Source for yard eggs?

[pickypicky]

Looking for pastured or free-range yard eggs. This does not include chickens in large pen who get to walk around but who eat grain and scraps. I want eggs from chickens who forage and eat bugs. Thanks!

[DougOLis]

Never used it, but this website is supposed to match up egg farmers with customers: http://www.eggzy.net/

[pickypicky]

Finally found, to my taste, eggs as good as the ones I had from my own chickens in Texas. At Little Italy Farmer's Market, from the chicken and egg purveyor across from Bread & Cie. I lost their card-- but their eggs are a revelation. I urge you to taste them-- and compare to all the other "organic" ones.

[pickypicky]

The official term for these eggs is "pastured." And I finally found them-- from Annie of Eben-Haezer Poultry Ranch. She sells at PB Saturday Farmer's Mkt and at Del Mar. The pastured eggs are a new product-- an experiment-- and sell for $6 a doz. Their cage-free eggs are outstanding, so I can't wait to taste the pastured ones.

[pickypicky]

Thanks DD for reminding me. Yes-- Suburban Chickens looks like the real deal. I just have to plan a trip to Lemon Grove. And thanks nmrios fogr the original suggestion. I love their website!

http://www.suburbanchicken.org/raisin...

[pickypicky]

thanks for responses. I buy my eggs from the Schaners normally. But I just returned from Texas where I buy eggs from farmers who pasture chickens, and there is no comparison. My mother keeps two hens, who roam her yard, and the eggs are incomparable, even to thoughtfully raised hen eggs like the Schaners'. She does supplement with grain, but it's the scavenging freely that makes the flavor, imo.

[nmrios]

These sound like what you are looking for.

http://www.suburbanchicken.org/index....

[pickypicky]

Thank you, yes! Exactly what I want. I will reserve some today. AT the Hillcrest Farmer's Mkt, I bought a dozen eggs that were reputed to be from pastured chickens ($8!!!!) but I was disappointed by the flavor and color of the eggs. The Schaners' are better. Perhaps it was the breed of hen?

[escondido123]

I thought that color was easily fooled with and that some egg purveyors fed their chickens marigold petals so the yolks would be orange. Yes or no?

[pickypicky]

I hadn't heard that. The yard eggs I get when I'm at my mom's in TX -- she keeps two hens who roam the yard -- are the orangest yolks I've ever seen. But thanks. I'll google the info to see what I find.

[jennywenny]

Yes, I'd agree on the color being completely irrelevent as a lot of eggs in europe have orange yolks just because of the feed. I've found that in a taste comparison the schaner eggs are much richer than regular eggs in a custard, but the yolks arent much more yellow.

[pickypicky]

I did google this information -- and the prevalent view is that deeper yellow or orange yolks ARE generally tastier and more nutritious. You're right that hens can be fed things like marigold leaves to richen the yolks, BUT they also improve the quality of the yolks. I like the Schaners and their eggs, but I'll keep looking.

[DiningDiva]

So you didn't have any luck with Suburban Chickens? I've heard they've got so much business they are taking new customers.

[pickypicky]

Did I miss something? Suburban Chickens I haven't heard of. I'll google them.

[kriot]

You might want to try some farmers markets around town and ask them. Everyone I know who has backyard chickens feeds them something aside from letting them roam the yard. I let my birds out most of the time but still feed them organic chicken feed.

There is a lady out in poway that has goats as well, she may do strictly free range on her property but i'm not sure. Email me if you're interested.

KC

[pickypicky]

Hey, kriot. how do I email you?

[kriot]

Ha! Good question huh!?

[e-mail] sorry about leaving that off.

The problem out here is space, well, I'm not sure where you are located but I live right by downtown so all of us with birds are limited in space

KC

[sparrowgrass]

Look for 'pastured eggs'.

I am in Missouri, and raise hens. My girls don't roam the yard--they tend to eat all my veggies and dig up all the ornamentals. They do get all the garden waste and leftovers, along with grass clippings, so I have eggs with pretty orange yolks.

[DiningDiva]

Picky, couple of thoughts here...

Most of the people I know about who are doing chickens/eggs the way you want have more business than they can handle.

- Try Schaner Farms at the farmers market they attend (I know they're at Little Italy on Sat)
- San Pasqual also sells at the farmers markets in conjunction wtih Jackie's Jams. Not sure they meet all your preferences though.
- Edible San Diego did an article about 2 (and possibly 3) years ago about local chicken farmers that were raising chickens to produce eggs. They had a list of small egg farmers and their contact info. If I had to guess, I'd say the article is probably not in their archives, but you can check. If it's not there, either call or send them an e-mail and ask if they've still got the info somewhere.
- I will be seeing my egg person at the SFUSD board meeting tonight and I'll ask him if he's got any suggestions.

At this point in time I think Schaner is your best bet.

[jennywenny]

I think schaner also do del mar on a Saturday afternoon too, if that is closer.