# "Egglands Best" eggs



## lmw80

Are these eggs really better - superior to other eggs?  I keep seeing commercials for them,


----------



## Andy M.

I haven't noticed a difference.


----------



## Michael in FtW

Lori - if they really told the truth (that there wasn't really any significant difference between their eggs and any other eggs on the shelf) - would you be willing to pay the extra price?

Ironically - _true_ free range eggs have a greater chance of containing the H5N1 "bird flu" virus than chickens producing eggs in cages in a highly controlled environment. Chickens out running amuck in the free open spaces will be exposed to the wild birds that carry the virus - the chicken in the controlled areas are not.

But - the free range egg/chicken guys don't tell your that, do they?

You might find this article by John Robbins (author of _The Food Revolution_)  interesting.


----------



## Gretchen

I think this last post is a bit misleading. We have had no bird flu in this country so it is a bit of a moot point. Properly cooked chicken and eggs are perfectly safe to eat--just as would be required for safeguarding against salmonella. This is true even where the bird flu has been identified.
The part that is true that where the bird flu has been transmitted to domestic poultry it is in places in Europe and Africa that have been exposed to migrating birds from the east.
I think the only cases of bird flu in humans have come from people actually handling the birds--not from eating the meat or eggs.


----------



## Andy M.

Gretchen:

Michael didn't say anything about EATING the free range birds.  Consider the poor farm hands that have to gather and process them.


----------



## lmw80

When I said better and superior, I meant, that in their commercials they say that they are healthier and higher in protein....I actually wasn't even aware that they were free range eggs.


----------



## Ishbel

As a UK citizen, I have no knowledge of the adverts!  But, I have only eaten organic, free-range eggs for the past ten years.  More from a position of unhappiness at the unnatural way that battery-farmed chicks and eggs are raised and for the fact that they are much, much tastier than the insipid, pallid eggs with additives that are raised by battery farms.


----------



## Robo410

As with any premium product, there is a noticeable difference in side by side usuage and examination.  
However, there are people out there who can't tell the difference between butter and margarine, so why buy the costlier product.  Or are on a tight budget, or only use eggs in pancakes and brownie mix.  To each his/her own.

I like pepper on strawberries.


----------



## jennyema

I think they definitely taste better. 

I was wondering about their protein claim, too. ???

I used to buy them regularly until they got to be 3 times more expensive than store-brand eggs. Now I buy the cheaper eggs.

Eggland's Best has a brand that is not cage-free and one that is.  I am referring to the former.


----------



## Yakuta

I use Egglands Best and I like them.  BTW I am not sure why people assumed these are free range.  I don't see any claims like that on it's box.  The claim they make is that it has 33% or so lower cholestrol than regular eggs.  I am not sure how.  I just like the packaging since I buy 18 of them at a time and I have never run into a single cracked egg yet. 

I have also bought free range and ones that claim that the feed given to chicken was vegetarian.  I found the yolks to be brighter and richer but nothing more from a flavor perspective. 

I still miss eggs I use to eat back in India.  They were warm and fresh and we bought them and made them the same day.  There were no large or jumbo just small little eggs that were full of flavor.


----------



## Gretchen

_Michael didn't say anything about EATING the free range birds. Consider the poor farm hands that have to gather and process them_

BUT the subject is _eating_ eggs--and there is no bird flu in the US. This is one way that erroneous information gets disseminated--"You know, I read on the internet the other day that US free range chickens transmit bird flu".  That is the reason I said it was misleading. We do not have bird flu.  So the "poor farm hands" are also not at risk.


----------



## jennyema

Yakuta said:
			
		

> . BTW I am not sure why people assumed these are free range. I don't see any claims like that on it's box.


 
They sell cage-free eggs as well as non.  AT least in my store they do.  Next time I am going to see how much the cage-free eggs are.  Their non cage-free eggs are about 3.29 a dozen


----------



## buckytom

i have tried them, but haven't found any appreciable difference with other eggs.

in fact, my family doesn't seem to like them, so it's an easy decision for me.

the last few times i've bought free range eggs, which were also labelled organic, several had little blood spots in them. after everyone stopped freaking out, i promised not to buy them again.

oh, and just to help be a little more clear, you don't get bird flu from* eating* any kind of chickens or eggs. it has mostly been contracted from direct contact with domesticated fowl. the worry is that it will mutate to become severely infectious, human to human. i'm not sure if it would then be by contact, or is airborne, but it has nothing to do with eating chickens or eggs.


