? Where to buy good eggs ?

[rogerbum]

Not really related specifically to boating but I figure we have enough people from the Seattle area that maybe someone will know the answer to this question. Where can I buy good eggs in the Seattle area? By "GOOD" I mean the kind with bright orange/yellow tremendously flavorful yolks. Everything I buy in the grocery store (regardless of whether it's the fancy organic ones or the regular ones) just aren't as good as what I used to eat as a kid. They're also not as good as a typical egg that I get for breakfast when I'm in most European cities. We must feed our chickens differently over here. So, can anyone point me in the right direction?

[C-Hawk]

Check some of the outlying cities.
When I lived in Marysville and Stanwood, I used to buy my eggs from a "home grown free range" vender near Smokey Point. I'm sure that area has "grown" him out by now.
Marysville was really trying to incorporate that area back in the early '80s.

[snal]

We just got several laying hens a couple of months ago...there's a huge difference in the eggs we get...and the store bought variety. One fella that works for me said that the commercial farms pump so much junk into their hens that some of them lay more than a few eggs per day!
Our home grown eggs have a much richer taste! So far, our cost per dozen is around 29 cents. We have 4 that are currently laying, and 4 that will start in September.
Cornbread and cakes taste better!
Over easy is tastier!
The dogs LOVE them mixed with dry food, and their coats are softer and shine like never before!
At 4 eggs per day we give a dozen (alternately) to family and friends each week.

[YACD]

About the yolk color: egg 'farms' can (and do) produce almost any yolk color they desire by manipulating the chickens' diet. So yolk color probably isn't immediately related to taste. The situation is the similar with farmed salmon: artificial color is added to the salmons' food to get nice pink flesh. Apparently, the stuff they are fed leads to gray flesh and in wild fish the pink color comes from plankton. Well, not being a fisherman I can't vouch for the last statement but maybe someone here can.

Roy

[Grumpy]

Probably doesn't help but Whidbey Island has a number of farms sellng eggs from real live chickens that are running aorund all over the place. Farmers markets are usually a good source.

Merv

[B~C]

hummmm, bright orange, yellow...try these-
http://www.pautzke.com/xprod_ballsofire.php

[starcrafttom]

Texas definition of a free range chicken.. If it’s in range ..it’s free..


I eat a lot of eggs and enjoy the brown eggs for the store a lot more then the white ones. I don't have source for farm eggs but will keep my eye out. My only concern with free range chicken is what are they eating?? Who’s watching them eat?? I always thought the taste different had more to do about the eggs being refrigerated?

[Jazzmanic]

Roger,

I pass by a place that sells eggs on the way up to Twin Bridges on Hwy 20. That might be worth a try the next time you're up north.

[Dory-Ling]

Ve prefer the reds eggs. While smaller than others they seem better suited to our tastes. I must ask thoug, why would you by them. Ve just peel them from the stomaches of fertile hens when their caught.
Martin

[snal]

[Dreamer]

We have a wonderful source for fresh farm eggs in Sequim. You've gotta love small towns. You pull in to the farm and enter a room with stacks of eggs in flats. You put your money in a tin can and off you go. If you get the last flat, you get to hang the sign on the mailbox that says "No Eggs Today"

Many Lavendar Farms and Flower Gardens work on the same Honor System. It works for them and we love it!

[Papillon]

Chicken eggs from various chicken breeds emerge in different shades because of pigments which are deposited as the eggs move through the hen's oviduct. The pigment depositions are determined by the chicken's genetics, with some breeds producing rich dark brown eggs, for example, while others lay snow white eggs. The eggs inside are essentially identical; there are no major flavor differences between chicken eggs from different birds, as the flavor is determined by the chicken's diet.

There are three main colors for chicken eggs. Most eggs in the store come in white or shades of brown. It is also possible to find blue to green chicken eggs, which come from the Aracuana, a breed of chicken developed in Chile. Araucanas have also been crossed with other breeds to produce the Americauna, sometimes called the “Easter egg chicken” in a reference to its multicolored eggs.

Originally, all chicken eggs were probably brown. Over time, people selectively bred chickens with progressively lighter eggs, ultimately producing white chicken eggs, which came to be the norm. Brown eggs were reintroduced to the market in the late 20th century, although people on farms were already quite familiar with the them. Some classic white egg laying breeds include Andalusians, Faverolles, Dorkings, Leghorns, and Lakenvelders. Barnevelders, Rhode Island Reds, Jersey Giants, Delawares, and Orpingtons are well known for their brown eggs, which vary in color from light cream to dark brown.

In many cases, a chicken with white ear lobes will produce white eggs, while chickens with red ear lobes lay brown eggs, although this is not always true. Size is not a determining factor, with white eggs coming from tiny Bantams just as they do from large Leghorns. The color of the chicken is also irrelevant; chickens actually come in a wide range of shapes, colors, and sizes which run the gamut from strange-looking Frizzled Cochins to sleek black and white Lakenvelders.

The color of chicken eggs should not influence your purchasing decisions at the market, as the contents of the egg are what counts. Chickens who eat free range, varied diets tend to produce healthier eggs, as their free range lifestyles allow them to consume the dietary minerals they need for their own health, and these minerals will be passed down in their eggs. You may also have noticed that farm-fresh eggs have very dark yolks, whereas chicken eggs from battery hens have much lighter yolks, indicating less nutritional value.

(Source: Ask.com)

[DaveS]

Roger, years ago I had laying chickens, but I am no longer "in the business".

I don't know if you watched the news today, but the price of eggs will probably go up as there was a huge fire at a chicken farm in Stanwood last night. The fire consumed three 600 foot long chicken coops and practically every fire department in North Snohomish County was involved in fighting the fire. Had I not retired from the volunteer fire department where I live, I would have been there as well. The news stated that there was two million dollars in damage and thousands of chickens fried.

[starcrafttom]

So was it a fire or a BBQ???

[Simplicity]

Roger-If you're ever in NW Florida stop by our farm and we'll give you eggs.We have free range large brown layers and the yolk is bright orange and they taste great. Good luck on the egg hunt. Alan on Simplicity.