Comments on: How To Buy Healthy Eggs In An Increasingly Confusing World

By: Jennifer Lance

Jennifer Lance — Tue, 10 May 2011 13:58:49 +0000

Corrected! Thank you!

By: Grammar Police

Grammar Police — Tue, 10 May 2011 06:45:17 +0000

Your title should say IncreasingLY Confusing.

By: VJM

VJM — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 22:03:28 +0000

Quick note: chickens can’t digest grasses very well; they need broadleaf plants along with insects, slugs, etc.

By: Sustainable Living: Raising Chicks into Hens

Sustainable Living: Raising Chicks into Hens — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:50:52 +0000

[...] as much wood as expected. Building the coop didn’t take much time and before we knew it the chickens had there own place to live and roam. Besides the coop they need a nesting box which is where [...]

By: Being Green in a Tight Economy: Part IV : Eco Child’s Play

Being Green in a Tight Economy: Part IV : Eco Child’s Play — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 04:49:56 +0000

[...] or almonds, feta cheese crumbles and Organicville Pomegranate Vinaigrette. To this we sometimes add hardboiled eggs, tofu or small chunks of chilled chicken and enjoy some focaccia bread on the side. Serve these [...]

By: bethb

bethb — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:03:24 +0000

We buy them from a local farmer direct, or a local farmer who sells through WF (the farmer’s help had a pit bull who ate the chickens, so no more eggs there …).

Did you know also that chickens have earlobes and the egg color will match the earlobe color? Or that eggs can be pink, green and blue as other natural variations?

That chickens are not vegetarian, but will eat bugs and even small frogs in addition to grasses, not just grain.

Pastured, natural diet, direct from farmer. My preference.

By: Emily

Emily — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:23:56 +0000

Catherine Price’s article brought this very confusing issue right to the front. Egg cartons are often intentionally vague, and it takes some digging to find out what they really mean. Ms. Price, after researching the actual meanings of these common labels gave a pretty clear endorsement of the Animal Welfare Approved label:

“For eggs from chickens that live in the sort of utopia conveyed by the images on most egg cartons, look for “animal welfare approved.” Available in limited markets, it is a new label by the Animal Welfare Institute that is given only to independent family farmers. Flocks can have no more than 500 birds, and chickens over 4 weeks old must be able to spend all their time outside on pesticide-free pasture with a variety of vegetation. They must have access to dust baths and cannot have their beaks trimmed (a practice on crowded egg farms) or be fed animal byproducts.”

Tara Parker-Pope of the NY Times wrote a follow-up blog saying, “So what’s the term to look for if you want eggs from a happy, free-living bird? Look for ‘animal welfare approved,’ a new label by the Animal Welfare Institute that is given only to independent family farmers.”

If you’re not seeing the label in stores or at the farmers market, it’s probably because farmers don’t yet know about the new program. If you know a farm that fits the description above, let them know about Animal Welfare Approved–its free to farmers and can really help them with marketing (often a small farmers biggest challenge). Visit http://www.AnimalWelfareApproved.org for more information and to read the complete standards.

By: Carrie

Carrie — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:41:49 +0000

for me the clear cut answer is to buy them from a local farmer. My parents had chickens in their yard and we enjoyed those eggs for a couple of years, but sadly they’ve all gotten picked off by predators.

Yes the eggs were so much tastier and the yolks practically orange! Also wanted to point out that vegetarian eggs are not a good thing. You don’t want eggs from chickens fed soy and too much grain.

Free range chickens are NOT vegetarians. That is not their ideal, natural diet. They eat bugs and worms aplenty, hence the rich healthy eggs