Nellie's Eggs to find out WHY they are so different. I'll be sad if it is birds in a dark building just eating special food. 

This is their website - could all be hype, but the eggs really are better - bright orange yolks, texture is better, etc. https://www.nelliesfreerange.com/our-hens/free-range-hens

Edited March 24, 2022 by ktgrok

[HomeAgain]

10 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

Not an answer, but I'll say of the store bought eggs, Nellie's Eggs are the absolute best I've found for taste/color. They say free range, not pastured, i think, but taste like local pasture raised. And some pasture raised ones I've bough at the store are nothing special tasting (although still better for the birds). I keep meaning to look into Nellie's Eggs to find out WHY they are so different. I'll be sad if it is birds in a dark building just eating special food. 

This is their website - could all be hype, but the eggs really are better - bright orange yolks, texture is better, etc. https://www.nelliesfreerange.com/our-hens/free-range-hens

Nellie's offers field trips to their farms, or at least they did pre-Covid.  I am more willing to trust a company who will allow the public to see how the livestock is kept.

https://www.nelliesfreerange.com/our-hens/free-range-fun

Edited March 24, 2022 by HomeAgain

[Ausmumof3]

Blood in eggs sometimes happens due to some kind of health issue with the laying hen. Unless the farmer doesn’t collect consistently, there shouldn’t be chicks forming. They only start growing when they’re kept warm.

[fairfarmhand]

2 hours ago, Clarita said:

I hope I'm not derailing the original question, but my option for local farmer egg "could be fertilized." My question is would I notice when I'm using the eggs? (I'm scared that I'm going to crack open and egg and find like a partial/whole baby chick in there. Sorry it was a thing that I've seen people eat in my childhood and it grossed me out.) 

The hen has to sit on the eggs or they have to be incubated for days before you see any kind of embryo. I;ve done that. GROSSS! BUt if the farmer collects every day, that won't happen.

2 hours ago, kbutton said:

I've had maybe 2 bloody eggs in 10-ish years of buying farm eggs when I can (anywhere from all to half of my eggs, depending on who is selling them locally). We go through a lot of eggs. I get double-yolks far more often than that (once from a store egg).  

Blood in eggs can be ovarian tissue or something like that. An incubated  embryo looks way different than a bloody spot.

[Tanaqui]

If your main concern is ethical then it certainly is worth it to go through the extra effort. If it's just for your own health then it may not be.

[kbutton]

15 minutes ago, fairfarmhand said:

Blood in eggs can be ovarian tissue or something like that. An incubated  embryo looks way different than a bloody spot.

This was more than a spot but less than an embryo. 

26 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

Not an answer, but I'll say of the store bought eggs, Nellie's Eggs are the absolute best I've found for taste/color. They say free range, not pastured, i think, but taste like local pasture raised. And some pasture raised ones I've bough at the store are nothing special tasting (although still better for the birds). I keep meaning to look into Nellie's Eggs to find out WHY they are so different. I'll be sad if it is birds in a dark building just eating special food. 

This is their website - could all be hype, but the eggs really are better - bright orange yolks, texture is better, etc. https://www.nelliesfreerange.com/our-hens/free-range-hens

Happy Eggs are really good too. I get excited when they are on a really good sale. I haven't looked (DH has), but you can watch the chickens online.

1 hour ago, Katy said:

I’ve had bloody eggs from the grocery store, so I always crack the eggs into a separate bowl before pouring them in the recipe. It also helps if you get broken shell in the bowl.  I don’t think I’ve ever had that bloody farm eggs. 

You get blood in fertilized eggs left in a nest for just a few days, but it takes a few weeks for it to start looking like a chicken. I think that’s extremely unlikely. 

This is what I think I've seen. I can't remember if I've gotten one from a store. I remember my mom getting one once in a while from farm eggs when I was a kid, so we also cracked them separately for a while. It's been so rare here that I stopped doing that.

[maize]

2 hours ago, Clarita said:

I hope I'm not derailing the original question, but my option for local farmer egg "could be fertilized." My question is would I notice when I'm using the eggs? (I'm scared that I'm going to crack open and egg and find like a partial/whole baby chick in there. Sorry it was a thing that I've seen people eat in my childhood and it grossed me out.) 

We had a rooster for awhile so many of our eggs were fertilized.

No you won't see a difference. Chicken eggs don't develop into embryos until they are incubated--either by a hen sitting on them 24/7 or in an incubator. If the person you get your eggs from collects them every day they will never have embryos. You can take a fertilized egg and leave it at room temperature or in the fridge for weeks on end and no chick will grow.

 

[Melissa in Australia]

2 hours ago, SusanC said:

Has anyone ever heard of what happens if these were allowed to incubate? I assume space restrictions would never let them be viable, but two teeny twin chicks would be so cute!

