Happy Chickens, Healthy Eggs

“What’s all that clucking!” squealed my three-year-old  daughter as we collected the daily eggs from our chicken coop.  Collecting eggs was part of our morning routine, and our morning routine also included using those same eggs in both my two and four-legged family members’ breakfasts.

Our flock of chickens had quite the life. They roamed free on seven acres, sunned themselves, took dust baths, and foraged at their leisure. If the chickens ever felt threatened,  they could scuttle into their spacious coop at any time. All I asked of the chickens in return was to provide nutritious eggs for my entire family. And they happily obliged. The clucking that my three–year–old asked me about was their proud vocal signal that their chore was complete – the chickens had laid their daily eggs.

 

Why the past tense, you ask?  We recently moved from 7 acres in the country to 3/4 of an acre in a suburb, and unfortunately this meant we had to re-home our beloved, hard-working hens.  Luckily, we found our feathered friends the perfect home with a set-up better than we could ever imagine! The hens now have over 15 acres of pasture to roam, and live with turkeys and goats.  Their new home is ten minutes away from our new house, and we visit them frequently.  It is adorable how they run right to my toddlers to say hello.

If you are one of the lucky ones who are able to have backyard chickens, you already know they are an addiction, and in no time, your flock doubles! However, owning chickens isn’t for everyone. Just imagine the poop in the coop that you (or in my case, my husband) had to scoop.

What’s the next best thing, then? If you live in a country setting, you could check around to see if there are any chicken hobbyists in your area that have eggs for sale. These hobbyists are usually eager to make a few bucks to make up for their chicken feed and health costs.

 

 

And for the rest of us, there are companies that partner with small family farms that keep their hens’ best interests in mind. Nellie’s Free Range Eggs is now my go-to company in the winter months, when our local farmers’ hens aren’t laying. Nellie’s Free Range Eggs was the first egg producer to earn the respected Certified Humane label. Nellie’s farmers provides their chickens with access to open pastures, giving the hens the freedom to partake in the activities that my hens enjoyed daily.

Nellie’s Free Range farms are owned and operated by families that truly care about the well-being of their hens, and Nellie’s Free Range Eggs have partnered with 45 farms from 9 states, none of which have a cage in sight.

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “Happy wife, happy life.” That holds true for hens as well. The happy, healthy, free range hens at Nellie’s Free Range Eggs give back to us by producing superior nutritious eggs. A few of the benefits of eating eggs from free range chickens include the fact that they are richer in vitamins A, D and E, as well as omega-3s. What does this mean for your family?

 

True free range eggs’ unique color, flavor and texture are contributed by high levels of Vitamin A, D, E, K2, B-12, folate, riboflavin, zinc, calcium, beta carotene, choline, and tons of omega 3 fatty acids, including DHA, EPA, ALA, and essential amino acids.  A free range egg is a true superfood that is nutritionally dense.

And when it comes to our four-legged family members, studies have found that 75% of our canine companions are deficient in vitamin D. Admittedly, these statistics held true for my own dogs. Before I changed my dogs’ diets from a veterinarian–recommended prescription kibble diet to a fresh, homemade diet, including Dr. Harvey’s base-mixes, their blood work showed that my dogs lacked adequate levels of vitamin D.  In addition to other protein sources, I add at least two raw eggs a day for each of our five dogs’ meals.

Whether you feed a raw diet, a lightly cooked diet, a fresh diet, or even a traditional kibble diet, adding free range eggs will benefit your dogs’ health immensely.

Disclaimer:

The Nellie’s Free Range Egg cartons in the above picture are eggs purchased prior to my collaboration with Nellie’s Free Range Eggs. Nellie’s Free Range Eggs and Our Five Dogs have now formed a collaboration and I have received free-eggs as part of this collaboration. I had been using Nellie’s eggs for my pups’ meals long before Nellie’s and I were in contact, and am thrilled with this opportunity.

After contacting Dr. Harvey’s to share the physical and mental health benefits that I witnessed after switching my dogs’ diets to Paradigm, Dr. Harvey’s has since given me free products from their lines of food, supplements, treats, and grooming essentials for my honest feedback.

All opinions expressed about Dr. Harvey’s and/or Nellie’s Free Range Eggs in this and any other article I post may not represent the thoughts or opinions of Dr. Harvey’s and/or Nellie’s Free Range Eggs. Dr. Harvey’s products are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.

In no way is this post or any other post intended to be a substitute for professional veterinarian advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Yes, I am a veterinarian, but I am not your pets’ veterinarian. Always seek the advice of your veterinarian with any questions you may have regarding the medical condition of your pet. Never disregard professional advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.