If nothing else, pastured eggs are just healthier.  Here’s a nutritional breakdown for Polyface Farm pastured eggs vs. normal eggs (from this source).

Polyface Farm vitamin E: 7.37 mg
USDA vitamin E: 0.97 mg

Vitamin A: 763 IU
USDA vitamin A: 487 IU

Beta carotene: 76.2 mcg
USDA beta carotene: 10 mcg

Folate: 10200 mcg
USDA folate: 47 mcg

Omega-3s: 0.71 g
USDA omega-3s: 0.033g

Cholesterol: 292 mg
USDA cholesterol: 423 mg

Saturated Fat: 2.31 g
USDA saturated fat: 3.1 g

The yolks in pastured eggs are yellower, the whites firmer, and the shells different.  My lemon bars now look so yellowy orange - not like we're used to, growing up.  There are a few other things like....oh right - my pancakes are a yellowy color.  It’s all in the eggs baby.  Especially when the eating is good in the yard (read: Spring and Fall).  I’m basically a crazy religious egg zealot.  I wanted to show you photos; side by side so you could oooh and ahhh the difference.  See with your eyes this yellow and firm whites I'm talking about.

I promise you honesty, you saw my messy foyer?  The spring my tomato seedlings failed?  Well friends, August is not a tasty month in the yard and the egg photos were not of my wildest dreams.  I’m still going to show you.  But I also am going to list some other references for you to view. I believe in eggs this way.

I haven’t enhanced the side by side photos.  They are the images direct from the 5D, and all lighting etc. in my kitchen was constant.  The store egg is one I stole/traded with my in-laws, and I should have taken more than one.  Unfortunately I can’t photograph the taste.  This chicken life is interesting and unexpected, and sometimes hard, but it’s always always delicious.  I feel good eating the eggs, feeding them to my baby, and giving away little cartons of precious egg packed joy.