----------



## Yakuta

Hi Jennyema yes I pay about that much at SAMS for the 18 count.  I did not know they had a cage free version.  I am sure SAMS does not carry that one. 

Buckytom yes the blood spots in those organic eggs.  They did turn me off  as well and it was in about 1/2 of my egg yolks and that's when I switched back to Egglands.


----------



## sparrowgrass

All righty--a topic I know something about.  I was a poultry inspector for USDA for a mercifully brief period of time, and learned quite a bit about egg  and poultry production.  Now, I have my own chickens, so the learning continues.

Eggland eggs have less cholesterol because of what the chickens eat.  They are also graded to a slightly higher standard than regular grade a eggs--especially in regard to blood and meat spots.  

A certain percentage of all eggs have blood or "meat" spots in them.  The blood and the bits of flesh that make the meat spots come from injuries in the bird's oviduct--the reproductive system.  These spots might gross you out, but they certainly won't hurt you.  And they are not indications that the egg is fertilized--commercial hens never see a rooster.

Commercial eggs are candled over a bright light that illuminates the inside of the egg, making blood or meat spots visible.  Either electronically or by human hands, those are are pulled and either sold as a lower grade or broken and sold as liquid eggs to bakeries and other food production places.

You are more likely to see bloodspots in brown eggs, because the shell color makes the eggs harder to candle.

If you buy farm eggs, they may or may not be candled, so you have a higher instance of blood spots than you do in commercial eggs.

"Cage Free" and, in general, "Free Range" are advertising terms.  Cage free hens are raised in conditions almost as crowded as battery hens--thousands in long metal buildings.  Instead of being in individual cages, they are loose on the floor.

The only requirement for "Free Range" chickens is that the building they are kept in has to have a door to the outside, which is only opened after the chickens are 4 or 5 weeks old (small chickens have to be kept warm.)

Because the chickens  are crowded together, only the ones closest to the door can go out--out to a small, probably feces covered cement area.  The chickens are slaughtered at 8 weeks of age, so by the time they get used to finding the door, they only have a few weeks in which to go outdoors anyhow.

Pasture raised is a bit different--there, chickens are kept on grass, in portable cages that are moved around, so they can eat grass and bugs.  THAT makes a difference in how eggs and chicken meat taste.  

I wouldn't pay extra for free range commercial chickens or for cage free eggs.  As I said, they are marketing terms, designed to get you to pay more money.


----------



## Andy M.

Thanks for the good info.


----------



## buckytom

so, you're saying (in a future life) try to get a seat by the door...


----------



## Debbie

Has anybody tried those Omega 3 eggs..  says they are a source of Omega-3 fatty acids.. and that no antibiotics or medication is in the feed.   I have been buying them lately.


----------



## Andy M.

buckytom said:
			
		

> so, you're saying (in a future life) try to get a seat by the door...


 

Only if you're eager to walk on a, "feces covered cement area..."


----------



## buckytom

hey, the poop is always greener...


----------



## Andy M.

buckytom said:
			
		

> hey, the poop is always greener...


 
I really like your positive mental attitude.  There must have been some clockwise stirring going on in your past.


----------



## sparrowgrass

buckytom said:
			
		

> so, you're saying (in a future life) try to get a seat by the door...


 
LOL, Buckytom.  Or come back as one of my chickens--fresh greens and table scraps every day, and an occasional thrill when one of the Aussies chases you around the yard.


----------



## marmalady

Wow - lots of good info here - I don't buy the 'omega-3 eggs' at twice the price, 'cause if I want omega-3, I'll eat fish!  It's like putting calcium in Tums to get peeps to buy more Tums! 

I do, however, buy free-range eggs farmed locally by the Mepkin Abbey monks; their chickens are -truly - free range, they have a huge yard to roam around in, and are outside all day.  Sparrow, your info on free range was fascinating, and I'm sure true of the 'big' producers; but - if you can find a small, local farm, you'll find some of the most delicious eggs.

I can honestly tell a difference between the free-range eggs and 'regular' eggs.  The free range eggs just have a richer taste.


----------



## sparrowgrass

Absolutely, Marmalady.  I can taste the difference now with my own eggs--the girls are locked up to keep them out of the newly planted veggies.  I do give them leftovers and the weeds I pull, but I ain't gonna be catching bugs and digging worms for them.


