Sometimes you just run into the answer to a question that you didn’t actually know you wanted to ask. That was the case when I ran into this article on wisegeek – Why Are Chicken Eggs Different Colors? that carefully validated my usual choice.
Chickens who eat free range, varied diets tend to produce healthier eggs, as their free range lifestyles allow them to consume the dietary minerals they need for their own health, and these minerals will be passed down in their eggs. You may also have noticed that farm-fresh eggs have very dark yolks, whereas chicken eggs from battery hens have much lighter yolks, indicating less nutritional value.
I admit, like many of you, my husband and I often stand in complete bewilderment in front of the egg section and wonder if spending that extra 2 TO 3 DOLLARS per dozen of eggs really makes a difference? Or why the brown, free range eggs we tend to buy at Trader Joes are less than the organic white ones? Or why we like the taste of brown eggs better- is this just psychological. (My husband I have to admit gets into these types of conundrums in the milk aisle too).
As I started to dig into this issue, I ran across this article in the NY Times, which helpfully, seemed to answer most if not all my questions and definitely summarized my dilemma.
Now they can be cage free and free range, vegetarian and omega-3 fortified, organic, “certified humane” or “American humane certified.” The incredible, edible egg is becoming unintelligible.
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, natural means nothing so that’s often not a good guideline. Certified organic however, does means something…but is it worth the extra cost? Meanwhile California’s are pitched right into the middle of a battle over how chickens are raised via a proposition on our November ballot.
Sigh.
Reading through all of these confusing assertions, I can’t say I’m any less confused. As a marketing consultant and one who has spent much of her career developing labels for various products, including food, I find it rather dismaying that there doesn’t seem to be a clear cut answer.
How about you?
Photo Credit: Hiroko Masuike for The New York Times
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 🙂
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.
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.
Quick note: chickens can’t digest grasses very well; they need broadleaf plants along with insects, slugs, etc.
Your title should say IncreasingLY Confusing.
Corrected! Thank you!