Wednesday, February 6, 2013

The Beauty of Pastured Chicken Eggs



http://lovethosewideopenspaces.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-beauty-of-pastured-chicken-eggs.html
From Chicken to Kitchen - Today's Fresh Pastured Eggs!
The warmth has returned to the ranch today, and the morning is bright blue and fresh.

They're saying it will reach 80 degrees later today.  I'm looking forward to working outside. 

With the increasing hours of light in February, our laying hens are producing an abundance of eggs.  Today’s bounty is beautiful!

Yes, I can tell you that our eggs are organic.  They’re free range too.  But most importantly, we pasture our chickens.  

Each morning at dawn I throw open the shed door and the birds are released; free to wander wherever they choose.

Did you know there was a difference between these organic, free-range and pastured eggs?

To have organic eggs, a producer must certify to using organic methods in raising and feeding their birds.  These chickens will have had no hormones or antibiotics, and are raised on all natural feed.

Free-range in eggs means the farmer’s chickens are not kept confined in cages.  That’s a good thing, for sure, but free-range doesn’t really mean the birds are free to roam where the chickens want to go. 

Free range factory birds are raised in large window-less barns, under constant low artificial light.  They’re kept their entire life indoors without access to pasture.  The birds have freedom of movement, but live their lives in an unnatural environment. 

Pastured eggs come from chickens allowed to roam outdoors.  While still given access to feed and water, the birds roam the fields and gardens eating whatever they find as Nature intended. 

Folks, chickens are not meant to be vegetarians.  Out in fields and gardens, chickens will hunt and peck all day for bugs and worms.  This natural diet allows the birds (and eggs) to take up more protein.   

Pastured chickens will rip away at grass and and weeds and wild flowers, getting their daily dose of fresh greens.  And all the time they’re out there walking and scrounging, pastured hens are basking in sunlight and soaking up Vitamin D.

What does this mean to the egg consumer? 

Pastured eggs have more nutrients than those off of factory farms whether organic, free-range, or caged eggs. 

Pastured eggs were found to have 5 times more Vitamin D, 66% more Vitamin A, 2 times more Omega-3 fatty acids, 3 times more Vitamin E, and 7 times more Beta Carotene. 

On top of all this, the simple fact is that pastured eggs just taste better. 

Keeping chickens is a luxury not everyone has the opportunity to enjoy.  But you do have a choice on the quality eggs your family will eat.  Next time you’re at your local market, consider paying a little bit more for pastured eggs.  You’ll get a better taste and a whole lot of nutrition.  

Just a thought from a farm girl.



- Sanne Collins
   From the Ranch in Florida



 

What’s Been Keeping Me Busy Lately

Love Those Wide Open Spaces is a blog designed to follow my daily life as a freelance writer and rancher.  It’s a life full of constant change and a wide scope of interests.

Freelance writing, by its definition, requires the ability to write on a variety of subjects, to juggle many assignments during the times of plenty, and to fill the void when checks are slow.   That said, I’m always writing.

Much of my work is done for others such as corporations, websites, or articles penned under another’s name.  I’ve sold the rights to these works, so they can’t be shared. 

However, many of my projects are available under my own name and can be read right here on the web.    

 You can click on either the site or the story below to see them.

Check out what’s been keeping me busy lately!






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4 comments:

  1. Dang, there's a lot to know when buying eggs. Who knew this stuff? Thanks for explaining it, tho.

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  2. I didn't know all the differences with eggs. I thought an egg is an egg. I will pay more attention when buying them from now on.

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