----------



## velochic

Sparrowgrass... what about eggs labeled "organic" in the US? A hen farmer friend once told me a long time ago that it's simply eggs that come from non-hormone/non-antibiotic injected hens. Is that correct? What about cannibalizing chickens like they do for non-organic cows... does that occur? I mean, feeding ground up chicken parts to chickens like they do to cows. Just some questions this thread made me start thinking about.

P.S. Thanks for all the great information. I'd say 60% of the eggs I eat have bloodspots in them and I've never even thought about it... then again, it also doesn't bother me that I have to wipe chicken poop off of ALL of my eggs.


----------



## Andy M.

velochic said:
			
		

> ...Is that correct? What about cannibalizing chickens like they do for non-organic cows... does that occur? I mean, feeding ground up chicken parts to chickens like they do to cows...


 
Federal law prohibits feeding beef cattle any food that contains cattle parts.  This law has been in place for a while and is the primary reason we have no problem with mad cow disease in the US.


----------



## Banana Brain

I don't think so. There isn't any difference between brown and white, but some people are still being duped into paying more for brown.


----------



## Constance

I don't understand why people get so bent out of shape about "bio-engineered" food crops. They are simply hybridized for better resistance to disease (reducing the need for spraying), better production, and superior taste. 

In regard to caged chickens, I'm all for it. Chickens are nasty creatures, and anything that will keep them from from eating their own droppings and grasshoppers or bugs is fine with me. 

I buy plain old eggs.


----------



## suzyQ3

I buy Eggland's. I've never done a taste comparison, but then, I don't buy them for any appreciable difference in taste. I just figure that I might as well get a little bit better nutrition .


----------



## Harborwitch

Safeway and Costco both have the higher Omega 3 eggs.  We are buying them for the health advantages - but then we're trying hard to really improve on the quality of the food we're going to eat.  I'd rather not eat foods that contain all kinds of additives and chemicals!


----------



## sparrowgrass

Velochic, organic eggs come from chickens fed organic feed--from crops that have not been sprayed with pesticides or fertilized with chemical fertilizers.  I would think, but I don't know for sure, that chemical drugs would be against the rules, too.

In the US, it is against the law to use hormones in chickens.  Most antibiotics have a withdrawal period--if you administer antibiotics, you cannot slaughter the animal or sell the eggs (or the milk, in the case of cows) for some specified period of time.


----------



## bullseye

sparrowgrass said:
			
		

> if you administer antibiotics, you cannot slaughter the animal or sell the eggs (or the milk, in the case of cows) for some specified period of time.


 Sparrowgrass, do you have any reference for this?  I don't doubt you, it's just that this is not what I thought was the case.  I'm always willing to learn.


----------



## Uncle Bob

Not to be disagreeable..especially at 6:30 in the morning...plus have a bad cold....
That being said...I worked for over 30 years in the retail grocery business.
Next there is an "egg farm" with over 1 Million birds 5 miles north of me. I know folks there....

My comments would be...."Buyer Beware"


----------



## sparrowgrass

Bullseye, google "antibiotic withdrawal times, livestock" for info. Antibiotics are marked with the withdrawal times.

Uncle Bob, if you are saying that you have to trust the producer to follow the laws, you are right. However, there are tests for antibiotics, so there are some safeguards in place.

(Just a note on my credentials--MS in Ag, working for U of Missouri Extension, from a farm family.  FWIW.)


----------



## Uncle Bob

Correct! There are test....but the "testers" are few....
Producers fill orders regardless of inventory...
Come to think of it...I don't recall seeing the brand here locally lately. 
Of course I am not looking for them...so they may there.


----------



## skilletlicker

Uncle Bob said:
			
		

> Not to be disagreeable..especially at 6:30 in the morning...plus have a bad cold....
> That being said...I worked for over 30 years in the retail grocery business.
> Next there is an "egg farm" with over 1 Million birds 5 miles north of me. I know folks there....
> 
> My comments would be...."Buyer Beware"





			
				Uncle Bob said:
			
		

> Correct! There are test....but the "testers" are few....
> Producers fill orders regardless of inventory...
> Come to think of it...I don't recall seeing the brand here locally lately.
> Of course I am not looking for them...so they may there.


Uncle Bob, after reading your posts carefully several times, I don't know what your point is.
For what it's worth, sparrowgrass has always been a very reliable source of information in my book.


