Pastured vs. Organic Eggs

[dogmom327]

If you had to choose (from a purely health standpoint), would you pick:

1. Pastured eggs from happy chickens with a clean, large pen but not fed organic feed

or

2. "Organic" "free-range" eggs from a store?

I don't have the option of raising my own chickens right now and I'm having a very difficult time finding organic, pastured eggs within a reasonable distance so the above options are what I have available.

I'm really liking the pastured eggs (particularly because the chickens are so well cared for) but I worry a bit about possible chemicals in their food because my 8 mo old DS eats the yolks and I suspect we'll be doing another pregnancy sometime soon.

[tabitha]

it is hard to say, since chickens in a pen, however clean or large, are not pastured. i would probably choose organic, but in any case would prefer truly pastured chickens' eggs that roam free across pasture.

[gentlemango]

Are the chickens on grass in a movable mesh kind of pen? Go for that. If no grass, then it doesn't matter.

[pygmywombat]

Free range in a commercial setting can mean as little as hens raised in an open floor barn. I would go for the hens from option one if you have visited them and feel they are clean and happy.

[TwilightJoy]

Pastured eggs. I have those same choices and I go with the pastured, even though they get fed some soy along with their pecking in the grass.

[dogmom327]

In this case the "pen" is a huge grassy area--probably twice the size of my backyard (and I have a good size backyard). The coop doesn't appear to move but it sounds like they are just in there at night so they don't roost in the trees. When I was there the other day, they were wandering around, scratching and eating bugs. It was nice to see.

I think I'm going to try to talk her into using organic feed (offer to pay her more for the eggs, etc.).

[Mirzam]

I am lucky that I have access to eggs from chickens that are pastured and fed organic grain, but they cost me $6 a dozen.

[dogmom327]

$6 a dozen? OMG...is there any way you can have your own chickens? I feel lucky because these eggs are only $2.50 a dozen and I'm getting 3 dozen a week. Makes for a very cheap source of protein! I'm really hoping if I offer to pay her $3 a dozen (or maybe a bit more) that she'd be willing to switch to organic feed. If I had my own, I'd make my own mix with no soy, etc. but until then, I guess we all have to do the best we can.

[Mirzam]

Originally Posted by dogmom327

$6 a dozen? OMG...is there any way you can have your own chickens? I feel lucky because these eggs are only $2.50 a dozen and I'm getting 3 dozen a week. Makes for a very cheap source of protein! I'm really hoping if I offer to pay her $3 a dozen (or maybe a bit more) that she'd be willing to switch to organic feed. If I had my own, I'd make my own mix with no soy, etc. but until then, I guess we all have to do the best we can.

The eggs/chickens come from a local farm owned by one of the parents at DS's school. They are very "aware" people and treat their animals as humanely as farm animals can be treated, so while I realize I am paying a lot for those eggs, I am willing to do so. Having our own chickens isn't really something I would want at this point.

[UUMom]

Right now, my poor birds are not getting much 'pasture'. The ground is frozen solid. I do give them 100% organic poultry grain. I also gave them organic lettuce from CA today, along with organic parsely. The other day I made up some brown rice and ground flax seed. They also get to run free to their heart's content. Although we did lose a hen the other day... probably to a fox or coyote.

So...I would say , depending on the people, and depending on the weather...and if you were buyng my eggs (I charge $3/dozen), I would say pasture all the way. You can only pasture when the ground has something growing on it or the dirt is soft enough to get at the bugs. It's winter here. Damn winter. My eggs are still better, even without the pasutre part, although who knows what those girls find.

PS I have friends with organic birds in San Diego, and $6/dozen sounds like a lot to mem even for the product. Those CA brids have to be getting far more pasture and far less grain, given how mild the winters are compared to New England winters and frozen ground.

[desertpenguin]

i would go with the pastured eggs. you could also do a comparison between the local eggs and the store bought eggs. how easily do the shells break? how yellow is the yolk? how cohesive is the white? if the shells break easily, the yolk is light yellow, and the white is really runny i think the eggs are not as good. when i can actually get some local free range eggs the shells are harder to break, the yolk is dark yellow (almost orange, depending on the source) and the white is usually more cohesive than the store bought eggs i buy.

[UUMom]

Originally Posted by dogmom327

In this case the "pen" is a huge grassy area--probably twice the size of my backyard (and I have a good size backyard). The coop doesn't appear to move but it sounds like they are just in there at night so they don't roost in the trees. When I was there the other day, they were wandering around, scratching and eating bugs. It was nice to see.

I think I'm going to try to talk her into using organic feed (offer to pay her more for the eggs, etc.).

That sounds good! Good luck with the organic suggestion. If the hens have all day opportunity to graze like that, they are going to be eating more of that and less of the feed, most likely. In summer, my girls eat much less grain. They do gorge themselves on grass and bugs. And the occasional snake...Knowing where your food comes from means a lot. 'Pasutred' doesn't mean much on a store bought box of eggs...

[TonyaW]

Definitely pastured eggs because free range organic can mean very little.

[tempestjewel]

We eat pastured, but non-organic eggs from a family one town over, and they are by FAR the best tasting eggs I've ever had. They have gorgeous dark yolks. Yeah, I wish he raised the birds organically, but they have access to lots of open pasture and he grinds his own grains for them to supplement in the winter, so I figure its the best option for us right now.

[dannic]

I would take pastured over store-bought organic...for same reasons as above.

[WildIris]

Another vote here for the pastured eggs. :-)

We buy eggs fresh from a local farm, and I haven't even asked yet how the chickens are kept or what they're fed. All I know is that the eggs are big and gorgeous with thick, strong shells and beautiful deep yellow yolks... and they taste ten times better than store-bought eggs.

[barose]

I would go for the pastured eggs.

We pay about $4-6 /dz depending on which vendor at the farmers market we get them from. $2.50/dz is a deal!!

[Flowergirl~]

The other day I managed to find pastured eggs for the first time. What a difference in taste! I've been buying organic eggs for the past year but when I start thinking about what those chicken eggs labeled 'free range, organic' are fed, I start to worry. Yes, they are given non-GMO grains etc but there is no legislation about the feeding of soy and pellets with all sorts of horrors that are considered SAFE by our governments.

[dogmom327]

I had mixed a few of the "organic, free-range, omega-3" eggs from the store in the carton with my pastured eggs. I made a German pancake for lunch and managed to use two eggs of each kind. What a difference! The shells do crack much easier on the commercial eggs (almost flimsy) and the yolks were so pale compared to the orange pastured yolks. No more store eggs for me!