We tested our eggs, and we're thrilled with the results! READ MORE & GET ALL OF THE DATA.

Egg yolk changes. We were greenwashed and are furious! Here's the scoop.

written by

Marie Reedell

posted on

March 22, 2024

laying-hens.jpg

Why we switched our chicken feed

If you've followed our blog for some time, then you know that I do a good amount of muckraking on the food industry - conventional, organic, or otherwise.  But, this week, I need to rake the muck on us (more specifically on our corn & soy free eggs)!

I recently found out that I was duped!!! I'll be honest, I'm pretty pissed. Here's what happened.


Our laying hens' feed has come from the same feed supplier for years (not gonna mention any names). I've had lengthly phone calls with this feed supplier, and everything they told me has always sounded amazing. All the natural standards you could hope for.

Don't get me wrong. There were some yellow flags every now and then. 

For example, how did those yolks stay deep orange in the winter without any added colorants? How did the birds transition so easily to a corn & soy free feed? How are you absolutely certain that the feed is chemical free if you don't always buy directly from a farm and aren't always buying organic grains? Is a glyphosate test every once in a while enough?

But then, a few weeks ago, there was a major red flag. One of our egg farmers noticed something very alarming: A soybean oil tag was on a feed bag for our corn & soy free feed! What!?!?

This prompted an egg farmer to share a complete feed list with me, which showed that there was, in fact, marigold and paprika in the feed as a natural colorant. This explains why the yolks have been orange in the colder months. Ugh, to my knowledge there was no added colorants and I even wrote a blog post about it last year.

Why wasn't the feed supplier honest? What else was he not being 100% truthful about? Well, I have no idea. But, I'm glad I can make it right now.

That soybean oil tag was the final straw and prompted a very quick switch to a new feed supplier for our laying hens.

They're new, they're local, and they have full transparency

Egg Yolk Changes

You may notice pale egg yolks as the birds transition to the new feed and we get all the rations in place. It may take a few months to normalize.

The new feed supplier is working with us to customize the feed. It's our goal to produce a feed that's (1) the most natural; (2) provides optimal nutrition for our laying hens; and (3) produces the most nutrient-dense eggs for you. 

Please know we are actively working on this. It's a top priority. We will make sure to update the corn & soy free eggs product description with accurate and current feed ingredients.

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As of today, here are ALL of the ingredients in our corn & soy free laying hen feed (including the ingredients in the ingredients, too). It has the same basic basic ingredients advertised as the old feed... with some added vitamins and minerals.

MAIN FEED INGREDIENTS

This makes up 90%+ of the feed. About 20% of the grains below are sourced from local farms and about 80% come from Canada. All ingredients are GMO-free. If bought in from a distributor and we can't verify if chemicals were used, it will likely be organic.

  • Oats
  • Rolled wheat
  • Peas
  • Alfalfa hay leaves
  • Barley
  • Fishmeal (Fertrell's FERFISH): 100% whole sardine meal that is wild-caught off the coast of South America. The fishery has a sustainability certificate so they only harvest what they can take to sustainably keep the fish population going for the future. They used mixed tocopherols as the preservative (the only preservative allowed under Organic Regulations) and never use Ethoxyquin. The fish meal is used in the ration both as a great source of protein and amino acids, but also because it attracts the birds to their feed and actually helps them digest it better.
  • Sesame Meal (from Tipple M Farms): Ground sesame seeds
  • Goat Whey (raw liquid): From local pasture raised goats

VITAMINS & MINERALS

All supplements are certified for organic and GMO-free. There are no added oils or additives (like preservatives or anti-caking agents). The loooong lists below are exactly what's in them. There's a nutritional reason for each and every one.

  • Poultry Nutri-Balancer (from Fertrell): Monocalcium Phosphate, Organic Dehydrated Kelp Meal, Salt, DL Methionine, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite, Riboflavin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenic Acid, Niacin Supplement, Choline Chloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Manganese Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper
    Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Dried Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Extract, Active Dry Yeast, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation product, Dried Bacillus licheniformis Fermentation product, Dried Bacillus subtilis Fermentation Product.
  • Aragonite: This is just ground aragonite rocks
  • York Calcium Chips: Limestone
  • Monocal Phos (from Fertrell): Monocalcium phosphate (which is phosphorous and calcium that has been chemically bonded together)
  • Spnutzym Nutri-Zyme (from Fertrell): Enzymes derived from lactic acid bacteria and ground limestone. The enzymes are grown on dairy but there's no dairy in the final product.
  • Redmond Salt: Unrefined ancient sea salt from Salt Lake City, Utah which contains 60+ naturally-occurring trace minerals
  • Paprika: This is a natural coloring that makes the yolks orange... even when the birds aren't eating fresh grass in the warmer months. It gives the birds (and the eggs) antioxidants and vitamin A, too.
  • Marigold Flowers: This is a natural coloring like paprika. It also gives the birds (and the eggs) extra antioxidants.

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Why such a long ingredient list?

I know what you're likely thinking. It's probably the same thing I thought as I was doing extensive research on this: Why such a long ingredient list? Can't we do this more naturally? Can't we eliminate synthetic vitamins? 

I've emailed back and forth with the egg farmers and the new feed supplier. I read the technical sheets for every single ingredient (and reached out to the companies if I needed more info). I had a 45-minute phone call with a feed specialist from Fertrell. I've done some additional research online. Everything has been very enlightening. 

We also conducted an egg survey with our customers, which was extremely helpful in deciding which direction to go in. 

You can find all the answers to your questions as well as current egg feed ingredients here:

READ MORE: What's in our natural egg feed? And why is it in there anyway?



