Help me choose wether to buy organic eggs or Omega 3 enriched eggs, as I did not find eggs both organic and Omega3 enriched !
I'd stay organic, as I eat also good eggs (tastier) and you ?
TIA Maria Giovanna

I would go with organic.  Who knows what they put in the feed of other chickens.

I'd stay organic and get omega 3 from fish oil and chia seeds, or flax, depending on your GTD.

I choose the higher level of Omega-3 for myself (660 mg/egg in a 1:1 ratio with Omega 6) because the Omega 3 is a huge reason why I eat eggs. While the eggs are 'natural' rather than organic, they are the same quality of egg (color, shell density, texture and taste) as organic so I am satisfied that the chickens are eating a good mix, even if it's not certified organic. Does the organic label tell you what they are being fed? I'm not clear what that specifies from a diet standpoint compared to my omega-3 eggs, other than lack of possible contaminants.

Everyone does with what is best for them. Ideally, it would be nice to have a henhouse out back.  

Quoted from Lloyd

I choose the higher level of Omega-3 for myself (660 mg/egg in a 1:1 ratio with Omega 6) because the Omega 3 is a huge reason why I eat eggs. While the eggs are 'natural' rather than organic, they are the same quality of egg (color, shell density, texture and taste) as organic so I am satisfied that the chickens are eating a good mix, even if it's not certified organic. Does the organic label tell you what they are being fed? I'm not clear what that specifies from a diet standpoint compared to my omega-3 eggs, other than lack of possible contaminants.

going with the Omega 3 eggs was my thought as well because in the GTD book Dr. D. stresses that.

Chicken feed often has arsenic in it.  I wouldn't eat anything but organic.

Arsenic?  Why?

Quoted from Ribbit

Arsenic?  Why?

http://bihartimes.com/Maneka/chickenfeed.html

Quoted Text

In 1944 Roxarsone—4-hydroxy-3-nitrobenzenearsonic acid now also known as 3 Nitro , Ristat or Renosal— was invented and allowed by the US Government to be fed to factory raised chickens.  This is an arsenic-based additive which the poultry industry uses to increase weight gain, kills stomach parasites, improve the color of chicken meat and rear bigger breasted birds.

Fatter chickens, for the meat. In factory farms. One would have to check with the producers on a one by one basis but 'natural' (all vegetarian feed) would seem to be excluded from this.

Quoted from cindyt

Chicken feed often has arsenic in it.  I wouldn't eat anything but organic.

Arsenic exists in seawater and is found in all sea life, mostly converted to organoarsenic, which is "non-toxic or carcinogenic to mammals"...

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=2688781

If this is what the chickens are eating in their feed, shouldn't be a problem.

Quoted from teri

Arsenic exists in seawater and is found in all sea life, mostly converted to organoarsenic, which is "non-toxic or carcinogenic to mammals"...

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=2688781

If this is what the chickens are eating in their feed, shouldn't be a problem.

My understanding is that it is added to the chicken feed because they want to damage the thyroid (this is what causes the weight gain in chickens). So I presume it is biological active in order to damage the chickens, and if humans consume enough of it they will be damaged as well.

How do they get omega 3 into the eggs: The farmer replaces about 10% of the chicken feed with flax seeds. More  flax I presume results in higher omega 3 per egg.

Different brands of eggs seem to vary in the amount of omega 3 per egg, but 300 mg seems to be common.

To get 300 mg from ground flax seed you would need to ingest less than a teaspoon (a lot less costly than the price premium for omega 3 eggs).

In the past I have bought organic, "natural", "cage free", and commercial omega 3 eggs. I have a hard time figuring out the cost trade offs between different egg varieties.

I cut way back on eggs when I was on the explorer diet (quail eggs were too costly to consume regularly). Even after returning to the BTD, I have not yet increased my egg consumption again.