----------



## Uncle Bob

I have no quarel with Sparrowgrass nor anything he has said...
Reliable source....May he continue to be so!
My point was well stated...sorry you missed it!


----------



## skilletlicker

Uncle Bob said:
			
		

> My point was well stated...sorry you missed it!


Well, I'm sorry to, but it wouldn't be the first time that a well stated argument went over my head.  I'm low on eggs and heading to the grocery store shortly.  What do you suggest?


----------



## Uncle Bob

What would I suggest???  Why.......An Omlet....What else??


----------



## bullseye

sparrowgrass said:
			
		

> Bullseye, google "antibiotic withdrawal times, livestock" for info. Antibiotics are marked with the withdrawal times.
> 
> Uncle Bob, if you are saying that you have to trust the producer to follow the laws, you are right. However, there are tests for antibiotics, so there are some safeguards in place.
> 
> (Just a note on my credentials--MS in Ag, working for U of Missouri Extension, from a farm family.  FWIW.)



Thanks, sparrowgrass.  I will take some time and read some of the results--I only had time to skim, so far.  It seems that there are safeguards in place, including withdrawal times being specified for when antibiotics are administered and provisions for testing the end product.  There seems also to be some notices that address the practice of some to exceed the dosage, and that sometimes the withdrawal times are not sufficient for all strains of a particular produce.  However, I am interested enough to research further.  Thanks again for the pointers.


----------



## sparrowgrass

I am a girl!! I am a girl!!   

And a relatively reliable source, usually, though I can steer you wrong with the best of them.  

Like I mentioned, I work for University of Missouri Extension and we make a point of having good info. 

Thanks, skilletlicker, for your vote of confidence.


----------



## Uncle Bob

A girl........Well bless yo little pea-picken heart...Certainly no offense meant when I refered to you as "he"...I trust that none was taken......


----------



## BreezyCooking

I never bother to pay higher prices to buy eggs that are advertised as being "lower in cholesterol, higher in protein & Omega 3", etc., etc., because I notice that none of these producers actually TELL you what they're feeding these chickens in order to produce these AWESOME credentials.  I do, however, buy eggs (& chicken, goat, pork, & bison) from a local organic/free-range farmer who pasture-raises his livestock.  And he's right around the corner from me, so yes I DO know exactly how his livestock is raised pasture-raised.  (As an aside - visiting his free-range pork is a real hoot.  He raises heritage breed red Tamworth pigs that live free in acres & acres of fenced forest land, yet are really friendly.  Sort of makes it hard to eat the delicious pork they provide.)

I raised pet chickens - for the eggs - for many years.  As Sparrowgrass has said, the fact that my birds received all sorts of weeds, bugs, & table scraps on a daily basis made a HUGE difference in the quality of the eggs.  As far as the scientific value - I neither knew nor cared.  All I knew was that they were GREAT eggs, & my neighbors & family clammored for them.


----------



## MJK

Did you know that having a chicken or two out in the yard will cut down on the ticks that may be lurking there?  They are one of the few birds that eat the little critters.


----------



## BreezyCooking

Actually, Guinea Hens hold the gold star as far as tick predation goes.

My "girls" had a lovely cedar-shingled coop & a large covered run to protect them from the dogs, fox, racoons, & weasels always trying for a quick chicken dinner.

However, when I planned to be working in the garden, I always brought a hen or 2 out with me.  They were a hoot.  Perfectly content to follow me around picking up weed seedlings & bugs as I weeded & turned over soil.  I always brought out heavy-breed chickens that couldn't fly, rather than the light breeds I also kept.  This way I didn't have to bother clipping wings or worrying about birds getting frightened & flying off on me.


----------



## Andy M.

If you want a useful amount of Omega-3, take fish oil tablets.  

A vast majority of Americans consume a lot more protein than they actually need for good health.  

The difference in cholesterol levels among eggs is not significant.  Either with Eggland's or generic eggs, you get more than you should.

I make these points to say that micro decisions about eggs are not necessary.  Eat them because you like them, not because you are relying on them for some nutritional component.


----------



## Uncle Bob

Andy M.....