When my grandfather was young, one of his jobs was "candling" eggs before they were sent by train to grocery stores. He and the other boys would hold each one in front of a candle to see if there was an embryo inside. You could try that if you are worried about cracking an incubated egg.

 my grandmother claimed she hatched a double yoker when she was a child. It was like a Siamese chicken with 4 legs and a deformed body.. It died after a day. 

[Elizabeth86]

1 hour ago, Melissa in Australia said:

 my grandmother claimed she hatched a double yoker when she was a child. It was like a Siamese chicken with 4 legs and a deformed body.. It died after a day. 

My kids just asked me yesterday if a double yolk egg would produce 2 chicks. We forgot to look into it.

[ktgrok]

2 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

Nellie's offers field trips to their farms, or at least they did pre-Covid.  I am more willing to trust a company who will allow the public to see how the livestock is kept.

https://www.nelliesfreerange.com/our-hens/free-range-fun

oh, good! That makes me happy. Given what I pay for them, I like to think the chickens get decent care! 

[Clarita]

2 hours ago, maize said:

No you won't see a difference. Chicken eggs don't develop into embryos until they are incubated--either by a hen sitting on them 24/7 or in an incubator. If the person you get your eggs from collects them every day they will never have embryos. You can take a fertilized egg and leave it at room temperature or in the fridge for weeks on end and no chick will grow.

Thanks, everyone I feel much better trying out the free roaming chicken eggs. The farm said there aren't enough roosters to have all the eggs be fertilized but said that it is a possibility. 

 

[Katy]

Here’s a video about chicken development, apparently it takes 3 days of incubation to get to the bloody stage. I forget that not everyone incubates eggs as part of their 6th grade health class. We dissected an egg almost daily for two weeks. 
 

 

[Katy]

China hatched one without an eggshell! 
 

 

[Selkie]

28 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

oh, good! That makes me happy. Given what I pay for them, I like to think the chickens get decent care! 

There have been a number of class action lawsuits (including one that I believe is currently pending in New York) against Nellie's Eggs for deceptive advertising. 

Here's an article about one of the lawsuits:

https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/consumer-products/food/nellies-free-range-eggs-not-free-range-claims-class-action/

Lead plaintiff, Constance Mogull, says in her complaint filed in New York federal court on Wednesday that she and other consumers were duped by manufacturer, Pete and Gerry’s Organics, LLC, into thinking the hens that are used for Nellie’s Free Range Eggs live an idyllic, outdoor lifestyle. Mogull points to packaging that features chickens running around with children in green grass and plenty of space...  

Mogull says that she and other consumers paid significantly more for Nellie’s eggs based on these “free range” claims; however, the class action contends that shoppers would be surprised to see how the hens that Pete and Gerry’s Organics use to supply the product are actually treated. 

“Defendant’s portrait of its hens’ ‘Free Range’ lifestyle is far from the reality,” alleges the lawsuit.  “Defendant’s hens are crammed into sheds up to 20,000 at a time, preventing them from extending their wings, foraging or making their way to the outdoor space Defendant advertises so prominently.”... 

In this recent legal action, Mogull alleges that she and other consumers would not have purchased or paid as much for Nellie’s Free Range Eggs had they known the true living conditions of the hens. The class action accuses Pete and Gerry’s of false advertising and violations of consumer protection laws.  

 

[regentrude]

2 hours ago, ktgrok said:

oh, good! That makes me happy. Given what I pay for them, I like to think the chickens get decent care! 

That is not what some reports claim to have observed:

https://investigations.peta.org/chickens-crammed-inside-shed-free-range-farm/

 

 

[GoVanGogh]

14 hours ago, Eos said:

Well, you can support Costco - net sales in 2021 were $192 billion or Aldi, 2021 net sales just under $134 billion or you can support your nearby farmer who will in turn use that money to shop and purchase services from other community members and keep your money flowing through your community. Your local farmer will also use far less fuel and other resources to bring your eggs to market, especially if they are pasture-raised and don't use much grain to feed them.  Fully worth it!

 

This!
I buy as much of our food as possible at the local farmers market. They require that everything be grown or produced within 60 miles of the market’s location. I love supporting farmers directly. Financially, it puts money directly into the community. It is better for the planet, as there is less transportation, packaging, overhead. And - I love that buying direct takes away from mass marketing and advertising. 
I do think that the eggs are much fresher at the farmers market than anything available at the grocery store. We don’t eat many eggs (plant-based vegetarian) but the ones from the farmer’s market are always deep orange. 

[livetoread]

I was buying Happy Eggs and getting the deep orange color yolks, but the last few cartons have been the same pale yellow as other store bought eggs. I plan on looking into local sources now.

