It depends on whether you are talking about "free range" as defined by the ag department or "free range" eggs from chickens that are raised on open pasture. For the ag department definition it counts if there is a door in the coop to some outside area, even if the chickens never go outside and that outside area is just a fenced in bit of bare earth. Real pasture raised eggs both taste better and have more vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids and beta-carotene. They also have less cholesterol.
Depending on where you are at a good farmer's market is probably your best source. If you want to understand the difference just crack one pasture raised egg and one egg labeled as "free range" at the supermarket to compare the color of the yolk...
Real pasture raised eggs both taste better and have more vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids and beta-carotene. They also have less cholesterol.
True free-range eggs are those produced by hens raised outdoors or that have daily access to the outdoors. Due to seasonal conditions, however, few hens are actually raised outdoors. Some egg farms are indoor floor operations and these are sometimes erroneously referred to as free-range operations. [...] The nutrient content of eggs is not affected by whether hens are raised free-range or in floor or cage operations, but rather by the breed of chickens laying the eggs, and what those chickens are fed in their diet.
If one wanted more of certain lipids, and lipid-soluble nutrients, in his eggs, why would he not simply adjust the chicken-feed accordingly?
If one wanted more of certain lipids, and lipid-soluble nutrients, in his eggs, why would he not simply adjust the chicken-feed accordingly?
And that's exactly what I do (err, buy). I buy egglands best eggs, and that's what they do, they adjust the feed to have less fat and cholesterol. It's costs a bit more, but you notice it in the egg, and it's commercially available.
That was sort of my point: eggs from chickens raised on open pasture are not commercially available. If you get a box labeled "free range" it's meaningless. So why bother getting it.
The color of the yolk has nothing to do with free range, but rather if they eat beta carotene. You could simply add that to the feed and it would also change the color.
