FRESH eggs??

   / FRESH eggs?? #1  

jymbee

Platinum Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2011
Messages
594
Location
Upstate, NY
Tractor
Massey 1652, 1949 Farmall H
We had not bought fresh eggs from small, local hen houses for some time. The other day I was chatting with some house guests and describing to them how much different fresh eggs were from most of the typical supermarket eggs you buy these days. Instead of pale yellow yolks and watery, runny egg whites, the yolks were bright yellow and the whites are much thicker.

So they bought some on my recommendation. However, even after trying different local sellers I could see virtually no difference between these "fresh" eggs and market eggs. Naturally they weren't impressed!

Anyone still seeing the kinds of fresh eggs I remember, or is this the new normal??
 
   / FRESH eggs?? #2  
The color of the yolk and consistency of the white are due to what the chickens are eating. Chickens at the local hen house are allowed to "free range" - i.e. eat bugs, etc. Supermarket eggs come from mass production facilities and the chicken are fed a "diet" that will produce a different egg.
 
   / FRESH eggs?? #3  
I have a friend that has in the last few years gotten licensed by the state to sell his eggs to stores. He is pretty picky about what his hens eat ( he has 300-400). When I buy from him there is definitely a difference from most store-bought eggs. As you said, yolk with a much deeper, more orange color. He takes his business pretty seriously, and his eggs bring a premium (I think $3.50 in the stores) and he can't keep up with demand. He only sells to small grocery stores since the big chains won't give him the time of day.
 
   / FRESH eggs?? #4  
What "oosik" said...! We have 6 Barred Rock hens, that get a mix of organic chicken feed, garden scraps, kitchen veggie trimmings etc. Ohhh, those are good eggs!
 
   / FRESH eggs?? #5  
It's been a long time since we have had farm fresh eggs; I bought a dozen at our local feed & Seed the other day...they were fertile eggs...not so appetizing with the blood spots and all. I'm sticking to the store-bought variety thank you.
 
   / FRESH eggs?? #6  
Ever since I was a little kid, my dad used to go on and on about how anemic looking and bland tasting the factory farmed eggs that my mom bought were.
For years, I thought he was just full of it.
Then a couple years ago, a guy at work started selling me his free rangers @ $3/doz.
He even throws in a duck egg or two if he comes up short on hens eggs.
If he can't deliver before we use them up my wife and I sadly eat market eggs.
I really like the free range eggs - they taste much ... eggier.
The deep yellow yolk and firm whites look so appetizing, sizzling on the skillet.
The blue, green, brown and white shells are a feast for the eyes.
Hardly ever get a fertilized one.
More often we get double yolks.
I really gotta build a fox/dog/coyote/hawk proof chicken tractor and get some birds of our own.
 
   / FRESH eggs?? #7  
Our neighbor would give us eggs periodically, and they were far better than store bought. We started our flock in May. Free ranging chickens should start laying in about September.
 
   / FRESH eggs?? #8  
Yep, much darker yellow yolks, thicker whites, and much stronger flavor. Of course I grew up eating eggs from free range chickens, but I haven't had any eggs like that in several years. But I would be willing to pay a bit more for such eggs.
 
   / FRESH eggs?? #9  
Yep, much darker yellow yolks, thicker whites, and much stronger flavor. Of course I grew up eating eggs from free range chickens, but I haven't had any eggs like that in several years. But I would be willing to pay a bit more for such eggs.

I can meet you in Waco and we can make the exchange.
 
   / FRESH eggs?? #10  
We let all our chickens free range. The yolks are deep orange and much better tasting than commercial layer houses where the chickens eat pelletized feed and stay under lights 24 hours a day just to lay them selves out in about 12 months.
Our chickens go thru a slow laying cycle occasionally so I guess they have to recharge every now and then. Drastic temp changes, either hot or cold will also turn them off for a few days.
I am sure that the amount of time and feed that I give them, I could buy a dozen eggs a day and be less money spent but they do taste very good. Usually we have enough to supply all our kids with several dozen each time we visit them and they love them.

As for blood spots, rarely see them in our eggs and they are all fertile. I have several roosters of various breeds and they do enjoy their job. Most of the hens have all the feathers off their backs. I just wish my Peacock has as much energy. About 90% of my peahen eggs are not fertile. I did eat one of them a few days ago and it was delicious. If I could get them all fertile, that would be an expensive meal though as they sell for $5 each on the net. I got 3 eggs to hatch out of over 30 that she laid this year, last year not one hatched and the birds are going on 4 years old.
 
 
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