Organic Eggs vs Pastured Eggs page

[Beachspirit]

When I have a choice of buying organic or not, I always buy organic. But lately I noticed that the organic brand eggs states 25% less saturated fat and vegartarian diet. Then I look at the cage free or pastured eggs and they don't say organic. What if the chickens are eating grass sprayed with chemicals? Between the 3 choices, which order is best to least choice? Thanks for your help!

[Finnegans Wake]

Go pastured. If you can buy direct from a farmer, that's best. Organic and cage-free are essentially worthless descriptions: organic means the industrial chicken farm your eggs came from fed the birds organic corn and soy. Yippee. Cage-free means that the overcrowded henhouse has a tiny door to a 15 x 15 plot that the chickens never explore, and are still fed crap. That's why I like to know the farmer personally, their feeding practices, what they mean by pasture-raised, and besides, almost no shelf time.

Check eatwild.com for local farms, or find a good farmer's market.

[Sandra in BC]

I get most of my eggs from 3 backyard egg 'farmers'... none are labeled 'organic' or 'pastured' but I know that the chickens are well cared for, cage-free (but within a coop/run for their protection from predators), hormone-free, antibiotic-free and eat bugs, grass, weeds and table scraps and whatever else they can scavenge, and are supplemented with commercial feed. I doubt any of these families spray their yards with chemicals.

Local, fresh and family raised mean more to me than any marketing buzzword.

[AuroraB]

I get most of my eggs from 3 backyard egg 'farmers'... none are labeled 'organic' or 'pastured' but I know that the chickens are well cared for, cage-free (but within a coop/run for their protection from predators), hormone-free, antibiotic-free and eat bugs, grass, weeds and table scraps and whatever else they can scavenge, and are supplemented with commercial feed. I doubt any of these families spray their yards with chemicals.

Local, fresh and family raised mean more to me than any marketing buzzword.

^This. That's exactly how I raise/care for my 34 ladies, except they have the whole run of the farm (160 acres). Best looking and tasting eggs you could ever want.

[meeshar]

I used to buy my eggs from here: TENNESSEE VALLEY EGGS before I knew the difference between pastured and cage-free. I do think that they're still better than battery hen eggs (and still buy them occasionally when I can't get/afford better eggs), but looking at the pictures on their website versus going to the farm that I buy eggs from now is like night and day. The pastured farm chickens are out in mobile coops to keep predators out (they need it, I've been hearing tons of coyotes), moved around several times a day, and supplemented with GMO-free feed. I'm especially disappointed today because I missed my chance to get some of the pastured eggs this week.

I notice a difference when they're cooked--the TN Valley "cage free" eggs don't have the deep orange yolks (though they are darker than battery eggs) and aren't nearly as stout as the farm eggs--they're runnier with thinner whites and yolks. I love the taste of the farm eggs--it's hard to describe, and I know a lot of folks can't tell the difference, but I can. I didn't even like eggs until recent years, and even then I was really picky about how they were cooked, whereas I will eat pastured eggs almost any way you cook them.

[ChocoTaco369]

I'd go with the ones with the darker orange yolks. I would prefer the chickens to eat worms, they are not vegetarians. I bet the pastured have darker yolks, right?

[excursivey]

A good friend started raising some backyard hens (as noted above with a coop for protection), and they forage around there but she also gives them organic laying feed she said. If that just contains organic soy/corn are those eggs any better than the organic ones from the store? Thoughts?

[ssn679doc]

Depends on the time of year.... in the spring and summer when grass is plentiful and there are LOTS of bugs the eggs from my hens are a gorgeous golden yellow. Starting in the fall and on in to winter, the bug population drops considerably and most of the grass goes dormant, so they don't get all the chlorophyl etc, so the yolk color gets a little paler but it stays considerably thicker than store bought eggs.... Hope that helps ChocoTaco369

[Finnegans Wake]

A good friend started raising some backyard hens (as noted above with a coop for protection), and they forage around there but she also gives them organic laying feed she said. If that just contains organic soy/corn are those eggs any better than the organic ones from the store? Thoughts?

Most farmers who raise chickens on pasture supplement to some degree. As long as they chickens are getting free run and eating a natural diet of bugs and whatever else their hungry raptor appetites can accomodate, a little grain isn't a deal-breaker, and organic feed is preferred. Pastured + organic supplement >>> store-bought organics.

Edit: ssn's post just before mine explains why most farmers supplement.

[excursivey]

Thanks - that's what I'm thinking. We're in the AZ desert so not a lot of grass anyway but LOTS of weeds I suppose. And plenty of bugs so I'm going to start getting eggs from her I think.