A Better Egg

Better For You

More people are becoming aware of the benefits of eating meat and poultry that from grass-fed animals.  From cows to pigs to chickens, they were all meant to graze.  Since we are what we eat, we are what these animals eat.

The grasses consumed by pastured birds contain many vitamins that simply aren’t supplied by corn-based feed.  As a result, the eggs these hens produce are superior in nutrient content.  This is only enhanced by the outdoor lifestyle they enjoy, which is cleaner, less stressful and competitive, and full of Vitamin D courtesy of the sun.

A study conducted by Mother Earth News in 2007 compiled the nutrition contents of pasture raised eggs from farms across the country.  They found in comparison to a conventional egg, pasture raised eggs contain:

• 1⁄3 less cholesterol
• 1⁄4 less saturated fat
• 2⁄3 more Vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more Vitamin E
• 7 times more beta carotene

An update to this study in 2008 demonstrated that the Vitamin D translates from the sun to the hens to the eggs, which is fortunate for us because as a society we don’t spend enough time outside.  Pastured eggs were shown to have 4 to 6 times more Vitamin D than conventional eggs. http://www.motherearthnews.com/eggs.aspx

Other tests have also shown that pasturing yields a higher level of folic acid.  In fact, tests on our eggs showed Vitamin C, which is an anomoly for eggs!  We can’t explain this, but it likely has something to do with the birds’ varied diet from a multitude of native grasses and other green stuff.

Just as important as what’s in our eggs is what’s not.  We go the extra step of ensuring only the best inputs in our feed and the pasture itself – both are certified USDA organic.  This means no antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, or herbicides.

Better Tasting

Ask anyone who has had a pastured egg.  The look, texture, and taste are superior!

The addition of green foliage and other goodies in the diet of a pasture raised hen all add to the flavor profile of the eggs they produce.  These extra “ingredients,” if you will, include several varieties of native grasses, seeds, berries, other naturally occurring plant life, and even bugs and worms found by the birds while they scratch around the pasture.  Chickens are omnivores, and we let them behave that way!

Because our hens eat whatever is growing or available at the time, their eggs may not taste the same from one dozen to the next.  Consider also that every bird is different and free to roam where they please and eat what they please.  That said, the yolks from a pastured egg are usally darker in color, and should always be more flavorful.  Sometimes this is especially pronounced, as the birds may have been snacking on wild flowers and herbs, even onion or garlic!

It’s also important to note that variation is an expected result of living outdoors through the changing seasons of the year.  In fact, pasture raised eggs are truly a seasonal product.  Most of us in the US don’t view eggs this way because of commercial egg factories that stamp out a very standardized product.  However, with changes in the amount of daily sunlight, the types of seasonal grasses available, insect population, and temperature fluctuations, the same flock of birds can actually produce quite a spectrum of eggs.