[ktgrok]

14 hours ago, Selkie said:

There have been a number of class action lawsuits (including one that I believe is currently pending in New York) against Nellie's Eggs for deceptive advertising. 

Here's an article about one of the lawsuits:

https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/consumer-products/food/nellies-free-range-eggs-not-free-range-claims-class-action/

Lead plaintiff, Constance Mogull, says in her complaint filed in New York federal court on Wednesday that she and other consumers were duped by manufacturer, Pete and Gerry’s Organics, LLC, into thinking the hens that are used for Nellie’s Free Range Eggs live an idyllic, outdoor lifestyle. Mogull points to packaging that features chickens running around with children in green grass and plenty of space...  

Mogull says that she and other consumers paid significantly more for Nellie’s eggs based on these “free range” claims; however, the class action contends that shoppers would be surprised to see how the hens that Pete and Gerry’s Organics use to supply the product are actually treated. 

“Defendant’s portrait of its hens’ ‘Free Range’ lifestyle is far from the reality,” alleges the lawsuit.  “Defendant’s hens are crammed into sheds up to 20,000 at a time, preventing them from extending their wings, foraging or making their way to the outdoor space Defendant advertises so prominently.”... 

In this recent legal action, Mogull alleges that she and other consumers would not have purchased or paid as much for Nellie’s Free Range Eggs had they known the true living conditions of the hens. The class action accuses Pete and Gerry’s of false advertising and violations of consumer protection laws.  

 

 

13 hours ago, regentrude said:

That is not what some reports claim to have observed:

https://investigations.peta.org/chickens-crammed-inside-shed-free-range-farm/

 

 

well, poop. I will have to go with the pastured eggs then, even if they are not as tasty. 

[Sharpie]

Growing up we exchanged homegrown eggs with the local tiny grocery store for our groceries, a barter system of sorts.  We never had a rooster in with the chickens but one of my jobs as a little girl was helping to candle the eggs and look for any dark areas.  I'm guessing that was blood?  It's been many, many years ago now.  I don't remember ever finding a "bad egg" but guessing if I did, my mom would have used it as nothing went to waste growing up.  

[shawthorne44]

Will truly free-range farm eggs taste better?    Absolutely.   I live in a rural small town.   Before we had chickens while sitting around with other moms I mentioned that so-and-so's eggs didn't taste as good anymore.   Still good but blander than in the past.   One of the moms said that she knew why because she was a neighbor, he had doubled the amount of chickens he had.  So, these chickens were still free-ranging on a farm, but because the chicken density went up each hen was eating more chicken food and less bugs/free-range goodies.  The important point is that even within free-ranging I could tell based on taste.  I don't eat eggs in restaurants anymore.   I love eggs but the taste difference is too much.  

Are they better for you?   I think so.   There won't be anything in the eggs that the hen doesn't get.  If the hen is eating nothing but chicken food the eggs have to have less nutrients than a truly free-range chicken.  

On the blood, we just recently got a rooster (named Gallo).   We had blood spots before that, so it doesn't mean that the egg is fertilized.   A wild thing about eggs is that the shell doesn't harden until AFTER it leaves the hen.   It hardens super-quick though.   

We are in egg-heaven right now.   Our flock was down to 4 elderly hens.  So, we mail-ordered 17 chicks and they started laying a month ago.    Egg size can depend a lot on the breed, but also on the age of the hen.   They get bigger as the hen gets older.    One thing we noticed with the teenager's eggs is that the yolk is the same size, there is just less white.    So, whenever we make eggs it is like we are adding extra yolks.   Extra Yum
 

[Lucy the Valiant]

*PSA for this year, though: If you have friends who have chickens, please don't go in their coop. There's a bad avian flu this year that is easily spread. It helps the chicken owners immensely if you keep your shoes / boots / etc out of the places the chickens go. We are not even going inside the feed store this year, just picking up the food curbside out of concern for biosecurity. 

[Laura Corin]

1 hour ago, Lucy the Valiant said:

*PSA for this year, though: If you have friends who have chickens, please don't go in their coop. There's a bad avian flu this year that is easily spread. It helps the chicken owners immensely if you keep your shoes / boots / etc out of the places the chickens go. We are not even going inside the feed store this year, just picking up the food curbside out of concern for biosecurity. 

There are no free-range eggs in the UK at present because hens are not allowed outside due to bird flu and the risk of contamination from wild birds. All the free-range birds are now in barns.

[ScoutTN]

8 hours ago, livetoread said:

I was buying Happy Eggs and getting the deep orange color yolks, but the last few cartons have been the same pale yellow as other store bought eggs. I plan on looking into local sources now.

I buy Happy Eggs occasionally, when we don’t have local eggs for some reason. As they come from a wide array of smaller farms, quality can vary. Similar to the Vital Farms brand.