More from the blog

Is yolk color is no longer a great indicator of the egg's nutrition?

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How did pork get a bad rep anyway? Why is Miller's pork exceptional?

Did you know that, globally, pork is the #1 meat? According to the UN, 10% more pork is eaten compared to poultry worldwide. And, 50% more pork is eaten compared to beef worldwide. Wow! But, for some reason, this isn't the case in the US. According to the USDA, pork ranks #3 when it comes to meat. Americans eat 30% less pork compared to poultry and 15% less compared to beef. Why is this? Well, pork has gotten a pretty bad rep in the US. Of course there are some religions that prohibit pork, but that's not the leading factor.  Some reasons why pork has a bad rep. 1- Too much saturated fat.  The low fat craze started in the 1970s and fizzled out in the 1990s. It came from the belief that (1) fat makes us fat; and (2) that too much saturated fat = high cholesterol = bad things like heart disease and cholesterol. These myths have been debunked. Read more in fats and health blog post. The bottom line is that not all fats are created equal. 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But, this isn't the case for all pork. How meat it's processed matters a lot. At Miller's, we don't put any of that yucky junk in our meat, even the salami and bacon and sausages (more on that below). 4- Worry that eating pork will have a negative affect on your blood.  The Weston A. Price Foundation did a bunch of research on this. It's true that plain pork can cause blood clotting and inflammation. However, properly preparing pork (by marinating it in vinegar or naturally curing it) or by eating pork with fermented veggies like sauerkraut removes these negative effects. Read more about pork and your blood in this blog post. 5- The belief that pigs are "dirty".  I think this one mainly comes from the fact that pigs roll around in mud. They do this to protect their nearly hairless bodies. It's like natural sunscreen. It doesn't mean the meat is dirty at all. It may also come from the fact that pigs are often treated as garbage disposals. They will literally eat anything. And that includes kitchen scraps, meat processing scraps, curdled milk, and more. But again, not all pork is created equal. When you source from trusted farms, you can actually know that the pigs are eating clean food and are rolling around in chemical-free mud.  6- Strange rumors that pigs are deformed. This one came from Nailea on the farm. At some point, she watched a video about how some pigs are born without buttholes or have odd deformities or become cancerous. Yet, despite their weirdness, they're still raised for meat. I don't know how true this is for conventional pigs. But, it's certainly not true for our pigs. They are intact and happy and healthy. And our processor would never give us meat that's weird or cancerous. Why you should eat pork. I'm here to inform you that, when produced naturally and properly, pork is pretty awesome.  It's high in protein, zinc, iron, and B vitamins (particularly the "anti-stress" vitamin B1 - read more about thiamine and pork in this blog post). It's packed with quality, healthy saturated fats. And it's the most affordable meat and can be produced year round.  This is why people around the world love pork. I think you should love pork, too! Miller's pork is not just any old pork.  Here are 6 quick reasons it stands above the rest: 1- Woodland raised.  Our pigs get plenty of exercise and forage for countless nuts and grubs and roots. This diverse diet gives our pork some extra flavor. And you can be assured that the environment is free of chemicals and is a happy place for our pigs to live. 2- Corn & soy free.  This means low PUFA and no chance of GMOs. We haven't tested our pork like we did for our chicken and eggs. But, if we did, I assume we'd get similar results with our pork having balanced omegas and packed with vitamins and minerals. 3- Heritage breeds.  Our pigs are Berkshire, Duroc, Red Waddle, and Black crosses. These heritage breeds are known for their intensity of flavor, juiciness, marbling, and tenderness. It's nothing like the bland, dry pork you often get at the grocery store. 4- No junk like nitrates or additives.  We reduce toxins and anything unnatural as much as possible. Our bacon is cured simply with Celtic sea salt (in a store it would have "uncured" on the label). Our sausages have clean ingredients, no weird thickeners or preservatives. Our salami is cured naturally with celery juice powder. 5- Washed in organic apple cider vinegar.  No harsh chemicals like bleach or citric and lactic acids touch our pork. We are so fortunate to have a naturally minded processor! 6- No drugs.  We don't vaccinate. We don't give antibiotics or hormones or anything like that. Through a natural diet and lifestyle, our pigs stay naturally healthy. Do you eat pork? Why or why not? What do you look for when shopping for pork? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below - no account required (start typing for the guest option to appear). ðŸ˜Š ----- SOURCES: UN Report: Livestock commoditiesUSDA: Chicken leads U.S. per person availability of meat over last decade False Facts About Pork Everyone Actually BelievesIs Pork Bad for You? Here's What a Dietitian Has to Say

What Is Pastured Chicken? (Customer Review of Miller's Bio Farm)

Ever heard about pastured chicken? It’s gaining popularity right now among the more health-conscious people out there.  Pastured chicken offers a superior alternative to conventionally raised poultry.  The nutritional values are higher and in my opinion, it tastes better. In this article, we’ll explore what pastured chicken is and why I’ve switched to using Miller’s Bio Farm as my go to for all of the poultry products that I consume. Ready? Let’s dive in! How I Became A Customer Of Miller’s Bio Farm Hey, my name’s Angela. But most people online know me as The Carnivore Gal. And that’s because after getting Lyme disease just over a year ago, I had to transition to eating a carnivore based diet in order to regain my health. I started sharing my journey on Facebook with other people and so far over 150,000 individuals have been inspired enough by my story to follow me. You can read more about my carnivore diet journey here. 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If you’d like a detailed breakdown of other products by Miller’s, you can read my full Miller’s Bio Farm Review here.