By Laura Sayre — Title photograph by Tony Campbell

Try this easy egg comparison test: The more beneficial carotenoids an egg contains, the darker orange its yolk will be. — Photo by Matthew Stallbaumer

Whether you live in the city or country, you can find healthy, delicious, farm-fresh eggs — and even raise a few happy chickens of your own. Photo illustration by Matthew Stallbaumer

Fresh farm eggs come in a wide variety of colors. — Photo by Matthew Stallbaumer

The birds are scalded to make feather removal easier.

After feathers are plucked, the chickens’ innards are removed, and the birds are put on ice.

Do-it-yourself processing table.

The enhanced fragrance and flavor are rewarding enough, but the extra savings don’t hurt!

Portable coops, such as this A-frame model, allow birds to forage for worms, bugs and grasses.

Most eggs sold in supermarkets are nutritionally inferior to eggs laid by hens raised on pasture. That’s what the editors of Mother Earth News magazine concluded upon the completion of their 2007 egg-testing project. The testing determined that, compared to official U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient records for commercial eggs, free-range eggs from hens raised on pasture contain:

      • 1/3 less cholesterol
      • 1/4 less saturated fat
      • 2/3 more vitamin A
      • 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
      • 3 times more vitamin E
      • 7 times more beta-carotene

These results originate from 14 flocks throughout the country that range freely on pasture or are housed in movable pens that are rotated to maximize access to fresh pasture and protection from predators. The editors took six eggs from each of 14 pastured flocks tested by an accredited laboratory in Portland, Ore. The results were comparable to test results from 2005, when eggs were tested from four free-range flocks. The tests weren ’t the first to confirm that pastured eggs are more nutritious. The editors believe these dramatically differing nutrient levels result from the different diets of birds producing these two types of eggs. True free-range birds consume a chicken’s natural diet – various kinds of seeds, green plants, insects and worms, in addition to grain or laying mash. Factory farm birds never see the outdoors, let alone forage for a natural diet. Their feed consists of the cheapest possible combination of corn, soy and/or cottonseed meals, with all kinds of additives.

To learn more about finding healthy, delicious eggs and reading chickens of your own, read "How Do Your Eggs Stack Up?" at Mother Earth News.