I am a big fan of urban homesteads that have small food producing animals, so of course I had to add some feathered family members to the Freeman home! Over a year ago we adopted some Americauana chicks – Doodoo, Chickoletta and Camilla – who are all sisters.
Ameraucanas lay beautiful, pale blue eggs every day, and these little ladies started laying on Easter Day this year! (Imagine my surprise when I tried to hide eggs for the girls in the coop… only to find real eggs!)
We let them free range in the back yard, spoil them with a fortress of a chicken coop when weather is inclement (which is pretty much never in Central California) and supplement their diet with organic, non-GMO feed and veggie scraps. In return they humor our daughters with their antics, and take care of our weeds, spiders, and insects – and twice they massacred a rat. That was… interesting.
Oh! And they let us eat their eggs, which – some people don’t know this, so don’t roll your eyes at me if you already do – hens lay eggs every day, with or without a rooster, and without a rooster the eggs are not fertilized. If we don’t eat the eggs, or give them to friends who will, the eggs will literally just sit there. And rot. And since our gals are free range, that has happened on more than one occasion when they find a new hiding hole to lay in.
Our chickens are first and foremost our spoiled pets, and only secondarily a source of humanely produced eggs. The edible aspect of pet chickens is like a tasty, protein packed perk!
Compared to factory raised eggs, backyard eggs have:
– 25 percent more vitamin E
– 75 percent more beta carotene
– As much as 20 times the amount of omega-3 fatty acid
– About half as much cholesterol as factory farmed eggs
– Happier, healthier chickens, which means healthier, fresher eggs
Crack open a store-bought egg, then crack open an egg from the local farmers’ market (or your own backyard). The egg from the store will feature a thin shell, pale yolk that breaks easily and watery white. The flavor will be bland, the texture slippery.
A backyard bird’s egg will boast thick shells, firm whites and an unbelievably bright yolk (often bright orange, representing all the beta carotene inside). The flavor will be much stronger and fresher.
Recently I have been studying Mercola articles, and making lifestyle and diet changes with heart health and hormonal health in mind. After reading multiple articles and medical studies on the topic, now one of the main reasons I eat eggs is for heart health. Long vilified by well-meaning doctors and scientists for their high cholesterol content, eggs are now making a bit of a comeback in medical and nutrition circles, and I feel so blessed to have a ready source of these tasty natural foods right in our own backyard (literally!).
Three Heart Healthy Benefits of Organic Backyard Chicken Eggs
1. Eggs Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease
One reason eggs are such a heart-healthy food option is due to the presence of omega-3 fatty acids. Free-range eggs, as mentioned above, have up to 20 times the amount of omega-3s than cage-raised eggs. They also have more of the good stuff and less of the bad stuff than cage-raised eggs. Omega-3 fatty acids, consumed as part of a healthy diet, lower blood triglycerides and help regulate and lower cholesterol.
High triglycerides are considered a serious risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and the reverse is also true. Low blood triglyceride levels equal a smaller risk for developing heart disease.
In addition to lowering blood triglycerides, eggs have been observed in clinical trials to regulate cholesterol absorption and inflammation in the bloodstream, balancing the ratio of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) to low-density lipoproteins (LDLs). This also helps lower the risk of coronary heart disease.
2. Eggs Reduce Your Risk of Heart Attack
As a great protein food (with a complete amino acid profile), eggs help your body keep building more of the best version of you. They’re such a high-quality source of protein that the World Health Organization uses them as the standard for evaluating protein quality in other foods!
The protein in eggs can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure and help you maintain a healthy weight. By choosing the healthy proteins in eggs over high-fat meat options, you can reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Chronic low-grade inflammation is intimately involved in all stages of atherosclerosis, the process that leads to cholesterol-clogged arteries. This means that inflammation sets the stage for heart attacks, most strokes, peripheral artery disease, and even vascular dementia, a common cause of memory loss.
The high levels of choline found in eggs has been specifically shown to reduce inflammation, and as we know inflammation plays an enormous role in the development of heart disease, heart attacks, and many other diseases such as osteoporosis, cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s, as well as type-2 diabetes.
3. Eggs Improve Your Cardiovascular Function
Eggs can help keep your heart beating healthier and longer. A comprehensive study released in 2015 discussed the assumption many people across the world have that the fat content in eggs is actually dangerous to those at risk for heart disease or who have diabetes. However, consuming eggs proved to be beneficial across the board, regardless of pre-existing conditions.
Studies have started pouring in pretty heavily in medical journals in the last 15 years showing that eggs contain nutrients that may help lower the risk for heart disease, including protein, vitamins B12 and D, riboflavin, folate and the little known nutrient betaine.
Eggs are also a good source of tons of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They contain the cancer-fighting selenium, thyroid-regulating iodine, perfect protein, energy-boosting B vitamins, antioxidants lutein, zeaxanthin and vitamin A for eye health, iron, as well as being one of the few food sources of the incredible vitamin D.
Free range eggs, and indeed all organic food tastes soooo much better.
And there is nothing nicer than the ‘contented chooky sound’ happy hens make. My partner’s sister keeps chooks and for a while had a rooster who used to sit in her lap and watch tv in the evenings.
