No difference between pasture raised chicken eggs and caged chicken eggs.

[imnukensc]

One of the biggest problems our society has is not investing in effort beyond reading the headlines. Then we have issues with those that do scrutinize the details.

That's quite evident on this forum (and many others) when someone posts, "I live in central Florida and have six 2 month old chicks that......." Invariably someone just a few posts in will ask, "Where are you located or how old are the chicks?"

 

[Kris5902]

It would be interesting to see a more detailed study with a broader spectrum, on how eggs are affected, flavor, color, texture, nutritional properties... beyond just the cholesterol, fats, and fat soluble vitamins. Confined on commercial feed vs. pastured or free ranged on restricted feed which actually encourages foraging behaviors...

Let’s face it chickens are kinda lazy in that if they have all the food they can eat laid out buffet style in a trough right in front of them, why would they put all that effort into foraging? “Oh, look! A tasty bug... I’ll eat it! Maybe I’ll even nibble a bit of grass now and then too” Might happen in the circumstances laid out in this study, but there’s no actual requirement for the pastures chickens to provide for themselves.

 

[Col1948]

It would be interesting to see a more detailed study with a broader spectrum, on how eggs are affected, flavor, color, texture, nutritional properties... beyond just the cholesterol, fats, and fat soluble vitamins. Confined on commercial feed vs. pastured or free ranged on restricted feed which actually encourages foraging behaviors...

Let’s face it chickens are kinda lazy in that if they have all the food they can eat laid out buffet style in a trough right in front of them, why would they put all that effort into foraging? “Oh, look! A tasty bug... I’ll eat it! Maybe I’ll even nibble a bit of grass now and then too” Might happen in the circumstances laid out in this study, but there’s no actual requirement for the pastures chickens to provide for themselves.

I always put some treat out before I open the coop, they got used to it and go straight to where I put the treat, but I watch them and they peck at it then one of them goes on the grass to forage, then another joins and then another, next they have left the treat and continue to forage only going back to it now and again.
I posted earlier saying I try to vary the treat so they get a variety of vitamins too, I don't overdo it, I also put the feed in the coop after they have come out, and again they go to it, have a nibble then go back to forage.