Farm Eggs vs Organic Cage Free Etc

[Doggygirl]

I sure wish I could find some farm fresh eggs! There must be somebody around here who is selling them but I'm having trouble finding them! Nobody is selling them at the farmers markets but I'm going to ask around.

The folks who raise the cows/pigs/chickens/turkeys that I fill the freezer with have fresh eggs in the summer but they all go to their "meat share" monthly customers which is not how I do business with them unfortunately.....

Must look harder..
DG

[sbarr]

Doggygirl - maybe try craigslist? I regularly see 1-5 ads for that in our area - upstate NY.

[Doggygirl]

Originally Posted by sbarr

Doggygirl - maybe try craigslist? I regularly see 1-5 ads for that in our area - upstate NY.

Thanks for the suggestion. Once place did turn up. It's over 30 minutes away but the phone number at least gives me a place to start asking around!

DG

[Darkfire]

have you tried localharvest dot org?

I have so many choices around me it's crazy I just can't believe baltimore city has more fresh eggs than say IL? I wish you the best on your quest for farm fresh eggs!!!!

[Doggygirl]

Yes...and eat wild and regular googling. I can't believe it either being on the VERY far edge of the metro area bordering on the farm land. Just goes to show I think that the small family type farm has truly gone by the wayside around here.

DG

[sbarr]

doggygirl - 30 min away is a bit of a drive, but might be worth it, if you were to say buy 4-6 dozen eggs (for a month - eggs are easily good for that long - not sure how many you and family consume), you could may do this as a monthly effort when combined with other errands along the way. Or, maybe go in on it with a friend and alternate the trip.

Another thought - put your own ad on Craigslist under farm and garden, specify your postal code and say you are looking for free range eggs.

[Doggygirl]

Originally Posted by Darkfire

have you tried localharvest dot org?

I can't believe this...I looked again at that site and either found something I missed before, or it's a newer listing. I found a farmers market listing that said "fresh eggs" in the longer list of stuff that is supposedly being sold. There was an e-mail contact so I wrote - and was sort of surprised I got a response. He said "get there early, but yes on the eggs...."

So, off I go later this morning. My fingers are crossed! So thanks for suggesting this site even though it gets suggested a lot here! It was well worth that new look. (well, seems promising anyway!)

DG

[Darkfire]

Originally Posted by Doggygirl

I can't believe this...I looked again at that site and either found something I missed before, or it's a newer listing. I found a farmers market listing that said "fresh eggs" in the longer list of stuff that is supposedly being sold. There was an e-mail contact so I wrote - and was sort of surprised I got a response. He said "get there early, but yes on the eggs...."

So, off I go later this morning. My fingers are crossed! So thanks for suggesting this site even though it gets suggested a lot here! It was well worth that new look. (well, seems promising anyway!)

DG

My fingers are crossed for you. Have fun at the market. I've never had so much fun grocery shopping as I do now haha.

[Doggygirl]

Gotta thank you again for sending me back to Local Harvest to try again. I hit the mother lode! I found two farmers who have eggs! I'm not sure about one of them, but the other has the facilities to keep egg production going in the winter (the farmer where I get my beef don't keep layers for the winter beyond their own family needs even though I can't get eggs from them in the summer!).

I can also get chicken parts year round from this guy at more convenient locations than my beef people. He also raises duck which will be a nice change. They have grass fed beef and pastured pork too.

Nice to have more options.

Theoretically I should be getting enough produce out of my own garden at least for the summer, and quite a bit for preserving too. But if it doesn't get warm soon..... LOL I was asking one farmer about the sad state of tomatoes (nothing is getting ripe with this unseasonably cool weather - the professional farmers don't have red ones either - not local ones anyway). I told him I was going to have to find recipes for fried green tomatoes, green tomato relish, green eggs and ham, etc. He handed me a recipe card with a Fried Green Tomato recipe on it! He had little baskets of green tomatos! Guess my idea made in jest wasn't so far off the mark.

Now if I'm going to try this "best ever fried green tomato" recipe I will first have to invest in a cast iron skillet....I'm sure there is plenty of info around here about that!

Mean time I sure enjoyed my eggs when I got home. I promised him I would try out ChickenLady's fool proof peelable hard boiled egg technique on a couple of fresh ones and let him know if it works. (it works GREAT on the store bought eggs...)

I'm so glad I found this thread and whined. Thank you again.

DG

[Darkfire]

I am so happy for you DG. I just made hot bacon salad. Will post a pic in my pic thread. I used farm fresh eggs to hard boil. I added a pinch of salt and baking soda and it was hard but NOT impossible to peel them....They were picked wednesday prolly, I bought them yesterday. I got little ones, mediums because they are only 2.25 a dozen as opposed to like 4 or so for extra large or jumbo. In case I messed up.

