Pasture Raised Eggs
Pasture Raised Vs. Conventional Eggs. Is it worth the extra $$?
Pasture Raised Chickens in Nature
I just spent $8 on a dozen of eggs. Crazy, I know. A few years ago I would have thought it was Ludacris. But now I know better.
Now I am beginning understand the pasture, where in nature cows and chickens have found a way to live in harmony in a sustainable fashion.
The reason I am happy to spend $8 on a carton of eggs is because I realize how beneficial true pasture raised eggs can be. Now I know that 1+1=3 is possible in nature when there is synergy involved.
Eggs that cost $1 or $2 dollars at the market simply won’t give you the same benefits because they are made from different nutrients themselves! If it weren't for pasture raised eggs, I wouldn't eat eggs at all.
Here’s why.
Now I am beginning understand the pasture, where in nature cows and chickens have found a way to live in harmony in a sustainable fashion.
The reason I am happy to spend $8 on a carton of eggs is because I realize how beneficial true pasture raised eggs can be. Now I know that 1+1=3 is possible in nature when there is synergy involved.
Eggs that cost $1 or $2 dollars at the market simply won’t give you the same benefits because they are made from different nutrients themselves! If it weren't for pasture raised eggs, I wouldn't eat eggs at all.
Here’s why.
Chickens in Nature Love Pie...Cow Pie
| In nature, chickens found that if they follow the cows around the pasture they get access to a constant flow of their favorite food; bugs and larvae. All they have to do it pay it forward. They must dig through the cow paddy to find the bugs. This process ensures the chickens have easy access to food and it also fertilizes the pasture for healthy green grass and clovers to grow for the cows to eat in the future. This natural process allows the animals to farm themselves, ensuring nutrient rich food and sustaining the land they live on. | 
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Problem with cheap super-market eggs
The problem I have with non-pasture eggs is this; I am made from the materials I eat and the materials that they ate or were made in. In animals, this means that I am equally concerned about the meat I am consuming as much as the food that animal consumed before it was slaughtered. Make sense?
When I eat an egg, some of the nutrients from that egg are used to make new tissue. The same is true in animals. I want my beef created from grass and I want my eggs created from bugs and grass.
The problem is that most chickens are not being fed bugs and grass. The problem is also that these chickens are not roaming the pastures, ensuring they receive exercise and sunlight for vitamin D. This lack of sunlight restricts the amount of vitamin D in the eggs, for example.
When I eat an egg, some of the nutrients from that egg are used to make new tissue. The same is true in animals. I want my beef created from grass and I want my eggs created from bugs and grass.
The problem is that most chickens are not being fed bugs and grass. The problem is also that these chickens are not roaming the pastures, ensuring they receive exercise and sunlight for vitamin D. This lack of sunlight restricts the amount of vitamin D in the eggs, for example.
Unhealthy Feed
Unfortunately, in an effort to mass produce, many companies today are going away from nature and feeding chickens an unnatural diet consisting of soy, corn, and grains – none of the foods that the chicken would eat while in the pasture.
The sad truth is that the animals suffer due to this diet. These foods fatten up the animal without the ability to put on muscle to supplement the additional weight. This leads to chicken factories where the animals are confined to small spaces where their beaks must be cut off to prevent cannibalism.
These animals are literally sick and dying and the healthier chickens will attempt to kill the dying animal to protect the living. This is a battle they cannot win.
Here is a great example of a small farm who did a controlled study/test for soy based vs. non-soy based feed.
As expected, the soy based chickens did produce larger chickens however there was also a higher mortality rating in those chickens - almost to the point where it offset the gains. Soy being a cheaper food source, net gain being ultimately the same, I could see why farmers would choose the soy based feed. This however is not right,; this gain is at the expense of the chickens and the consumers of the chickens.
The sad truth is that the animals suffer due to this diet. These foods fatten up the animal without the ability to put on muscle to supplement the additional weight. This leads to chicken factories where the animals are confined to small spaces where their beaks must be cut off to prevent cannibalism.
These animals are literally sick and dying and the healthier chickens will attempt to kill the dying animal to protect the living. This is a battle they cannot win.
Here is a great example of a small farm who did a controlled study/test for soy based vs. non-soy based feed.
As expected, the soy based chickens did produce larger chickens however there was also a higher mortality rating in those chickens - almost to the point where it offset the gains. Soy being a cheaper food source, net gain being ultimately the same, I could see why farmers would choose the soy based feed. This however is not right,; this gain is at the expense of the chickens and the consumers of the chickens.
