Farm Raised Vs. Conventional Store Bought Eggs

For a long time I have been excited about the prospect of one day having a little flock of chickens in the backyard and being able to send the kids out to collect eggs.  We used to live in a rural remote town where a few people we knew raised chickens for the eggs.  They would give us eggs and I would marvel at the fact that the yolks are so dark!  The flavor was stronger too.  It made me start to wonder why this was and is there really any nutritional benefit to a fresh, farm raised, free range chicken eggs?

There are so many terms to describe eggs: conventional, pastured, free range, cage free, organic, vegetarian, or omega-3 enhanced and I’m sure there are other labels for eggs out there.  Each of these descriptions means something different.  Here is some information I compiled for quick reference showing what each of these phrases actually means, who knew buying eggs could be so tricky?

 

Conventional (normal store bought)	Weakest nutritionally, crammed in battery cages of 4-11 chickens with about 67 square inches of space, considered inhumane, fed weak diet of corn and soy (natural omnivores) and animal by products.  They are given antibiotics to help with disease and hormones to boost egg production which could end up in you when you eat the eggs.  They are however the cheapest.
Omega-3 Enhanced	Fed a diet of flax seed or fish oil in addition to the regular corn and soy feed. Amount of Omega-3 Fatty Acids varies a lot, most of these hens live their lives in battery cages like a conventional egg laying chicken.
Vegetarian	Basically they are fed corn and soy and no animal waste by products.  They are not able to roam outside and eat what they would naturally eat as omnivores: bugs, worms, snakes, mice…They still live in undesirable conditions, this label means nothing positive that we’re led to believe, except that they’re not eating ground up animal parts.
Organic	These chickens do not receive hormones or antibiotics.  Their feed is organic, so it’s grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, they may have “access” to an outdoor space but whether they go outside or what quality of outdoor space they have is questionable.
Free-Range	Sounds nice, like these chickens have acres to roam around but this is not so.  They are supposed to have access to the outside but there are no regulations on how much time they spend outside or how much space or the quality of the outdoor conditions.
Cage Free	These chickens do not live in battery cages, but are still smashed into a barn.  They might have some access to outdoor space, it just depends on the supplier. Usually it is a small door with a small outdoor space for thousands of chickens.
Pastured (pasture-raised)	Pastured chicken eggs come from real free range chickens.  They are allowed to roam in open pastures, to eat grasses and bugs and eat a natural diet.  Considered most humane.  Most nutritionally dense.

 Nutritional Benefits of Pastured Eggs

• Pastured Eggs contain on average one-third of the cholesterol as conventional eggs
• one–quarter of the saturated fat of conventional eggs
• 50% more vitamin A which is beneficial to developing teeth, bones, soft tissue, and tissues of the eyes. 
• 2-3 times the amount of Vitamin E which is beneficial to promoting healthy blood and circulatory system functioning.
• 3-6 times for Vitamin D
• 2-4 times more Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

The body cannot manufacture Omega-3 fatty acids on it’s own so it is important to get these from your food sources as they are connected to heart health, lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, and other potential health benefits such as decreased risk of diabetes, stroke, digestive disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, some cancers and dementia.  Pastured eggs contain varied amounts of omega 3 fatty acids.  The difference is due to the time of year.  In the winter they eat less greens and bugs and the yolks often become lighter. They are still more nutrient dense than conventional eggs.

Conclusion

My conclusion is that the color difference and richer taste sells me on the fact that there must be a nutritional difference between pastured (farm fresh) eggs and conventional store bought dull colored and tasting eggs.  Just think, when we feed our bodies better more nutritionally dense foods we are healthier and feel better.  Well, the same is for chickens as they produce a healthier egg!

I’m lucky that I can purchase farm fresh eggs from a few places in my area so that is what I usually do.  Otherwise I usually splurge and spend a little extra money on omega-3 enhanced or organic eggs if they are available at my local grocery store.  We eat enough eggs so I feel it is worthwhile to spend a little extra money.  Eventually though, I hope to have my own!

Resources and Recommended Reading:

http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/health-benefits-freerange-hens-eggs-2624.html

http://www.simplebites.net/the-beauty-of-farm-fresh-eggs-and-how-to-source-them/

http://www.motherearthnews.com/eggs.aspx