Do you buy the regular (cheaper) eggs or do you spend more money for the vegetarian-fed?
I normally buy the eggs given by the vegetarian-fed hens. I think it's just safer, since most regular hens are fed just anything, including ground up cow parts. I started buying the vegetarian-fed when that whole "mad cow" scare was going around. I wanted 'clean' eggs, not eggs from hens that were possibly fed diseased pieces of cow.
However, I rarely eat the yolk and that's where all the omega-3's are, which the eggs from vegetarian-fed hens have, supposedly, twice as much of. Also they claim the eggs from vegetarian-fed hens have less saturated fat.
Eggland's Best eggs are, by far, the best eggs I've ever had. I don't eat any other kinds because they just don't taste as good!
Hmmm, I don't notice any diffrence in taste between brands of eggs. To me eggs are eggs as far as the taste goes, but like I said, I'll buy the vegetarian-fed because they're supposed to be better for you and 'safer'
I'm very fortunate to have a few nice brown hens living in my backyard. We feed them a grain mix and scraps and they pick around the yard. I highly recommend this for anyone with the space and proper bylaws. I do realise that it's not practical for everyone But I know what they eat. I know what's in the eggs.
I just get free range because its really hard to get anything else other than battery barn or free range I like the ones that tell you about the hens and their diets but they are really hard to come by.
I buy cage free eggs, which I think are different from free range. Unfortunately, the term "free range" means very little, and is not a legal industry term. To many chicken farmers, free range just means a slightly bigger cage, and the chickens still never see daylight. Or it could mean that the farmer opened the door to let daylight in, while the chickens are still in their tiny cages. The term is frequently a marketing gimmick that results in higher prices for his eggs.
Eggland claims that their cage free chickens are allowed to roam. I hope it's true!
We purchase free range organic eggs - most of our food is organic. We are lucky to be part of a multi family organic coop. I have to say that the quality of the eggs is markedly different.. the ones we get from the coop have yolks that are a beautiful orange colour with really hard shells.. delicious
We also have our own chickens so I know exactly what they eat (well, except for what they find). I know my chickens love mice so they are not totally vegetarian. I've seen those old hens really chase down a mouse who tries to eat their grain.
The difference in "home grown" eggs vs. store-bought is amazing, just the yoke color alone. It's easy to keep chickens in most places (check your city ordinances), there are some really neat coops (or chicken tractors) that are portable so you can move them about the yard. Plus, kids love chickens. My 2 year old granddaughter loves to feed the chickens - she gives them black oiled sunflower seeds every time she comes to visit. We give them all our veggie and fruit scraps also.
I buy local veggie-fed free-range eggs (Canada's in the process of passing legislation that defines free range, free run, etc). Because I know where my eggs come from, I know that the chickens get to run around outside, because I've seen them. Free run generally means that they have more room but don't go outside. The difference in the colour of the yolks for free-range and free-run is crazy - the free range are often almost orange and the free-run are pale pale yellow. And the free-range taste better, too.