On the left, a "local" egg from our very local huge chicken operation that stinks up the air regularly. Our school is downwind from this hatch house, and we always dread a wind from the northwest if there be football games, or baseball, softball, or track meets.On the right, one of our homegrown eggs. They have not had any special organic feed, nor have they had much space to roam. This is just what it's like to have fresh home grown eggs. I can almost see the Omega 3's!
15 comments:
Hard to believe that some people are so brainwashed now that they think the dark egg has something wrong with it... or that brown eggs are somehow inferior. Had a home health aid tell that to a family member a few months ago! Good grief.
You do wonder what the heck they do to those poor chickens. Lately I've come to the realization that the chicken that is labelled "cage free" and "fed an all vegetarian diet" tastes so much better than the other chicken. (I do know that "cage free" does not really mean cage free) The new tasteless chicken has developed over the last few years (in my opinion) so whatever they've started doing wrong must be somewhat recent. I had gotten so I thought that I no longer liked chicken. What I find interesting is that in my conversations with others, I've not gotten anyone else that sees this flavor difference - except my immediate family. It's a very obvious difference to us. I'm not sure if that means that they use more flavorings in their cooking - I only use salt. Some people actually look at me like I'm crazy. All I can say is thank goodness for the other people who are buying the cage free/veg diet chicken because if I was the only one they would just stop raising them that way. I'd either have to stop eating chicken or grow my own.
Sorry for this excessively long comment - can you tell that it's been on my mind lately? Ha ha ha.
It's amazing the difference isn't it. I've also found that the egg size is better. We have bantams so they lay medium size eggs, not that you'd know it when you put them in a bowl. Most times they out do the large or even extra large ones you can get at the store. Gotta say, we've loved having our chickens! :)
My medium-sized chickens lay jumbo eggs, and show results similar to your demonstration. I just feed them ordinary chicken food and let them out to scavenge (when I'm not getting a nor'easter). I also give them treats of blueberries--their all-time favorite food--and "spring mix" lettuce, another favorite. At this point, I hope to never go back to store-bought eggs.
Carolyn H
We've been buying eggs from a local farm lately and have been blown away by them. We had been buying "organic" eggs from "free range" chickens, until we read that the real operation in Petaluma was a giant gross factory operation. So, we hunted down some local producer and plan to buy from them until we get our own chickens. Anyway, the difference in taste, color, size etc. couldn't be more stark. Your photo captures the essence of it. What is mass produced and sold as organic eggs is some bland facsimile of a once very real thing.
Dramatic demonstration!
Re:Carolyn's comment, my chickens love blueberries the best too!
I've been buying all my eggs from a guy down the road who has a few birds. I know him personally and know in my heart that he takes good care of his flock. I'm at the point where anything in the supermarket is suspect, no matter what the carton says. I've noticed significant variation in size and color and take joy in knowing that this is as it should be.
Check out Michael Pollan on "TED Talks" where he describes an organic farm in Virginia where the grass, the cows and the chickens form an elegant cycle of sun, natural fertility and pest resistance. These are the stories that give me hope. Yeah, that and the good news that Tiger Woods' mistresses will be competing for $100K on a TV game show.
I had fried eggs at a restaurant last summer. When they came I couldn't believe how sickly they looked. I poked my fork in the yolk and this little squirt of pale yellow popped out. It was sad.
Yea for having your own chickens Deb! It's really nice to know where the food you're giving your family comes from isn't it? I hope I can have a few chickens of my own someday too.
This is the same as we see. Occasionally in December or January we end up buying high production commercial eggs to eat and get reminded of why we like the eggs from our own free-ranged home hens. The deep snows and dark days of winter seem to get in the way of year round enjoyment at some point and even then when our hens lay in the winter the eggs are not quite as good as the warm season eggs. Not enough bugs.
Rurality- I can't believe there are people who think like that!
Elise- my husband bought some boneless chicken breasts from Sam's Club, and I did not like anything about them- texture, flavor... Unfortunately, there are hardly any other affordable options around here, although we will keep looking.
rayfamily- these are some chickens we bought as chicks late last summer, Americaunas and barred rocks. The eggs are medium size but wonderful!
Carolyn H- If I ever have any extra blueberries, I will feed them to the chickens! Doubt that's gonna happen.
Robin- We had not had home grown eggs in a long time, so we reluctantly bought eggs from the store. Even the organic ones had yolks like the one on the left.
FC- Even more dramatic is the fact that these girls started laying in the middle of winter.
MojoMan- I have regular arguments with my husband about the claims made by regular supermarket food. All of it is suspect, in my opinion.
Your reference must be to Joel Salatin's farm. He's got it right.
Lausten North- I have been disappointed like that by so-called organic eggs. Sometimes I wonder why we bother, but then I see eggs like these and it gives me hope.
RuthieJ- Yes. Chickens are so easy to raise, and eggs are so healthy!
Walter- that's what I hear from around here. I guess eggs must be treated as a seasonal product, one to be treasured!
Great photo -- I know how amazed I was at the difference with my first eggs here. I don't add lights to my coop, so there were a few weeks without fresh eggs this winter and store bought eggs didn't come close. The girls are laying again, spring must be near.
my grandparents raised chickens, and I loved the task of gathering eggs.. I think I ate a few too many when younger though, they're not on my fave foods list these days- but when I do buy them, I buy cagefree organic eggs. (I had many cousins in OK that worked in chicken factories, horrid places!)
I know exactly what you mean. I get the eggs from our chickens down at Boyd Hill and now we can barely handle grocery store eggs. The most amazing thing is that these eggs don't stink up the house when you hardboil them. I always assumed that all eggs did!
I wish I had taken pictures of the eggs we had in China. They would have made your home grown ones look pale. It was a little freaky!
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