Your girls look really happy with their feathered friends.
Yeah, these guys were raised with our little ones treating them like babies, so they are super sweet pets! One of our chickens is crazy loud, but the others have that happy hen sound that we love, lol. And yes, nothing better than organic noms!
Yummy, I wish I had my own chickens
xo
http://www.laurajaneatelier.com
They really do make excellent pets!
Your photos are so beautiful! I’ve always wanted a little farm house complete with chickens! I do eat eggs on occasion. It can make for a nice quick, healthy meal. What a nicely put together post!
Yeah, I like to boil a dozen at a time, and then have them on hand for quick, on the go meals!
Awww sweetest post ever! I’d love to have chickens but zoning in my town wouldn’t allow it:(
xoxox,
CC
That calls for some civil disobedience! 😉
Awww what a cute post, enjoyed reading it, Gingi.
xox
Lenya
FashionDreams&Lifestyle
Thanks for stopping by Lenya! <3
Great photos, I didn’t know that eggs are so good for out health 🙂
Yeah, they were really unfairly represented for the longest time!
HI Gingi! How’s it been!?? Eggs are the biggest staple of my diet, I eat 5-6 every single morning~!!! Love them. And I know, I’ve done the research as well and when you do raise them yourself, the nutrition goes through the roof!!! Right now, we are not allowed to raise them where we live but are hoping that changes with some meetings before our town board. But we buy from locals like yourself who sell them cheaply like 2-3 a dozen, so that’s the best we can do for now!!!
I have been great, how about yourself?! Long time no chat! I fell out of the blogging scene for a bit when I was working full time at the Farmers Market, but I am back now! Getting ready to focus on homeschool with the kiddos! You should raise chickens if you can, they are so fun! <3
Amazing! These are definitely the best eggs <3
They really are! So tasty!
Aww such adorable chickens! When I was little I always took care of the baby chickens that were rejected by their mother for some reason. They always followed me around like puppies and even played some rudimentary games with me 😀 Plus their eggs tasted so much better than any other chickens eggs, because they were my friends 😉
I can’t wait to have my own backyard chickens again one day 🙂
Yeah, our eggs taste so good, even better than the free range ones from the Farmers Market.. not sure why, really! Maybe its all the love they are infused with? haha
My husband and I were just talking about how it’s so much better to raise your own chickens and consume your eggs that way, though living in a more urban setting, it’s not possible for us right now. His sister who lives in Guatemala was saying how you can 100% taste and see the difference in the eggs, they taste fresher and the color is different. She also says that she crushes up the egg shells and disperses them within the pen and the chickens eat it and that it makes a huge difference. I don’t know how true that is because I can’t compare it, but she said it’s coming from their bodies and giving them back their nutrients. Thanks so much for sharing and I hope you have a great week ahead, beauty!
XO,
Jalisa
http://www.thestylecontour.com
Yeah, when they eat their own shells, it helps them build up stronger shells the next time around. We also give them free choice oyster shells for the same reason. We also make sure they have a good variety of greens so they have all the nutrients they need! Makes a WORLD of difference!!
I figured homegrown eggs would be better, who knows what happens to the store bought ones! And, these photos are SO, so cute! I am sure if I had some hens, they would be just as spoiled as our cats!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Haha, we have five cats that are crazy spoiled! They actually get along with the chickens!
So true! I love eggs and local ones for that matter, they are so healthy and good for the body. Your chickens are so healthy wow! And your damsel is cute.
http://www.tessyonyia.com
Yeah, they are great little hens.. and great kiddos too! 😉
😉
Bacana saber desses benefÃcios!
Ótima quarta!
Beijo! ^^
Thanks for stopping by Amanda! <3 <3 <3
I don’t eat eggs because I don’t like the taste, texture, or smell. But yay for everyone who does. You must have some Paw Patrol fans in the house? Chickoletta!
Hahaha, I wondered if anyone would get the reference… Camilla is the chicken from the Muppets too. 😉 Doodoo came from my two year old, so who knows??
Great post, I had no idea of the benefits! Gemma x
http://www.jacquardflower.uk
Thanks from stopping by! <3
Oh … these beautiful shots bring the word ‘darling’ to a whole new level. Each one is sweeter than the next! How blessed you are today!
What a joyful sharing …
Yes, we are SO very blessed… I love seeing my girls learn about animals, life, creation and food… homeschool at its best!
Your gals are so adorable, dear! I love how they play with the chicken in the yard. Awesome sharing, babe! xoxo
Awwww thank you! I am very much inclined to agree with you, haha! <3
These family photos with the chickens are darling! My cousin has a farm and several chickens, and she often brings us eggs. The difference in color, weight, and flavor is incredible. I developed a number of food allergies last year, including for a number of meats and proteins, so eggs have become a large part of our diet. It’s great to know the health benefits of backyard chicken eggs. More reason to make frequent stops by my cousin’s, right?
<3 Liz
http://www.withwonderandwhimsy.com
That is so awesome that you have a source of clean, healthy eggs in your family! I always try to bless family and friends with our excess eggs! <3
A most wonderful post, and I so enjoyed the family photo’s.
Eggs are so good for you.
All the best Jan
Yes they are! Glad you likes the photos of my little ones! <3