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| 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!
Florida Outdoors: What You Can See in February
Hillsborough River State Park - Where History and Natural Beauty Converge
Hillsborough River State Park - Where History and Natural Beauty Converge
Dang, there's a lot to know when buying eggs. Who knew this stuff? Thanks for explaining it, tho.
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome!
DeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteGlad you stopped by!
Delete