What is current research showing about eggs?

In a 2003 study, researchers at Pennsylvania State University reported that birds kept on pasture produced three times more omega-3s in their eggs than birds raised in cages on a commercial diet. They also found twice as much vitamin E and 40 percent more vitamin A in the yolks of the pastured birds. That is a real nutritional difference!

Egg yolks are the richest known source of lutein and zeaxanthin, essential vitamins not found in your multi-vitamin tablet. Eggs are gaining new respect from nutritionists, partly for their abundance of two carotenes --- lutein and zeaxanthin. These antioxidant vitamins are essential for the protection of the macula, an area of the retina that provides our best central vision. Eggs are the richest known source. "Macular degeneration," the term for damage to this area of the retina, is the leading cause of blindness in people over 55 years of age. Lutein and zeaxanthin protect the macula from the destructive effects of light. The deeper the yellow-orange color of yolks, the more lutein and zeaxanthin they contain and the more eye-protection they offer.

There is also new evidence linking lutein and zeaxanthin with a lower risk of colon cancer. According to a recent study, "Of all the carotenoids investigated, only lutein and zeaxanthin showed a protective effect against colon cancer, with an enhanced effect in younger people."

(Slattery, M. L., Benson, J., Curtin, K., Ma, K. N., Schaeffer, D., and Potter, J. D. (2000). Am J Clin Nutr 71, 575-82.)

Egg consumption doesn't appear to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease or stroke.

Cutting back on egg consumption has been widely recommended as a way to lower blood cholesterol levels and prevent coronary heart disease. Is this valid advice? Recently, researchers took a close look at the egg-eating habits and heart health of 118,000 men and women. The scientists reported that "we found no evidence of an overall significant association between egg consumption and risk of CHD [coronary heart disease] in either men or women." In fact, they found that people who ate from 5 to 6 eggs per week had a lower risk of heart disease than those who ate less than one egg per week.

(Hu, F. B., M. J. Stampfer, et al. (1999). "A prospective study of egg consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease in men and women." JAMA 281(15): 1387-94.)


Imagine what studies would show if scientists looked at the heart health of the lucky people who eat eggs from free-range hens!

Buff Orpington Chickens
We have Buff Orpington chicks and chickens for sale in the Spring, Summer and Autumn. Orpington chickens have a pleasant personality and are non-aggressive. They are hardy, productive dual purpose chickens that lay medium to large brown eggs and dress out nicely as roasters.

Orpingtons are naturally broody and exceptional mothers. They are heavily but loosely feathered which makes them appear massive. Their feathering allows them to endure cold temperatures, especially our bitter Michigan winters, better than some other breeds and they lay well year around.

Orpingtons were developed in England at the town of Orpington in County Kent during the 1880s. They were brought to America in the 1890s and gained popularity very rapidly because of their excellence as a meat bird and layer. As the commercial broiler and roaster market developed, Orpingtons lost out partly because of their white skin.

We know Orpingtons to be easy keepers that forage extremely well on pasture. Their docile nature also makes them easy to keep in confinement. We selectively breed Orpingtons for their meat and laying potential but also emphasize a gentle personality.

Although a popular breed of chicken for the homestead, Orpingtons are still on the recovery list of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. We think it is important to continue to contribute efforts towards their preservation.

2008 Availability

If you are looking for high quality chickens that have been selectively bred from top quality productive stock, raised in a humane free range environment on certified natural pasture and fed in an organic manner, then you are at the right place!

Our chicks and adult birds are only available in Michigan. We do not ship poultry, nor do we sell hatching eggs. Chicks must be picked up at our farm no later than the first weekend after the hatch.

ADULTS & PULLETS - $10 each

CHICKS - $3.50 each