My one guy, Andy usually has about 200 dozen eggs, he can sell out by 10am, market starts at 7. So early is best even down here with so many options.

[Doggygirl]

Hot bacon salad sounds GREAT! Now I'm hungry again. I usually don't go through 2 dozen eggs a week but I'm glad I bought 2 dozen today.

DG

[mmh123]

Cage-free, vegetarian and even organic eggs are pretty much the same. Chickens are confined indoors and fed grain. Whether the grain is genetically modified or medicated; that's where the organic label comes in.
Support organic farmers if you can afford it; their methods, while not optimal, are more humane and sane.
Pastured hens are hens that do what chickens do; they roam in pasture, eating bugs, grass, seeds, berries; they are opportunists, like racoons. They are usually also supplemented with grain & calcium, and the color of the yolks will reflect the proportion of grain in their diet.
The eggs are immensely more nutritious. Mother Earth News has analyzed pastured eggs, and the results are here:
The Chicken and Egg Page
Pastured, organic eggs in Northern California can run $5 dozen. I keep 6 chickens (we have about 1/3 of an acre, but I know people who have 3-4 hens in a city-lot sized backyard).
Hens, not roosters are fantastic pest control and fertilizer for our garden, and eggs for the table. They get along well with our cats and dogs, and are hilarious and smart.
If you're interested in getting your food as local as you can (ie, your own yard!), check out BackYardChickens.com - Raise Chickens, Build Chicken Coops, Hatch Eggs.

[Darkfire]

Originally Posted by mmh123

If you're interested in getting your food as local as you can (ie, your own yard!), check out BackYardChickens.com - Raise Chickens, Build Chicken Coops, Hatch Eggs.

I wish wish wish I could keep chickens and bees but I can't. The apartment complex is already strained to their point of comfort with my gardens....I am satisfied with my choices but the second I can have my own chickens I will I cannot wait hehe.

[Doggygirl]

MMH welcome to LCF and thank you for your encouragement and sharing that link to back yard chickens!

Mr. Doggy is a bee keeper of small proportions and in Top Bar Hives rather than the box type production hives just to help the bee population. (this type of hive more closely replicates their natural habitat rather than box hives that are designed to maximize honey production...) Bee Hive Camera There are some cameras so on a good day when all is working you can see some bee action.

Anyway...we were talking last night at dinner about the possibility of getting some chickens. So that link is very timely! I'm a little worried about our own "prey driven dogs" as well as the coyotes who live on our property and the fox family also nearby. (these poor creatures are stuck on minimal land way too close to the city...but that's another issue)

BUT...farmers have been battling those issues of nature for years and given that we have the space, we should consider it. Thanks for the nudge! (all the nudges on this thread, actually!)

I'm so glad I came back here after just not checking in much lately! You guys rock.

DG

[suzanneyea]

I am pretty lucky, I see about 5 to 10 farms in my area that have signs saying "eggs for sale." Living in the country may have some annoying parts, but I am having great luck in changing my diet to be more natural. We do not eat a lot of eggs, so again, the price increase is not a problem.

[mmh123]

Thanks for the welcome! We live with racoons, foxes and neighborhood dogs. A super-sturdy coop for them to nest in at night, and a semi-protected yard area for them to roam in during the day, and they're good. We've lost one chicken (to a fox or dog) in two years.
Good luck and have fun!

[Doggygirl]

Originally Posted by mmh123

Thanks for the welcome! We live with racoons, foxes and neighborhood dogs. A super-sturdy coop for them to nest in at night, and a semi-protected yard area for them to roam in during the day, and they're good. We've lost one chicken (to a fox or dog) in two years.
Good luck and have fun!

Thank you again for the link! Mr. Doggy shocked me and took a realy interest! He has been actively posting on the chicken forum the last couple of days and is well on his way to a coop plan incorporating our garage for the indoor part (sectioning off and outfitting an appropriate space) and a portion of our already fenced in yard (with applicable reinforcements) for the outdoor run. He is getting lots of great input! We are not planning to "rush it" this year - we want a solid plan and we need to educate ourselves to take optimal care of these creatures. But next spring.....

Good to know you have only lost one in all that time! So with care, we can dog/fox/coyote proof to a high degree it sounds.

Everyone on that forum has been really really helpful including pictures from folks who have designed their coops/runs using their garages and adjacent yard areas. VERY helpful. It's the LCF of chickens!!!

If anyone else is interested in considering chickens for your own fresh eggs, the link provided by mmh123 up stream really is a good one.