The Research
While there hasn’t been much research on humans, GM products have shown to have strong negative impact on lab rats.
In Lab rats, GM potatoes were shown to damage the digestive tract and leads to tumor growth which we know to be cancerous. The GM tomato FlavrSavr caused rats to have bleeding stomachs and led to many deaths. These tomatoes were distributed even after known issues.
The list goes on, but the point is that there’s not enough known on the subject to allow it to be used freely and without question. Health should be our number one concern.
I think the research paper by The International Journal of Sciences said it best after their study that can be found here
In Lab rats, GM potatoes were shown to damage the digestive tract and leads to tumor growth which we know to be cancerous. The GM tomato FlavrSavr caused rats to have bleeding stomachs and led to many deaths. These tomatoes were distributed even after known issues.
The list goes on, but the point is that there’s not enough known on the subject to allow it to be used freely and without question. Health should be our number one concern.
I think the research paper by The International Journal of Sciences said it best after their study that can be found here
"These substances have never before been an integral part of the human or animal diet and therefore their health consequences for those who consume them, especially over long time periods are currently unknown."
"In conclusion, our data presented here strongly recommend that additional long-term (up to 2 years) animal feeding studies be performed in at least three species, preferably also multi-generational, to provide true scientifically valid data on the acute and chronic toxic effects of GM crops, feed and foods."
Back To the Point – Health Benefits of Pasture Eggs
The egg is a great source of protein and fat. Many people don't know that they're also packed with vitamins and nutrients.
Fat Soluble Vitamins – Nature is amazing. The egg yolk is packed full of fat soluble vitamins and also the fat to help you absorb them! Eggs are a great source of Vitamins A, D, E, K and the best source of vitamins A and D on the Planet!
Pasture eggs give us 2/3 more Vitamin A and 2x the amount of Omega 3 Fatty Acids (DHA for the brain)!
Eggs have just the right amount of cholesterol that nature requests. Pasture raised eggs have 1/3 the amount of saturated fat as grain fed. They also have ¼ the amount of saturated fat
Pasture raised egg yolks have 7x the amount of anti-oxidant beta-carotene! A known protector against free radicals and cancer
Fat Soluble Vitamins – Nature is amazing. The egg yolk is packed full of fat soluble vitamins and also the fat to help you absorb them! Eggs are a great source of Vitamins A, D, E, K and the best source of vitamins A and D on the Planet!
Pasture eggs give us 2/3 more Vitamin A and 2x the amount of Omega 3 Fatty Acids (DHA for the brain)!
Eggs have just the right amount of cholesterol that nature requests. Pasture raised eggs have 1/3 the amount of saturated fat as grain fed. They also have ¼ the amount of saturated fat
Pasture raised egg yolks have 7x the amount of anti-oxidant beta-carotene! A known protector against free radicals and cancer
Is it worth spending $8 for Pasture Raised Eggs
There are clearly nutritional benefits from eating pasture raised eggs. That’s why I buy them. I once read to “invest in you” and I think it’s the best advice one can give. Saving a few bucks for a piece of crap egg is not worth my time or the money.
I don’t eat much, but the food I eat is whole, natural and nutrient dense; grass-fed beef, lamb, wild caught salmon, pasture raised eggs, raw milk, veggies, a few pieces of fruit, rice and potatoes!
The list is not long, but I feel like a King each night I sit down for dinner and don’t mind paying a few extra bucks for it.
I don’t eat much, but the food I eat is whole, natural and nutrient dense; grass-fed beef, lamb, wild caught salmon, pasture raised eggs, raw milk, veggies, a few pieces of fruit, rice and potatoes!
The list is not long, but I feel like a King each night I sit down for dinner and don’t mind paying a few extra bucks for it.
Tip - Know where your eggs come from!
I get my eggs currently from New Seasons Market. I get pasture raised eggs from Phoenix's Egg Farm.
Pheonix's Egg Farm is a small, local farm here in Portland, Oregon. They are only sold locally and I feel good knowing that the animals are being raised in a humane fashion, with access to bugs and grass. Here is a picture from their website.
Pheonix's Egg Farm is a small, local farm here in Portland, Oregon. They are only sold locally and I feel good knowing that the animals are being raised in a humane fashion, with access to bugs and grass. Here is a picture from their website.
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