Healthier pastured eggs = Healthier chicks?

[UncleHoot]

A lot of us here raise our meat chickens either on pasture or free-range. Most of us are familiar with the difference in eggs that free-ranged chickens produce, and many of us believe they are healthier.

So this got me wondering... If free-ranged chickens' eggs are healthier for us to eat, then wouldn't it follow that the chickens that hatch from them would be both healthier themselves, and maybe even healthier to eat come processing time?

I don't know if JM Hatchery free-ranges his breeding stock or not, but I've certainly never heard of anyone doing so with Cornish Cross breeding stock. It just makes me wonder if there would be a niche market for it, and I wonder if the chicks would be healthier and better suited toward a pastured existence.

 

[Puck-Puck]

That is an interesting question. If it's true that pastured eggs are healthier eating, then it follows that they are healthier for those they are originally intended to nourish! As you say, it's likely a rather small niche among niche markets, but I'd love to hear the results if you were willing to experiment. (This is not meant as a cop-out; I'm not set up for breeding OR pasturing at present.)

 

[Bossroo]

The research scientists at the Universities and large breeding farms have the nutrition thing down pat to the cropfull and is a constant for the best expression of the genetic makeup of the selected chickens and make a profit. While on free ranging it will depend on the local climate, environment, soil composition, type of vegetation, insect type and numbers, and time of the year and one year to the next. The nutrition thing may vary quite a bit... the egg may be high in some nutrients , but may be deficient or low in others. The choice of breeds or crossbreeds one uses will also influence the individual results. So many varieables equals to the luck of the draw.

 

[UncleHoot]

Quote:
Interesting. I really don't know what happens with breeding layers. I would imagine their conditions are better than the layers laying supermarket eggs, though, so it stands to reason that for the hatcheries to do well, they need to produce healthy chicks, so perhaps they already do come from "healthy" eggs, although not free-ranged.

This whole subject is just a mental exercise for me, as I don't ever intend to start breeding chickens on a large scale, but maybe on a micro scale some day. Regardless, I could never afford the cost of the breeding stock.

 

[Bossroo]

Some say that the free ranged eggs are " healthier". Well,, if one does a scientifical study, one will find that an egg is an egg and the same nutritionally as they all contain the same nutrients. The amounts of each may vary somewhat due to genetics or environment. The free ranged egg yolk will appear more deaply colored and may contain more Omega fatty acids because it eats green matter, but what other nutrients may it be lacking because the hen may not eat the correct forage or it's environmental soils is lacking ? I can get the same deep color in the yolk in a caged hen by feeding it some alfalfa pellets on top of the commercial feed. If one is set on producing one's own chicks from one's own breeding stock, go for it for your enjoyment and challange but not for economic reasons. If one is true to one's self and adds up the real costs of keeping one's own breeding stock. One would find that buying a chick from a hatchery is less costly. One will also find that that purchased chick will be less costly to raise and will produce more edible meat for one's family. As for susstainability argument, where do the MILLIONS of Cornish X come from ? It may not have come from one's backyard, but it came from somewhere. As for the genetic diversity argument, lessons of evolution come to mind. Survival of the fittest. Think back of the rise and fall of the heritage breeds like PR, RIR, NHR, etc.. One can bet their bottom dollar that the geneticists are not resting on their laurals, but busily working on spending millions in selecing the next generation of parent stock that will be even more productive than the Cornish X and it too will then also decline in the broiler industy's favor. Have fun.

 

[dancingbear]

Among breeders, many give the breeding stock special dietary supplements, such as whole grains mixed with wheat germ oil or cod liver oil, and they swear it improves both fertility and hatchability. My eggs from my own free range birds have a very high hatch and survivability rate.

It makes perfect sense to me that healthier parents produce healthier chicks.

While I don't doubt the studies done on nutrition geared toward large scale production, it IS geared to large scale production and profitability. Usually in confinement systems. Commercial poultry production is also geared toward rapid turn-over and replacement of birds. A small-scale home flock might be kept for years, before replacement.

It may be that when the life span of a bird is extended, a free range diet becomes more important for long-term health, immunity to disease, etc.

Large scale models are not always the best way to do something on a small scale.

 

[Reinbeau]

Quote:
Actually that's not true, and it's been scientifically proven that freerange eggs are nutritionally superior to that of 'conventionally fed' chickens. Here is the Mother Earth News article with the associated proof.

Thegenetics of the bird will determine whether or not they'd do well being raised 'free range'. I doubt the CornishX would do well on it at all, but there are plenty of heritage breeds that will, they just won't come to weight in a hurry.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

Quote:
Actually that's not true, and it's been scientifically proven that freerange eggs are nutritionally superior to that of 'conventionally fed' chickens. Here is the Mother Earth News article with the associated proof.

Thegenetics of the bird will determine whether or not they'd do well being raised 'free range'. I doubt the CornishX would do well on it at all, but there are plenty of heritage breeds that will, they just won't come to weight in a hurry.

There is some truth to both Mother Earth and Bossroo statements....

An egg is an egg... all the nutrients are the same... but like Bossroo stated, they vary. Pasture raised eggs are richer in Vitamen E and A, Beta Carotene, Omega 3's. They are lower in Cholesterol and Sat Fat. Some nutrients such as Beta Carotene contain insane amounts more than an average egg.

But again an egg is an egg and as long as they have all of those nutrients in the egg the chicks are going to thrive either way. Wether or not it has 30 times more omega 3's than an egg from a hen in confinment doesn't mean it's going to be healthier... I don't think that plays a big role in the chicks development.

Of course healthy chicks come from healthy breeders, but these hatcheries or breeders are so tuned in on how to achieve a 95% hatch rate... and they do this with chicks that preform great measures.... such as gaining 5-6 lbs in 6 weeks. A weak chick couldn't do that.

Interesting though... but I'm not sure that higher levels of some nutrients are going to make the chicks healthier. I think if the nutrients are there in moderate levels the chicks are going to do the same as if they were giving more of a nutrient.

I don't know if JM Hatchery free-ranges his breeding stock or not, but I've certainly never heard of anyone doing so with Cornish Cross breeding stock.

Even though JM strives for good quality free ranging off-spring I doubt they practice this with their breeders. Their goal is to make money, they are more based on production than free ranging their breeders. I be they keep them in a controled environment.... something to ask them.​

 

[dancingbear]

Somehow I think the amounts of various nutrients are important. Especially things like omega 3's.

If the amounts of nutrients didn't matter, why would we need scientifically formulated feeds? Just throw together any old mix, and as long as all the nutrients are there in whatever amount, it's ok?

 

[Wifezilla]

Yes, I think it would make a difference. Not only because of the omega 3's but because of the vitamin D content. These two items have a very big influence on development.