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Any updates on what free range eggs you're buying now?
Chef_bedazzledjewels,
Mar 22, 9:19 am
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Whangaripo Valley. They are always a good size and very fresh.
Chef_davidt4,
Mar 22, 10:41 am
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Thanks. I couldn't remember the name of them and I don't have any here right now. Nice eggs.
Chef_bedazzledjewels,
Mar 22, 11:09 am
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Which only comes from feeding them greens.
Not whether or not they run around outside.
Chef_lythande1,
Mar 22, 12:11 pm
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I like these too
Chef_dbab,
Mar 22, 1:35 pm
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Also depends on the breed.
Chef_deanna14,
Mar 22, 3:17 pm
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I buy from either a Farmer's market (Parnell or French Mkt) or from the local market. The eggs are always the best - thick, solid shells, whites that hold their shape and don't spread all over the pan and a decent colour yolk. I don't buy from the free range egg place at the Farmer's mkt in Parnel, preferring to buy from either the "Clevedon" shop or the Farm Gate shop. They both have limited supplies but I know their hens are truly free range and are eating 'bugs'.
Chef_buzzy110,
Mar 22, 3:25 pm
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Chef_antoniab,
Mar 22, 3:46 pm
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If I had to buy eggs, a farmers' market would be my choice too . but a white that holds it's shape is more indicative of freshness rather than whether it's a truly free range egg or not.
I can use eggs that are 10+ days old from my own chooks, & the whites are great 'holders.
Chef_samanya,
Mar 22, 6:14 pm
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They are a different orange, and never taste as good as the egg from a chook that has the run of the farm
Chef_rainrain1,
Mar 22, 7:00 pm
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Ain't that the truth!
Chef_samanya,
Mar 22, 7:07 pm
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They can put whatever colour they like in the feed to get whatever strength of yellow/orange out that they want. Depending on what the majority of consumers want. Free range chooks generally get fed the same feed as battery hens + whatever they forage which typically, per hen is not much. (Talking about the big free range operations here)
Chef_guinevere2,
Mar 22, 11:46 pm
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Yep, I know that. but never the same beautiful 'shade' of orange as the wandering farm chook. nor taste!
Chef_rainrain1,
Mar 23, 8:21 am
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Think there was an article doing the rounds where the only definition to be free range was the little more space per bird. According to that most of the free range brands are part of the large chains and its no guarentee that they ever been outside etc.
The ones certified as organic are the only true free range ones
Chef_sheltie08,
Mar 23, 8:30 am
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Buzzy, are Farm Gate and Clevedon shops part of Parnell market please? Okay, I see that Farm .gate are there. Thanks for the tip.
Chef_bedazzledjewels,
Mar 23, 8:43 am
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The lack of definition of 'free-range' bothers me - don't want to think I am doing myself/birds a favour, to no avail. Didn't know 'organic' was a clue. Thanks :)
Chef_mjhdeal,
Mar 23, 10:40 am
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There is a 'free range' farm up the road from me. THe hens do roam free, in large paddocks and have a comfy barn to roost in at night. So technically they are free range. However, as pointed out, or hinted at in other posts, there are thousands of birds and paddocks are filled with them during the day. I doubt they are getting much goodness from their 'foraging'. All bugs, grubs, seeds,insects and available grit would be well picked over by the end of the first day.
One of the reasons I buy free range is because I think that barn and 'crate' housed hens live a miserable life in appalling conditions and I won't support farmers who put profits before animal welfare if I can help it.
Chef_buzzy110,
Mar 23, 11:40 am
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hens will go off the lay if they are not fed correctly, they need 125 grams off 16 percent protein meal per day. Hope this helps getting your hens laying again
Chef_treens2,
Mar 23, 6:52 pm
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Chef_sheltie08,
Mar 23, 8:14 pm
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Its carotene they add to the feed to colour the yolks, same as the chooks get from greens if they can naturally. for flavor its the other stuff they eat snails bugs etc etc I used to feed my Black Orpington chooks allot of fish scraps with heaps of silverbeet and they had beautiful massive eggs.
Chef_beaker59,
Mar 23, 8:34 pm
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Interesting - o well, even if it only benefits the chickens, I'll still buy free-range.
Chef_mjhdeal,
Mar 24, 8:13 am
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Thanks for that. I'll be buying Frenz eggs from now on then !
Chef_mjhdeal,
Mar 24, 8:14 am
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Buy the ones with the SPCA sticker on them. Guaranteed to be free range. How can anyone expect animals kept the way battery hens are kept to have any nutritional value in the eggs?
Chef_sherrydog,
Mar 24, 4:10 pm
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Chef_kay141,
Mar 24, 5:16 pm
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and blind folded taste tests have proven that people cannot tell the difference.
Chef_lilyfield,
Mar 24, 5:26 pm
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There is a difference in taste though, sorry to burst your bubble
Chef_rainrain1,
Mar 24, 6:05 pm
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We have found with our chooks which are free ranged during the day and locked inside at night, that the white is always nice in the young ones eggs, becoming more runny as the chooks get older, since ours lay for around three years compared to the commercial one year, it makes quite a difference but the eggs are still lovely.
Chef_annies3,
Mar 24, 6:21 pm
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I've seen the results of those tests too & as kay141 said, apparently nutritionally there's little difference.