I'm really glad the leaders of LCF saw fit to create this section of the forum. It (which is all of YOU) is really helping me as I learn and grow in my -ness (green-ness not sick-ness!)

DG

[mmh123]

Glad you like the link! Backyardchickens.com is awesome!

[lighterbeing]

I agree with the farm eggs, I get them from a coworker when her chickens are laying for 2.00 a dozen. So much richer than the organic store bought. I think the blood spots are a fertilized egg, the beginning of a baby chicken. That is a good thing, fertile eggs are supposed to be good for you. That is what someone told me once, but I am no farmer.

[Laura in Arizona]

As a note, I had chickens growing up although I am by no means and expert. Our flock of a dozen or so hens (no rooster) would occasionally lay an egg with a blood spot in it. I know they were not fertilized - that is a fallacy. Found this:

"Blood Spots
Also called meat spots. Occasionally found on an egg yolk. Contrary to popular opinion, these tiny spots do not indicate a fertilized egg. Rather, they are caused by the rupture of a blood vessel on the yolk surface during formation of the egg or by a similar accident in the wall of the oviduct. Less than 1% of all eggs produced have blood spots.

Mass candling methods reveal most eggs with blood spots and those eggs are removed but, even with electronic spotters, it is impossible to catch all of them. As an egg ages, the yolk takes up water from the albumen to dilute the blood spot so, in actuality, a blood spot indicates that the egg is fresh. Both chemically and nutritionally, these eggs are fit to eat. The spot can be removed with the tip of a knife, if you wish.
Source(s):
the american egg board"

[NurseMonkee]

If you can't find farm eggs, what would be the next best choice?

Organic? Even if they are on a vegetarian diet of corn? and sometimes soy?

Is that still worth the extra cost, even with it being corn fed?

[Doggygirl]

Laura, thank you for the clarification on blood spots. That is good to know!

NurseMonkee, to me, organic v. non-organic in terms of major grocery store eggs is the difference between pesticides/herbicides in the feed and also anti-biotics given to the chickens v. avoiding that stuff.

I understand the questioning though. I can buy regular eggs at Aldi for 89 cents a dozen v. $4 and up (unless there is a good sale) for organic/free range/etc. It can be a tough call especially if you are not able to get 100% of what you want. I'm still not sure half the time (or more) whether I'm making the right decisions!

I do not, however insist on certified organic for stuff I buy from small local farmers. I have had good luck being able to talk to the farmers about their philosophies and what they use / don't use, and certification is apparently an expensive and very involved process so it's not practical for many of the little guys.

This is a bit OT from the egg discussion, but the farmer where we got our beef/pork/chicken/turkeys last year doesn't buy organic feed because the "rules" dictate a supplier that is quite a long distance away v. the farmer next door where they get most of their feed today. She said the "depot" where they would have to get the certified organic feed is supplied by so many farmers they don't know that they have more trust in their neighbor's non-organic feed. FWIW!

DG

[Darkfire]

As for Organics, a few years ago at an herb festival I got to talk to some legislative types and some farmers about it. I'd lay my money on local food before Organics flown from California. Or (for shame I did it) an Organic tomato from....uh Mexico. That one tasted horrible too, compared to the local stuff. We have come certified farmers here that are Organic but not all. However, that is not your question.

For me it's not a choice of feeds, it's as simple as I CANNOT handle the sulphuric smell of most eggs. I have to burn incense when I cook them for other people like I did camping a few weeks ago. Even the Wal-Mart Organic eggs I cannot eat. The best eggs I have found are picked the week or even the day I get them. Most still are dirty (a good thing if yer keeping em for a long time, gotta turn them every week or so) and some even still have feathers here and there.

I try not to do any soy or corn, wheat is a non negotiable thing for me it's more of a choice with soy and corn. So I try to get all my food not fed that. I can't be sure what the Wal-Mart eggs where fed to know what makes them unpalatable to me.

I am a special case. On the 'political' level I swore when I returned from Veganism I would be a responsible consumer no matter the cost. But for eggs as I said...my nose knows the difference and won't let me get a forkfull past it.

What is the better Egg, I really do not know but I don't think anyone should spend the amount of time I have figuring it out...or maybe they should....Maybe if we all did things would change.

Either way (and sorry I cant answer the question) I applaud your continued efforts, it's just eggs but if yer low carbing that can be a significant part of your diet.

[mizski]

I get a lot of my eggs from a local farm but sometimes buy Pete and Gerry's Organic Cage-Free eggs. They have a great website and nutritional info for their farm eggs is on the site.

[NurseMonkee]

I know that farm eggs would be best, but that is not an option for me at this time. The farms I've found won't ship either. They are all picky about transporting eggs.