You Da Man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## bridgetk3

hello all,

i have run across this forum and wish to respond to all who seem to be confused about egglands best!

first and foremost, read the packages on the different varieties of egglands. some ARE cage free, organic, etc. you MAY be getting the range free eggs, but unless u are buying the cage free...then no.

i've noticed people talking about "what" they feed the hens and what makes these eggs different from others. it's exactly that, it's what they FEED the hens that produces a more nutritious egg. the feed that these hens eat is an all vegetarian feed-so no animal by product!  The feed has also excluded hormones and antibiotics, which are commonly found in other feeds.  In turn, these hens produce eggs that are higher in lutein, vitamin e, omega 3, and iodine; and lower in cholesterol and saturated fat, by significant amounts.

another thing people seem to question is what the difference between brown and white eggs are. Simple, white hens lay white eggs, red hens lay brown varieties. some say they taste a difference, other than that there is no difference.


----------



## LadyCook61

bridgetk3 said:


> another thing people seem to question is what the difference between brown and white eggs are. Simple, white hens lay white eggs, red hens lay brown varieties. some say they taste a difference, other than that there is no difference.


 
I raised egg layers,they were white hens, they had  brown eggs,  only different I could ascertain was the color of the yolks , they were darker.  The eggs tastes the same as white.  The yolks were possibly darker because of the feed I gave them, non chemical, organic feed.  I wish I still had those wonderful egg layers, they died of old age and I did not use them for cooking, only for the eggs.


----------



## pacanis

All vegetarian feed?  I was under the impression that chickens need meat in their diet.


----------



## buckytom

boids do need proteins, but it doesn't have to be meat. (same goes for my parrots)
in fact, some people say that feeding meat to birds makes them aggressive.

with chickens, i think it's just because of their name, and we keep crossing the street.


----------



## LadyCook61

pacanis said:


> All vegetarian feed? I was under the impression that chickens need meat in their diet.


there was no meat in the feed that I recall.  This goes back about 15 yrs ago.


----------



## pacanis

hmmm, maybe I misunderstood the chicken forum people then.
I _thought_ I was told by several people that chickens do better with an animal source of protein included in their diet. When they can't get bugs to eat it was good to feed them canned cat food (in moderation) or raw hamburger, even their own eggs (scrambled so as not to lead to other problems). Mine were pecking at themselves something fierce about mid-winter and I started supplementing their feed with raw hamburger every other day or so and the pecking stopped. Some of them are still walking around with missing feathers on their butts, but no more chunks of chicken missing.

I don't know.... from what I've gathered, there are as many ways to care for chickens as there is to thaw them....


----------



## pacanis

Here it is, the fourth ingredient in the chicken feed I use is; animal protein products.


----------



## buckytom

just like the problem with eating a vegetarian diet, you get more complete proteins from meat with less effort.

unless your chickens can take a hunk of flesh out of you at will (as my parrots do on occasion), it shouldn't be a problem.


----------



## LadyCook61

pacanis said:


> Here it is, the fourth ingredient in the chicken feed I use is; animal protein products.


 
thanks , pacanis.  my chickens were free range, they had use of the whole 8.7 acres of land.  We never fertilized the land with chemicals or anything so the chickens did not get contaminated, nor the eggs.  When we had a garden , we used chicken manure , and wow did the veggies grow.  We had to be careful not to use too much manure it was very potent and burn the plants and roots.


----------



## GotGarlic

bridgetk3 said:


> i've noticed people talking about "what" they feed the hens and what makes these eggs different from others. it's exactly that, it's what they FEED the hens that produces a more nutritious egg. the feed that these hens eat is an all vegetarian feed-so no animal by product!



Not sure what you mean by "no animal by product," or why that's desirable.



bridgetk3 said:


> The feed has also excluded hormones and antibiotics, which are commonly found in other feeds.  In turn, these hens produce eggs that are higher in lutein, vitamin e, omega 3, and iodine; and lower in cholesterol and saturated fat, by significant amounts.



You must have missed the post where an FDA inspector said it's illegal in the U.S. to give hormones to poultry, and that poultry producers must withdraw antibiotics from the birds a specified period of time before slaughter, so it will be eliminated from their bodies first.

I think greens and nuts are far better sources of lutein and vitamin E, and fish, especially tuna and salmon, are better sources of omega 3 fatty acids.

Vitamin E
Lutein


----------



## sparrowgrass

And the color of the chicken does not match the color of the eggs.  It sounds goofy, but the color of the hen's earlobes tells you what color the eggs will be--and I bet you didn't even know that hens had earlobes, did ya?

I have hens that lay brown eggs--the hens themselves are all different colors, including white.

And, praise the powers that be, I am no longer a chicken checker.  I work for Extension now.


