In the latest issue of Mother Eart News ( April/may 2007) there is an article about keeping chickens and the Store Bought-warehouse produced -inhumane conditions for chickens eggs vs Free Range/Cage Free/ Free Roaming */Farm raised chicken eggs.
The farm raised eggs had similar levels of fat to the production eggs, but the farm raised ones had nearly three times the omega-3 fats and 62% higher vitamin a and 220 percent higher Vitamin E. They also contain higher levels of carotenioids like lutein and zeaxanith, which are thought to be important to eye health.
If you want to try farm fresh eggs:
Local Harvest Eat Wild
Eat Well Guide and put in your zip code to find the closest chicken (or farmer) to you.
*Cage free, Free Range or Free Roaming terms seen on the egg cartons at the local supermarkets are currently regulated by the US Gov’t, though there may be some third-party verification and programs.
Free range usually means the laying hens are raised in large flocks in a big open warehouses rather than stacked cages ( which are 67 square inches in size or the size of two thirds of a sheet of paper) They can walk around and flap their wings and preen their feathers a little.
Cage Free does not mean outdoor access.
Free Range implies some outdoor access, although very limited and on dirt or concrete, rather than pasture.
The chicken industry can warehouse up to 100,000 birds in a single building in cages that are as spacious as two thirds of a sheet of paper. The crowded conditions lead to cannilbalism and other destructive behavior, so the birds beaks are cut off at an early age. They are kept in a windowless warehouse with prolonged artificial light to stimulate maximum egg laying. When egg production drops off, food is withhedl as a way of sending birds into a forced molt before another round of egg laying before being disposed of. .
For these above reasons are why the increased risk of salmonella in eating undercooked eggs or raw cookie dough mmmmmmmm raw cookie dough.
For a really good read, pick up this month’s issue and turn to page 72.
That said, I’ve never seen a double yolk and I cannot tell you how badly I would love too.