Why do my fresh farm eggs seem old?

[KellyTheChef]

Hey all...I recently bought some fresh eggs at a local farm. When I got them home and went to use them, they seemed old to me.

Things I thought I was supposed to look for in fresh farm eggs:
BRIGHT yellow-orange yolk (these looked the color of store eggs)
White part of the egg that surrounds the yolk should be "firmer" and gel-like...and kind of "stand up" in comparison to the rest of the white. The eggs I got had whites that were ALL watery.
Plus, a couple that I opened, even the yolk looked like it was WRINKLING and shrinking inside the sak?

I took them back yesterday and told him that I would like some new FRESH eggs....these look better, but still are not the bright color I was expecting and the white does NOT have any "gelled" part.

Now...the only time in my life that I have eaten REAL FRESH eggs was when I worked with a lady who kept chickens and she gave me a dozen every now and then when they had too many for their family. MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmm....those eggs were the reason that I wanted to buy some fresh from a farmer!

Since I am not well educated on them, are my thoughts correct? Or am I just full of it? (probably asking for it by that last question!! )

 

[colegrovet]

the yellow of the yoke is dependent on the ammount of corn the chickens get.
the fresher the egg, the higher the yoke will stand if you look at it from the side.
the older the egg, the flatter the yoke will get. "Wrinkling" is signs of an older egg too.
sounds like this guy does not want to keep you as a customer.

 

[PChefPEI]

No, Kelly, you're not full of it! LOL Terry is right, as you are. We used to have laying hens and their eggs were delicious! We had to do away with them recently because they got too old. I'm not enjoying store bought eggs at all!!

I would suggest you find yourself another farmer who is willing to sell you some REAL fresh eggs!!

 

[KellyTheChef]

the yellow of the yoke is dependent on the ammount of corn the chickens get.
the fresher the egg, the higher the yoke will stand if you look at it from the side.
the older the egg, the flatter the yoke will get. "Wrinkling" is signs of an older egg too.
sounds like this guy does not want to keep you as a customer.

Yah, he wasn't very nice when I bought them in the first place...I even gave him a $5 for the two dozen (his price was $2 each) and he didn't even seem thankful that I gave him the tip!

Then...yesterday when I said that the eggs I had gotten were old and that I would like some new fresh ones, he NEVER EVEN APOLOGIZED...just looked annoyed that I was there.

I told my DSD on the way home that I would NEVER go back there again...even if these eggs were the best I have ever tasted. (They aren't anyhow....no difference than store bought.)

 

[KellyTheChef]

No, Kelly, you're not full of it! LOL Terry is right, as you are. We used to have laying hens and their eggs were delicious! We had to do away with them recently because they got too old. I'm not enjoying store bought eggs at all!!

I would suggest you find yourself another farmer who is willing to sell you some REAL fresh eggs!!

I am gonna have to ask around...there are a few farms in our area that do this...I don't want to get burned again, though! But, boy, do I want some good fresh eggs!

 

[jenne]

The only thing I can help with is to do with the yellow of the yolk....we have a bunch of layers, and they are free range, meaning they go out and eat lots of greens...the more greens, the darker the yolk. if they aren't getting out of the coop and are only being fed regular chicken feed, the yolks could very well be a light color. But from the rest you've described...they certainly don't sound fresh and you did the right thing taking them back!! I'd be happy to sell you some, but Ohio is just a bit far away!!

 

[KellyTheChef]

Thanks for the offer Jenny! Yeah...they may not make it here intact or still fresh...

That's good info to know about the color of the yolk!

 

[crystalscookingnow]

My MIL sells eggs too & those don't sound fresh at all! I was out of eggs the other night & wanted to make cherry cheese coffe cake. I sent DH out to the chicken house to look for an egg! LOL It was 10:00 and way to late to go to mom's (next door) to get an egg... lol

I'm closer to you than MN, but I still don't think those eggs would make it!

 

[janetupnorth]

Now I'm kind of wanting chickens again...but I really don't have time for them...

 

[jrstephens]

If AL were closer I could get you some. My dad has chickens so we don't have to buy eggs until they go through a stubborn phase of not wanting to lay. Then he buys laying pellets and we are back saving money.

 

[Shawnna]

I love fresh eggs. We had chickens for awhile...my daughter's 4-H project. We fed them corn and let them free range...the best of both worlds. I worried about the mess they would make, but it was minimal and we had no ticks or misquitos.

 

[raebates]

Add my voice to the others'. You'll be doing well to never patronize that egg man again.We got hooked on fresh eggs when a friend was raising them. Hey had a movable pen, so the chickens got a wide variety in their diet--lots of crickets and other bugs. They were the best eggs ever! After those friends moved away, we've had a couple of other sources. They kind of come and go as people move in and out of the hobby/business.We absolutely get fresh whenever possible. Free-range is our preference.