So now my options are.....

1) regular market eggs

2) cage-free (labeled ON A VEGETARIAN DIET - Corn/Soy)

3) organic (labeled ON A VEGETARIAN DIET - Corn/Soy)

Which one is best? The difference between regular white market eggs and organic costco eggs is about 3.00. Is it worth the extra 3.00? I always heard that once you feed these animals corn it messes up the omega-3's.

I don't know. I am all confused. LOL.

[sbarr]

NurseMonkey - where are you located? Several sources available for farm eggs, including: farmer's markets, food co-ops, CSA's, heck, even craigslist (that's where I got my first beef). Just wanted to share that there are several different ways to find eggs. Same for meat and other consumables. Good luck.

[BikerAng]

Nursemonkey - I'll give my 2 cents.

Originally Posted by NurseMonkee

1) regular market eggs I wouldn't buy these, who knows what is in the feed - has to be cheap to sell the eggs so inexpensive. The hens live a horrible life, in a cage the size of a piece of paper - sometimes 2 or 3 per cage. They look like eggs, but the nutritional quality is seriously lacking and by buying these we are just supporting that kind of farming practice.

2) cage-free (labeled ON A VEGETARIAN DIET - Corn/Soy) This is better than the regular store variety, at least the hens can move around (still confined to a building though). The feed is questionable, as are the hormones/antibotics added.

3) organic (labeled ON A VEGETARIAN DIET - Corn/Soy) The feed doesn't contain antibotics and is not genetically motified. Are these cage free?

I'd look for organic cage free (better yet, free range but those are hard to find in a store). That's what I was buying before I started buying from local farmers. They are more expensive, but you aren't eating GE, antibotic ridden eggs. The hens also live a little better life I think because they aren't confined to a cage, but they also don't get to go outside. Some people may think the living quality of an animal is a luxury - but we're eating the foods produced by these animals, how do we expect to be healthy eating sick foods?! That's a whole other topic though I think.

I'm with Darkfire on the smell. I had organic cage free from the store and compared them to the farm eggs - the way they cooked, smelled, looked were totally different. Even the shell was tougher with the farm eggs. I picked up 2 dozen yesterday and there were some light blue eggs in with white and brown. The only thing is they are all different sizes, but I kind of like the inconsistency.

[Doggygirl]

Hi again Nurse Monkey. These questions can seem so confusing because there doesn't seem to be a clear cut path, and availability (and pricing!) can vary so much from location to location.

I read an article a short time ago on EWG.org that helped me at least think through questions such as yours. There really is no "one right answer" for everyone.

There are many reasons that people wish to buy organic / free range / grass fed type alternatives. (speaking very broadly here - this can apply to eggs, meats, veggies, fruits, clothing, cleaning products, etc!) Some of the reasons might include things like:

1) Desire to reduce / eliminate chemicals from diet
2) Concern for care of animals
3) Desire / need to eliminate hormones and/or anti-biotics from diet
4) Desire to buy locally / support small farmers, etc.

The list of all possible reasons is very long I'm sure! And of course budget is a factor for most of us. This article made me more aware that there IS NO one right answer, and that thinking through my own reasons for wanting to buy these types of products and prioritizing that list would help guide my decisions.

I found giving that suggestion some thought to be very helpful.

Hope that idea helps you or someone else.

DG

[NurseMonkee]

Thanks for all your feedback.
It helped a lot. Gave me lots to think about.

sbarr - I am in California. I've gone to a few farmer markets and have also checked all the websites suggested on this board. I have found some farms, but they are using supplemental feed. I did find one that isn't, but it is all the way in Bakersfield. That is way too far to try and get eggs from regularly. I can probably do a trip every once in a while, but I can't do it weekly, and I tend to eat eggs most mornings. Now that my step-children are living with us full-time I am also trying to change their eating habits. That means eggs have become a staple. I did check co-op's but it is mainly veggies and fruits. No luck there.

[sbarr]

Hi Nursemonkey - kudos to you for trying to improve the eating habits of your stepchildren. I'm working hard on my little one, also.

Everything factored in, from what you've mentioned about the three types of eggs, my first inclination would be organic and cage free, then organic (not cheap, but bundled with my CSA, I get free range for about $3 per dozen). I think we have to pick our battles finding good food while balancing availability and budget. It's not an easy equation - I was offered a divorce if I got a chicken.... (A girlfriend of mine had bought several day olds and John was adamant....Chickens eating mosquitos and preventing West Nile didn't get me any mileage. We are a chicken-free home. But, maybe that is his retaliation for me not wanting a cat scratching up my furniture).