Are farm fresh eggs really better?

I have never had farm fresh eggs until we got our own chickens. A few weeks ago a few of our birds started laying eggs.

Our first egg

I pretended to be excited, but to be honest, I was nervous.

Have you seen the merchandise with exclamations of “my pets poops my breakfast.” This is the thought I had when we got our eggs.

Thanks Fuzzy for breakfast!

The other crazy thing I discovered was you didn’t have to refrigerate the eggs. What kind of sorcery was this! It went against everything I thought I knew about food.

But according to my backyard chicken book (and my husband because he does a lot of research while I just like to wing it) its fine to keep the eggs on your counter due to the bloom, which is a natural protective layer that coats the egg. It seals the pores to reduce moisture loss and prevents the development of bacteria. So when we’re ready to eat the eggs we clean them by rinsing them off and they are good to use.

Artsy egg shot

Real life egg shot...Getting ready to eat our eggs for the first time.

I talked to my friend Erin Wingfield about her egg experience. This longtime chicken lover has a lot more knowledge than me about farm fresh eggs and why you should try them.

Erin Wingfield, chicken enthusiast and great dresser!

“There really isn’t a comparison between farm fresh eggs and store bought eggs. Farm fresh have a much richer taste,” said Erin. “Not only that, they have way more nutrients in them because pasture raised chickens have healthier diets.”

We like to feed our birds any vegetable and fruit scraps, as well as things like sunflower seeds.

She explained eggs with light orange yolks most likely come from chickens without as much access to the outdoors (or even no access at all). These chickens are caged indoors under artificial lighting, or roam around a dimly-lit or darkened barn with no windows.

A deep orange yolk means the egg is from pasture-raised hens. This color egg yolk indicates a well-balanced and healthy chicken diet and an egg with excellent nutritional value. And while both farm fresh and store bought eggs have cholesterol, backyard eggs contain lower amounts. 

Internet photo I found because I wan't smart enough to create a visual for you.

“Backyard chickens aren’t for everyone, but they are really fun if you decide to get some,” said Erin. “They have their own personalities and are so funny to watch. Just make sure to do your research – chickens eat and poop a lot.”

And like my children, Erin’s kids like to play with the birds, including her youngest daughter Everly.

Everly hanging out with the chickens. 

Our birds are well loved. 

They like a good snuggle, but they are fast. 

You get a bird, and you get a bird.

I told my dad to catch a bird, and he did it.

Play time with the chickens.

If interested in trying some farm fresh eggs, please let me know. I can give you a few to try now. And in the spring Madi and Abby will be the “Chicky Sisters” and sell eggs.

Here we are dreaming about selling eggs. Just kidding. Just a shout out to Emily Bartley photography. She always makes the farm look amazing!