People always ask me what’s different about my backyard eggs. Do they look different? Do they taste different? Are they really that much better?

Yes. Yes. And yes.

The green eggs on the left were laid by Roz, our Americauna. The one on the right is one I purchased from the store.

It’s when I’m low on eggs and have to supplement with some from the store that I’m especially aware just how special it is to have Roz, Susie Q and MaryAnne in the backyard. I pick up local, organic, free-range eggs at my local co-op. They’re great quality, but they simply can’t compare to the eggs from a small flock of birds just outside my back door. The eggs provided by Susie Q, MaryAnne and Roz are just more…eggy.

It’s a similar spectrum as one for produce. Tomatoes can make a great comparison:

Worst

Ketchup = egg substitute in a carton

Out of season tomato shipped thousands of miles = factory farmed egg

Organic, local/in-season tomato = organic, free-range, local egg

Backyard garden heirloom tomato picked from the vine = backyard eggs laid by heritage breed chickens

Best

Take a look at a high-quality store bought egg next to one from my backyard flock:

While the yolk on the left is just fine, the egg yolk on the right is a vivid, sunset-orange color. I’ll bet you can guess which one came from my hens (hint: it’s the one on the right. Which isn’t really a hint, since I just gave you the correct answer).

Here the eggs are as they are simply fried in a skillet and plated. Looking at the cooked eggs individually, you can see the difference even more clearly.

Organic & Free Range Grocery Store Egg

Backyard Egg

And breakfast is served. Bet you can also guess which egg was eaten first (hint: the one on the right. Again, I’m not great with the hints).

***

Hungry for More?

For some terrific information on the humble egg’s health benefits and increased nutrition of backyard eggs, click here.

You can see my flock’s antics in living color by checking out the feed from the camera inside our coop!

***