Have you been eating eggs from unhealthy chickens?
One of the more interesting aspects of living in Brazil is the different approaches to food. We are connected to local farms from friends and family, spoiling us with organic homegrown everything. Regarding chicken eggs, the sizes vary, the colors of the shells vary but if the egg comes from the family farm, the yolks almost always a darker color. It is also thicker than the typical yellow yolk you find at the store.
In the United States all the eggs that can be bought at our local supermarket are yellow. Organic, vegetarian or cheap; they are all yellow and the yolk is not as thick. What is the reason for this? Could it be that myself and almost everyone I know has been eating eggs from unhealthy chickens? Have you ever even seen an orange egg? It took me 30 years to discover an egg from a healthy chicken. That’s crazy.
Having returned to the states, Craigslist is the go-to route to accommodate my urban life with homestead flare in search of the dankest foods.
When you compare a pastured/foraged, insect-eating, soil-scratching, whole grain-fed chicken’s yolks to that of a so-called “free-ranging” and factory-farmed egg you will notice a huge difference. Yolks from chickens raised the natural way, with a naturally well-rounded diet take on a darker, thicker, orange-y hue in the yolk. Not to mention the size will be quite fuller. Even the shells will resist cracking more-so than the factory-farmed counterpart.
In a nutshell these dark orange yolks are a sure indication of a proper well-balanced and nutritious diet. And of course a nutritious diet yields a more nutritious egg. What’s responsible for this color specifically is xanthophylls, omega-3 fatty acids, and meats. Xanthophylls is a type of carotenoid. Carotenoids are healthy plant pigments that are found in many fruits and vegetables. It’s part of the reason why we should ‘eat the rainbow’. Contrary to popular belief, the well-known carotenoid, beta-carotene, is not actually responsible for giving egg yolks that orange color. Rather, beta-carotene simply adds nutrition to yolks, not color. Carotenoids that cause the deeper yolk coloring, on the other hand are xanthophylls. Lutein is one of these xanthophylls and in the case of eggs, more lutein means more orange color. Xanthophylls primarily come from dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale and collards. They can be found in zucchini, broccoli, and brussels sprouts as well. Omega-3s are highly concentrated in flax seeds, hemp seeds, and sea kelp, which are all good choices to add to a homemade wholesome chicken feed.
Did you realize that chickens are by no means meant to be vegetarian? Never mind what your expensive store bought eggs claim. Chickens are known to be omnivores and their healthiest, most well-rounded diets include meaty delights such as mealworms, beetles, grasshoppers, grubs, and whatever else they can get their raptor-like talons on. Some rather brave chickens have even been known to attack small rodents and snakes!
When you incorporate a variety of sources into a hen’s healthful diet, the nutrients that are eaten are transformed into nutritious egg yolks. As reported by Mother Earth News, which conducted a fantastic egg analysis, pastured eggs are richer in vitamins A, D and E, beta-carotene, and omega-3s. A recent study at Pennsylvania State University confirmed these findings.
So now you’re probably thinking you want those dark orange yolks for yourself, right? Well step one is either finding a proper local source or raising your own. (NOTE: don’t be fooled by “cage-free” labels. Do a google search image search for cage free and you’ll find many examples of this misleading label. It is typically still considered factory-farming and inhumane. Just because chickens aren’t locked in cages doesn’t make it any better that they are packed into a windowless barn. What you really want are pastured-eggs!)
So if you’re raising your own, give your girls their own pasture. Let them roam around your yard and dig up your garden beds between crops.
Feed them plenty of fresh dark greens to boost their lutein. Some good choices are edible amaranth, kale, collards, broccoli leaves, or whatever other scraps your garden maintenance or harvest may yield.
Thanks for taking the time to read this article. If you found this information helpful, please share it with your friends and family. Your support in our endeavor of sharing free information would be much appreciated.
Follow us on Facebook to stay updated with what's going Viral in the Alternative News scene. https://www.facebook.com/ViralAlternativeNews
By Real Farmacy
h/t Powerful Primates
Egg Yolk image credit: Science of Eating