Eggsactly! When is an egg not an egg?

More to the point, when is a free range egg not a free range egg?  I understand that the "definition" of a free range egg is that it is laid by a hen that is free to range outside as opposed to being in a cage or a barn.  In reality this means that there is a door (about the size of a cat-flap) that the hens can go out through if they choose.  To my way of thinking by the time the several thousand queue up to get out it will be time to queue up again to come back inside.  The American term pastured hens in some ways sounds more healthy but then some people think it means that the hens must only be fed grass.

For us free range means that the hens are free to be hens.  We describe our hens as happy hens and they are free to range over about an acre.  They still are contained because we value our vegetable gardens too but an acre is a large space for the 28 hens that we have (and the ducks and the geese mind).   There are large plantings of flax for them to hide under when a hawk lies overhead, tall trees for shade and lots of grass and dirt and stuff.  We shut them up at night in houses - to keep them safe and warm and so that we can easily collect the eggs.

Take a look at this raw egg.  See how the white has stayed together rather than spread over the plate.  This is the mark of an egg that has been out eating the right amount of grass.  Chefs prefer eggs like this as they are much easier to poach.  Chlorophyll, the green in grass is a very good detoxifier and this is one of the reasons that small operation truly free range hens lay eggs that keep much longer than the other sort.

One can artificially cause the yolks to go orange but ours are just as they come.  Again, allowing the hens to eat grass and weeds and vegetables such as silver beet guarantees yolks so orange that they are off the scale of yolk colours!!!!  This is not to say that we only feed our hens grass.  We feed them laying pellets as well and they reward us by being friendly and healthy and providing many eggs every day.  We sell as many as we can produce and have a waiting list - testimony to our happy girls.