Quoted from C_sharp

My understanding is that it is added to the chicken feed because they want to damage the thyroid (this is what causes the weight gain in chickens). So I presume it is biological active in order to damage the chickens, and if humans consume enough of it they will be damaged as well.

If that's true, then it is not the same arsenic compound found in seafood and algae.

Arsenic additive for chicken feed is usually:

Roxarsone or 4-hydroxy-3-nitrobenzenearsonic acid

While this is not arsenate (compound mentioned in Teri's link above),
it is still a form of organoarsenic.

The manufactures of the additive say that it is roxarsone is safe and most of it is rapidly eliminated in the urine.

However, roxarsone under anaerobic conditions (this can occur in live poultry) is converted to the more lethal inorganic form of arsenic.

My understanding is that chicken/eggs labeled antibiotic free should come from birds that were not fed arsenic. (another reason arsenic is used is that it reduces the number of intestinal parasites in factory farmed birds.)

The following chicken brands do not use arsenic: Tyson, Bell & Evans and Eberly.

Side note --for those interested in the thread on the origin of cancer --

Dr. Partha Basu in Duquesne's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said of a recent study "We wanted to test if roxarsone, which increases pigmentation by forming more blood vessels in chickens, does the same in humans and the answer is yes," Dr. Basu said. "It's a process called angiogenesis, a common growth process, but also one that occurs in many diseases and cancers."

Thanks to all, I'll stay with organic eggs, as I thought posting  !
Maria Giovanna

linseedfeed organic chicken eggs are thaaaat yummy  

My son doesn’t like the eggs with Omega 3 added he says it tastes fishy to him.  He has to mask it with hot sauce to eat them.  Whereas the organic eggs he is just fine with.    I don’t taste a difference and I’m the super taster – go figure.  He used to eat fish when he was younger, but he has grown to hate it since his teenage days.  I can’t even cook fish in the house without him gagging (that must be psychological), so I make fish for myself when he’s not home.

So does anyone else taste the difference in the eggs?

I do. I can't tolerate the store brands..D.  I use mostly free range or Egglands. Free range taste the best. Very rich, full of flavor..

A few times I bought those already peeled hb eggs  

Quoted from RedLilac

So does anyone else taste the difference in the eggs?

YES BIG time

As some of you know I have my own hens= my own eggs
- sadly I only have 3 small hens- and that is really not enough
with an O who eats 2 eggs every day - and me who has egss every second day
- so I have to buy some if my mum can´t spare some for me.

I ( and my mum ) feeds my hens a diet of kitchen scraps, weeds; organic wheat - sometimes oats in the winter- oystershells, all the bugs that I can find
- In the Autumn/winter they are left free in my garden( IF Sienna will leave them alone ) and eat whatever they find.
Right now I feed them some sunflower/hempseeds since they are changing feathers.
AND my eggs taste sooo good.

BUT sometimes I buy my neighbours eggs and they taste less good   he feeds them commercial feed - on top of barley and kitchen scraps.
They are same breed - but still they do not taste as good.

Organic eggs from the shops - here are Ok- but a bit less tasty than my own- mainly cause they are not as fresh.
I have tried the flaxseed/omega 3 eggs here
- and I found them abit fishy - and really the hens are not treated as good as the organic free range hens- and that matters a LOT to me.

ANYway the health difference between an organic egg - raised outdoor with bugs,grass etc and a flaxseed egg is far less
than the difference between flaxseed egg and "caged hens" eggs. Organic eggs simply has a higher omega 3 - than regular/cage hens eggs

I would rather eat my organic free range eggs - knowing that my hens live a good real life and get extra omega 3 from flaxseed and fish that I eat - than eat a flaxseed egg from a hens that do not live a free range organic life.

IN EU organic hens needs to be outside and free range !

There's a local brand of eggs here called Country Hen.  They are organic, cage free and high in omega 3s.  The best store bought eggs I've ever had.
Jane

OrgaNIC ARE DEFINITELY TASTIER!!!!