----------



## JGDean

*scrambled eggs and cheese*



buckytom said:


> boids do need proteins, but it doesn't have to be meat. (same goes for my parrots)
> in fact, some people say that feeding meat to birds makes them aggressive.
> 
> with chickens, i think it's just because of their name, and we keep crossing the street.


 
Don't you give your parrots cooked scrambled eggs, shrimp, meat and chicken bones, nuts, cheese and other proteins? My cockatoo loves them. He's very healthy. An Amazon I had loved eating unsweetened plain yogurt holding his own spoon of course.


----------



## buckytom

my birds get all of the things you've mentioned. they get nuts every day, chesse about twice a week (pizza is a fave), and chicken leg bones all the time. dw saves the bones from dinner, then gives it to them at night when i'm not home. busy beaks aren't noisy beaks. 

 my molluccan gets crazy if i don't share a wendy's classic double with cheese with him when i get home late. he eats until his crop is a stuffed balloon.

i've heard other bird owners report (and have noticed) that when cockatoos get a lot of meat as the protein in their diet, they tend to be more quick to bite, and do other beahviours to display their superiority.


----------



## pacanis

Birds can eat cooked chicken bones?
I thought only raw bones were OK for animals....


----------



## Maverick2272

We buy Egg Innovation's eggs. They come in white or brown, same price and we buy the brown. We buy them because they taste much better than the other eggs offered in the grocery store.
We have done side by side comparisons and the Egg Innovation eggs, although labeled the same size, generally have more whites and brighter yolks, and after cooking are larger and more appealing in appearance. But bottom line, they do taste much better to us than the other eggs.
We did compare them to Egglands, and Egglands did not impress us, so we stick with Egg Innovations. They are vegetarian fed, cage free but it was the taste that got us eating them. Now you can't pay DW to go back to one of the other grocery store brands.


----------



## muryful

*a vegetarian chicken*

ok...a vegetarian chicken??? last time i checked all chickens ate ground up corn called hen scratch...and corn was a vegetable the last time i checked so therefore wouldnt that mean that all chickens are vegetarian?
i firmly believe that the term "layed by a vegetarian chicken is a advertising scam to get vegetarians to buy their eggs...


----------



## BreezyCooking

Muryful - for a gazillion years now commercial & many backyard chicken flocks have been fed feeds that contain a heck of a lot more than corn.  Like fish meal, meat meal, poultry meal, bone meal, yadayadayada.

You've been sadly mistaken if all these years you thought eggs - & chickens - were "vegetarian".


----------



## DramaQueen

*I have never noticed a difference between Eggland eggs and just plain ole' eggs.    I do notice that the yolks are very , very yellow bordering on orange.  I don't like that.  Looks like dye to me.    For the price they're asking they have to be a lot better than they are. *


----------



## Chief Longwind Of The North

BreezyCooking said:


> Muryful - for a gazillion years now commercial & many backyard chicken flocks have been fed feeds that contain a heck of a lot more than corn. Like fish meal, meat meal, poultry meal, bone meal, yadayadayada.
> 
> You've been sadly mistaken if all these years you thought eggs - & chickens - were "vegetarian".


 
At one time, I raised chickens.  They had the run of the yard and were mostly kept in a pen, surounded by chicken wire.  At night, they stayed in the roost.  The chickens were indeed fed corn, but were also fed chicken feed, wich contained much more than corn.  Also, they ate every insect they could catch.  I also watched a mouse make the mistake of running through the hen house.  The hens attacked that mouse ferociously and had it consumed in a matter of less than a minute.  You have no doubt heard of sharks and the famous "feeding frenzy".  Well, from personal observation, when a small animal gets near enough to chickens, they put the shark to shame.  Chickens are not, and I repeat this, are not vegetarians.  They are omnivores, as are many birds.  They also eat worms and grubs when they find them.

Seeeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


----------



## BreezyCooking

I don't buy Eggland's simply because I don't believe they're any better than the free-range or local farm-raised eggs I get around here.  And I can't believe part of their exhorbitant price isn't because they feel the need to put that stupid little red rubber-stamped "EB" on every single egg. Good grief.

As far as orange yolks DQ - don't automatically write them off.  While Eggland's are probably produced by the feeding of such natural foodstuffs as marigold petals (remember good old Frank Perdue & his yellow chickens? Marigold petals are part of their feeding program for just that reason), a tight white, & high, deep orange yolk is normally the sign of a chicken that's been allowed to eat what chickens normally eat when "out on the range".

