Farm Fresh Eggs vs Store Bought

By Laura Sayre
Updated on July 8, 2022
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Adobe Stock/Grafvision

Learn about farm fresh eggs vs store bought, where to find healthy eggs, the nutritional value of farm fresh eggs and how yours stack up.

Buying eggs has become complicated. It’s no longer just a matter of choosing between white and brown, large and extra large or even organic and conventional. Now there are “omega-3,” “vitamin-enriched” and “cage-free.” The prices on these “designer eggs,” to use the industry term, can top $4 a dozen. And then there’s “free-range” and “certified humane,” labels that imply the producers treat their hens better than others do.

It’s true that some eggs are healthier, tastier and more environmentally friendly than others, but despite all the label claims, it’s often difficult to know exactly what you’re getting with supermarket eggs. Many of those claims are unregulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), leaving it up to the consumer to discover their meaning (see How to Decode Egg Cartons). What’s a shopper to do? One strategy is to learn about the different companies (How big are they? Where are they based? Who are the stockholders?) to help you decide which you prefer to support. Another is to find a local source for fresh eggs, or even to get a few chickens of your own and declare your independence from the supermarket egg case.

In rural areas, suburbs and even cities nationwide, more and more people are discovering that keeping a few hens takes no more effort than keeping a dog, and that they can have eggs as good as or better than the priciest eggs in the grocery store — and have fun doing it.

Raising Urban Birds

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