I'm lucky to have my own chooks & I know what they eat, lots of grass, (they have their own little paddock) greens from my garden & scraps.
& it's a really 'feel good' thing, however if I didn't have the luxury of my own chooks/eggs, I'd always go for the organic eggs every time.
I've seen the poor bald(ish) hens 3 of them stuck in one of those tiny cages with scarcely room to sit down & bugger that, I'd never buy those eggs simply as a protest at the conditions the chooks are living in!
I feel the same about pigs/pork & have often wondered if the 'non caged farmed pork' really is just that.
Chef_samanya,
Mar 24, 6:47 pm
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What is the best and closest to the real thing in the way of free range eggs bought from supermarket.
I've bought so many different ones, some at ridiculous prices etc and none are any better than the cheap budget eggs for a lot less $$$ I'm meaning nice orange yolks, easy to poach, tasty etc. surely there are some that are close to " fresh off the farm"? We currently don't have chooks and I'm not liking having to buy my eggs, have been a bit spoilt.
Chef_xtownie,
Mar 24, 9:10 pm
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I buy Barn laid eggs from the supermarket. Cost around $3.50 a dozen and they are Bennicks from Levin. A friend of mine worked for this company and when I was visiting her I could see all the chickens in the big sheds and they had plenty of room to walk around and of course a continuos supply of food and water.
I do buy free range when I'm passing a property that sells them and can't tell the difference. Hope this helps.
Chef_quiz3,
Mar 24, 9:28 pm
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I get 30 small ones free range from local greengrocer and they have just gone up from $7 to $8 which is pretty good. I don't know what the difference is nutritionally or colour wise from standard eggs to free range as I only ever buy FR (well that's what they say on the box). My friend recently gave me some of her own eggs from her chooks and they looked paler and we couldn't tell the difference taste wise.
Chef_village.green,
Mar 24, 9:43 pm
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Bennicks supply the Palmy Reduced to Clear shop and theirs are $7 for a tray of 30 free range (small size) probably same supplier as the local greengrocer. I think they are a size 5. Rasmussens of Wanganui also supply another shop I visit and they are $5.80 for a dozen free range size 7 or $8.30 for 20 jumbo free range eggs which I think is pretty good. I don't buy from supermarket anymore too expensive.
Chef_village.green,
Mar 24, 9:46 pm
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HENERGY Eggs
Chef_carlosjackal,
Mar 24, 11:09 pm
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Home free-range does have a nutritional advantage over caged. However, if there is no nutritional difference between supermarket free-range and caged, I will still pay extra for the free-range, same reasons as samanya and buzzy10 have mentioned.
Chef_mjhdeal,
Mar 25, 5:14 am
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O wow, just looked up farm gate eggs http://www.thefarmgate.co.nz/index.html Keep saying I'm going to the Parnell market, but never do. Definitely going there this Saturday to get eggs! Their meat sounds really good too. Thanks for the recommendation!
Chef_mjhdeal,
Mar 25, 6:43 am
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Not according to the studies but perhaps you can quote some evidence to the contrary?
Chef_kay141,
Mar 25, 7:36 am
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The colour of the yolks comes from what they eat - lots of green leafy plants, then darker yolks. It is not an indication of free range or not.
Had plenty of pale yolks from backyard chooks.
Chef_lythande1,
Mar 25, 8:01 am
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The only free-range in the supermarket are the eggs that have been moved around on the shelves.
Chef_wasgonna,
Mar 25, 8:17 am
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I like Purely eggs but I'm not in Farro regularly enough.
Chef_bedazzledjewels,
Mar 25, 8:18 am
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I have free range hens at home and get food scraps and roam on grass At times they go off lay so have to buy in eggs Well I buy the cheapest at the supermarket caged and found they have more yellow yolks thought caged hen don't eat greens
Chef_harrislucinda,
Mar 25, 8:25 am
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Haven't run across Purely yet Dazz. I'll have a look next time I'm in Farro. I usually buy Henergy, but our local New World doesn't always have them. Frenz organic eggs are good but expensive, and the sizes are erratic.
Chef_davidt4,
Mar 25, 8:32 am
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With Frenz I've had several bad ones. I've passed on the info to them as the boxes give the farm number but didn't get an acknowledgment from them so I switched.
Chef_bedazzledjewels,
Mar 25, 8:36 am
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yolk colour does depend on what the hens are eating. Lots of chook farmers feed with colour added to give the illusion of a healthy life and diet
Chef_kateley,
Mar 25, 8:49 am
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The 2011 study cited above compared commercial-style free-range to caged. The Mother Earth study compared pastured free-range, which is different. There do not seem to be any studies that compare supermarket free-range/caged/small-scale pastured free-range.
Chef_mjhdeal,
Mar 25, 9:08 am
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Manila Hill free range eggs are the real deal!
You can drive past their farm in Marlborough & see the chooks running around outside. I don't know if you can buy them outside Nelson/Marlborough area.
Chef_winnie231,
Mar 25, 10:01 pm
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Just popped back into thread and saw what predictive Text has done!
Try Manuka Hill eggs.
Chef_winnie231,
Mar 26, 8:54 pm
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the additive in the feed, helps colour the yolk of the cage hens
Chef_belle34,
Mar 29, 2:25 am
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We buy henergy. Always beautiful.
Chef_jcsolgier,
Dec 1, 2:16 pm
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