One of my egg customers told my DH

[gritsar]

that my chickens eggs are better than the "farm fresh eggs" he gets from the farmer's co-op.
He said mine had the thick orange yolk he likes and that they stay in place when you crack them open in a skillet. He also said that the ones from the co-op (from several different chicken keepers) have paler yolks and runny whites.
He had to buy from the co-op cuz he likes to buy 4 to 6 dozen at a time and my girls are slowing down (I suspect a molt coming on).
The only thing I can think of that would make the difference is that my chickens are true free range chickens, as in all day, every day. Perhaps the others have backyard birds, but keep in them in a pen?
Would that make so much of a difference? Or feed? Or what?

 

[4hooves&featheredfriends]

I might think that it has to do with freshness from the hen to the shelf. Maybe the local farmers stock up and then provide large numbers at the market?

A longer period of sitting than yours and refrigeration variances?

 

[ozark hen]

yes, you are right, free ranging (from what I have read and experienced)brings about that beautiful dark yellow yolk. I know I have read that the fresher the egg the firmer the white but I have had one older hen laying that has a runny-thin white of the egg and that is when they are just an hour or two old so...........??

 

[4hooves&featheredfriends]

My girls are not free ranging - just started laying within a month and the yolk is a deep gold-orange color. The white is wonderful to "flip" fried eggs

 

[jwchicklady]

I have noticed that my egg yolks are darker golden on the days after they are aloud to free range for a few hours and a paler yellow on days after they have stayed in the coop/run all day.

 

[cybercat]

Gritsar there is a big differance in true free range and fed chickens. I know this for a fact for we had true free range up north that I helped with and got eggs from. Down here in TN our farmers market sells eggs BUT everyone feeds and even though they might get out a bit it is not enough. I noticed that the eggs I got up north were much sweeter than those down here. Yolks were deep yellow or orange and whites thick. Here since everyone that I have bought from it is more like store bought. That to me tells me much in that chickens are penned and fed not true free range. It is in what they eat so even just yard free range is not the same as land free range. Reason varity in what is eaten. Grass is good but herbs, weeds and grass and wild grains is much better. Not to mention all the bugs. I know around our place I have counted over 50 different types of plants. We live on wild acreage with a small forest. I got chickens just so I could free range them and get those sweet eggs again like I had up north. If I could not free range I would not have chickens for around here store bought is much like farmers market since store bought is from a local chciken farm.

 

[trilyn]

Yes, it does make that big of a difference. I have a friend who owns a 300 acre ex-mennonite farm and her birds free range 24/7. The yolks are a deep, deep orange and the whites are thick, the membrane is thick and so are the egg shells. They're very hard to crack! lol I couldn't believe the difference the first time I tried truly "free range" eggs! Major difference, and you know they're good for you!

Congratulations-I wish I could free range mine all day 24/7-just isn't possible. We only live on a 1/2 acre plot and we have neighbors, not close but still-I don't want to annoy anyone.

 

[Bluemoon420]

Mine free range from noon/1 oclock( sometimes later) until 8:30 at night. The eggs have dark orange yolks, thick whites, and my daughter noticed the eggs taste sweeter. She wants me to ship her some while she's in school.

I'm not sure if it's just the free ranging, a combination of the free ranging, and feed, bugs, but whatever it is....We will keep doing it.

Bluemoon

 

[backdoorchicken]

i can't let our chickens free range either but do you think if i put grass clippings in the run daily it would make a difference? i own a ground maintenance company so getting bags of clippings is not a problem.

 

[Bluemoon420]

As long as they aren't moldy, don't see why not. Mine LOVE the clover. We have a lot of clover in our lawn, and they graze on that endlessly.

Bluemoon