When I raised chickens, those deep orange yolks - the product of chickens grazing in the garden along with being fed an abundance of chicken scraps - were a sign of truly superior eggs.

If all you're used to are pale yellow yolks though, I can see why the dark color might throw you.


----------



## pacanis

BreezyCooking said:


> I don't buy Eggland's simply because I don't believe they're any better than the free-range or local farm-raised eggs I get around here. And I can't believe part of their exhorbitant price isn't because they feel the need to put that stupid little red rubber-stamped "EB" on every single egg. Good grief.
> 
> As far as orange yolks DQ - don't automatically write them off. While Eggland's are probably produced by the feeding of such natural foodstuffs as marigold petals (remember good old Frank Perdue & his yellow chickens? Marigold petals are part of their feeding program for just that reason), a tight white, & high, deep orange yolk is normally the sign of a chicken that's been allowed to eat what chickens normally eat when "out on the range".
> 
> When I raised chickens, those deep orange yolks - the product of chickens grazing in the garden along with being fed an abundance of chicken scraps - were a sign of truly superior eggs.
> 
> *If all you're used to are pale yellow yolks though, I can see why the dark color might throw you*.


 
Same as a yellow skinned chicken compared to a white skinned chicken. Sometimes it just doesn't look right because we are not used to it.

Clover will make for some deeper colored yolks, too.


----------



## Mama

I grew up in the country.  When I was little we used to buy eggs from a farm.  I remember there being a refrigerator on the front porch and you would go get your eggs out of the refrigerator and leave the money in the box that was inside the refrigerator.  Oh, the good ol days when people could be trusted.  Anyway, they had a beautiful deep yellow almost orange yolk and they were the best eggs.


----------



## sparrowgrass

Chickens are definitely not vegetarian by nature--they will even eat each other, if the opportunity arises.


----------



## velochic

DramaQueen said:


> I have never noticed a difference between Eggland eggs and just plain ole' eggs.    I do notice that the yolks are very , very yellow bordering on orange.  I don't like that.  Looks like dye to me.    For the price they're asking they have to be a lot better than they are.



Sorry, I can barely read you posts with all the formatting, so I had to put your post into the "usual" formatting to make sure I was reading it right.

Farm fresh eggs do have orange yolks.  People who eat only supermarket eggs have no idea what fresh eggs look like, nor how they taste.  It is most certainly worth it.


----------



## DramaQueen

pacanis said:


> Same as a yellow skinned chicken compared to a white skinned chicken. Sometimes it just doesn't look right because we are not used to it.
> 
> Clover will make for some deeper colored yolks, too.


 
*I stand corrected.  I bought a dozen eggs from the farm a couple of days ago, right from the hen herself  and not only were they delicious and fresh but the yolks were very, very orange.    *


----------



## pacanis

Well I hope you bartered. Hens like to barter ya know


----------



## jasonr

> Sorry, I can barely read you posts with all the formatting, so I had to put your post into the "usual" formatting to make sure I was reading it right.
> 
> Farm fresh eggs do have orange yolks. People who eat only supermarket eggs have no idea what fresh eggs look like, nor how they taste. It is most certainly worth it.



I've noticed that when I buy the really expensive organic / free range eggs at Whole Foods, the really super-expensive brands that only appear in health food stores, they do tend to have a deep orange colour, versus the pale yellow colour you get from most supermarket brands. 

I wouldn't bother paying more though for Eggland's best, or any of the big mainstream brands. There does not seem to be any difference between the "organic" / "free run" big brand eggs and the everyday supermarket eggs. They look identical to me.

Frankly, I'd never be able to tell the difference in taste between the worst egg in the world and the best egg in the world. I probably have the worst sense of taste in the world. But I don't mind paying $2 or even $5 extra if there's a chance that it means the chickens are being treated decently.


----------



## Ekim

I pay extra for one brand I cannot recall right now.  If I can't get my usual brand, I get whatever is labeled "vegetarian feed".  I just cannot stomach the idea of chickens being fed chicken parts.  Cannibal chickens... that's just messed up and I don't care if they willingly eat one another.


----------



## PieSusan

^ I did not need that image stuck in my head, Ekim. While I understand the sentiment, I think your comment borders on the political.
Buy what you want and eat what you want but please don't share those images with me.
Thanks, Pie Susan


----------

