Egg-cellent Source of Protein – S&R Egg Farm
What did you have to eat this morning for breakfast? Maybe some pancakes, an omelet or a bagel. There are endless possibilities for great tasting dishes with eggs.
Eggs are all-natural and packed with a number of nutrients. One egg has 13 essential vitamins and minerals in varying amounts, high-quality protein, unsaturated fats and antioxidants, all for 70 calories. Eggs' nutrients can help you with weight management, muscle strength, eye health, brain function and having a healthy pregnancy. Particularly important for aiding healthy brain function and pregnancy is choline, which is amply present in eggs. The yolk contains a higher percentage of the eggs’ vitamins than the white, including all of the eggs’ vitamins A, D and E. Egg yolks are one of the few foods that naturally contain vitamin D.
Wisconsin has a very diverse agriculture community which includes eggs. Egg production increased 15 percent to 1.62 billion eggs for the year ending November 30, 2016. There were 5.62 million layers, with an average of 288 eggs per layer. I recently had the fantastic opportunity to tour one of Wisconsin’s egg farms, S&R Egg Farm of Whitewater.
S&R Egg Farm was first hatched in 1958 with 12,000 chickens and has grown to an estimated 4.3 million healthy egg-laying hens today. This third-generation family-owned and operated egg farm produces up to 3.8 million eggs daily.
S&R Egg Farm is committed to producing quality farm fresh eggs which starts with healthy egg-laying hens. Strict diets, clean environments, and continuous access to fresh food, air and water aid in the production of quality farm fresh eggs. Their commitment to their birds begins with top-notch animal care throughout the hen’s life. S&R Egg Farm hens are fed an all-natural vegetarian diet, with no hormones or antibiotics, using locally grown corn and soybean based feed with added vitamins and mineral supplements blended in their new state of the art feed mill. The hens are housed in climate controlled barns with free access to feed and water which has a state-of-the-art ventilation and automated daily animal waste removal system that improves air quality and living conditions.
Every S&R Egg Farm egg undergoes a strict egg examination process to ensure egg freshness and quality. Before packaging, the eggs endure a precise dirt and crack detection check ensuring shipping of only the freshest, highest quality fresh farm chicken eggs. There are no roosters on their egg farm, guaranteeing a 100% non-fertile farm fresh egg. To guarantee freshness, eggs are processed and packed within 24 hours or less and shipped out within three days of lay.
In honor of May being National Egg Month here are some fun facts about eggs.
The color of the egg is determined by the breed of chicken and the color of the ear lobes. Hens with white feathers and ear lobes produce white shelled eggs while hens with red feathers and red ear lobes produce brown shelled eggs.
As a hen grows older she produces larger eggs.
The egg shell may have as many as 17,000 tiny pores over its surface. Through them, the egg can absorb flavors and odors. This is why eggs are stored in cartons to help keep them fresh.
Yolk color is determined by what a chicken eats. Thus, a darker yolk usually means a diet that contains more corn or alfalfa in the feed. Yolk color does not affect nutritive value or cooking characteristics.
Egg yolks are a rich source of vitamin A regardless of color.
You can tell if an egg has been boiled by spinning it on the counter top. If it spins quickly, it is boiled; if it spins slowly, it is not boiled. Try it!
Eggs are the perfect choice for breakfast. The protein in eggs is the highest-quality protein found in any food and provides steady and sustained energy that starts your day off right. Now, what's for breakfast tomorrow?
