Pasture-Raised Laying Hens
I keep a flock of about 100 laying hens for egg production on grass-based pastures. The hens live outdoors, with plenty of room to run around. The pastures are rotated periodically to keep the hens on fresh, clean grass and to improve the farm’s soil fertility.
The hens forage for a good portion of their food, eating bugs, grubs, and grass. Their diet is supplemented with an all-natural grain feed. Their feed is not supplemented with any medications or antibiotics, and contains no animal by-products.
So why won’t any old egg do? A pastured hen living on grass produces eggs with yolks that are far richer in antioxidants, carotenoids, vitamins, and omega-3 fats than an egg from a hen raised indoors, in confinement. Pastured eggs are, in particular, dramatically richer in Omega-3 fats. Omega-3 fats prevent obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and depression. Omega-3 fats work best when in proper balance with Omega-6 fats. The ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats in a pastured egg is nearly ideal (1.3 to 1), while the ‘indoor egg’ has 20 times more omega-6 fats, in a ratio of about 20 to 1. That’s way out of balance.
Eggs from pastured hens also simply taste better! They are richer, with dark orange yolks that stand up in the pan. They fry up nicer and make baked goods turn out better. Pastured eggs offer many of the same benefits as grass-fed meat, but at a fraction of the cost.
Eggs, like produce, tend to be a seasonal item. The hens lay best in the spring and early summer, and sometimes lay very little in late summer and fall. While I usually have some eggs to sell year-round, eggs are at their most plentiful in the spring. The eggs are also at peak quality from late winter through early summer. Eggs currently sell for $4.50 per dozen.
The hens forage for a good portion of their food, eating bugs, grubs, and grass. Their diet is supplemented with an all-natural grain feed. Their feed is not supplemented with any medications or antibiotics, and contains no animal by-products.
So why won’t any old egg do? A pastured hen living on grass produces eggs with yolks that are far richer in antioxidants, carotenoids, vitamins, and omega-3 fats than an egg from a hen raised indoors, in confinement. Pastured eggs are, in particular, dramatically richer in Omega-3 fats. Omega-3 fats prevent obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and depression. Omega-3 fats work best when in proper balance with Omega-6 fats. The ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats in a pastured egg is nearly ideal (1.3 to 1), while the ‘indoor egg’ has 20 times more omega-6 fats, in a ratio of about 20 to 1. That’s way out of balance.
Eggs from pastured hens also simply taste better! They are richer, with dark orange yolks that stand up in the pan. They fry up nicer and make baked goods turn out better. Pastured eggs offer many of the same benefits as grass-fed meat, but at a fraction of the cost.
Eggs, like produce, tend to be a seasonal item. The hens lay best in the spring and early summer, and sometimes lay very little in late summer and fall. While I usually have some eggs to sell year-round, eggs are at their most plentiful in the spring. The eggs are also at peak quality from late winter through early summer. Eggs currently sell for $4.50 per dozen.
