i don't have chickens to give me eggs, so i buy them. when i go to the store, i am not sure of the difference in eggs. what is A and what is AA grade eggs?

thanks

gene

-- gene ward (gward34847@aol.com), January 25, 2001

Answers

Gene:

Unless it has changed, there are four grades, AA, A, B and C. Basically AA is an egg considered ideal in every way. A is an egg slightly less than perfect, but still desirable for retail sale. B is an egg with slight abnormalaties, and probably ends up in processed products. C is, of course, whatever is left.

Those with their own flocks probably consume all four grades and don't think much of it.

Jumbo, Extra Large, Large, Medium and Small concerns the average weight per dozen, rather than physical size.

While some consider brown eggs superior to white eggs, I know of no scientific research to support this.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), January 25, 2001.

Another difference: almost all eggs from the grocery store (unless specified otherwise) come from egg factories, where hens are kept by the millions, tightly caged; deprived of fresh air, sunlight, and normal movement. (For example, cannot open their wings). These birds are routinely fed antibiotics and slaughterhouse by-products. You'll notice that factory eggs often have a pale-yellow yolk and runny whites, whereas eggs from humanely raised hens (birds who have fresh air, sunshine, bugs & grass to eat, and freedom to move) typically have a bright orange-gold yolk, and a firmer white. I took a couple of my eggs to the restaurant where I work serving breakfast, and had the cook fix them for me. After cooking, she put them in the serving window next to another order of eggs, and the difference was amazing. Bright, vivid orange versus pale, pathetic yellow. Can only guess the difference in flavor, since I haven't eaten a factory egg in years.

-- Shannon at Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary (gratacres@aol.com), January 25, 2001.

When was the last time you saw a small egg in the supermarket? I use used egg cartons and my eggs barely fit in extra large sizes, mostly jumbo. Reminds me of the place that sells special coffees in sizes of tall, extra tall and grande. It looks like small, medium and large to me.

Gene, Most supermarkets are starting to sell organic stuff. If you look, there are probably organic eggs. Or you can go to a health food store and get organic eggs. Yes, they'll cost a little more, but believe me, they are worth it. One customer's husband refused to eat eggs she made saying, "These aren't Dee's eggs! I can tell by looking at them" Like Shannon said, they are darker and thicker.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), January 25, 2001.

Gene how about finding someone in your area to buy or barter eggs with! I love giving my money to the farmer, I don't grow beans, but buy them locally, I always keep jalapeno's for my Mexican Cabrito buyers, and they bring me tamale's! Pears from my trees to a gal for plums. Grocery store eggs I guess really do come from hens, but you sure couldn't tell from the taste! Very unhappy hens :( Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), January 25, 2001.

When we were in the apartment and real short of cash (saving for our homestead!) I found a local store that sold Grade B eggs. They were about 1/3 the price and I never had a problem with them. Some had slight stains on the shell, but most looked just fine like the other eggs. NOw I have chickens so I rarely buy eggs anymore.

-- elle (eagle-quest@juno.com), January 25, 2001.

Once again, Ken to the rescue! He I think answered the initial questions perfectly well, as usual............

I am reminded (while we are talking of eggs ,(and I think I brought this up on another thread, sorry)......of when I lived in Los Angeles, with my little chicken coop out back, cuz they had no zoning then. I had only half a dozen hens in a tiny little yard, and kept the neighbors from complaining by giving them eggs. Anyway, my favorite memory is of a colleague at work who bought our eggs once, and hated them because they "tasted too eggy".

Somehow, this still cracks me up....

Thank you Shannon, for your wonderful and important synopsis of what is wrong with buying eggs at the grocery store! Saved me the trouble, and made me smile real big!!

Would that this message were more easily accessible to the ignorant masses! Perhaps we could make a dent in reversing the damage being done to our MOther Earth, and to her people.......

-- Earthmama (earthmama48@yahoo.com), January 25, 2001.

thank you for the specific answers about my specific question about the difference between grade A and grade AA. that was my question and i appreciate the information.

( gritting teeth because a little grouchy today) what is it with not just this one posting ,but many other postings, where someone asks a specific question and someone has to reply with a diatribe of whatever they want to say, that does not answer the original question????????????

i have had chickens before, and i am WELL AWARE of the difference between store bought eggs and home-fresh eggs. and i am also aware of how to get home-fresh eggs when i don't raise my own chickens. i am just not currently in a situation that allows me to enjoy the "fruits of my own labor" of home-fresh eggs. yadda yadda yadda.

thank you for answering my questions ,and for allowing me to vent.

gene

-- gene ward (gward34847@aol.com), January 25, 2001.

Huh? did we do something wrong?

-- Earthmama (earthmama48@yahoo.com), January 26, 2001.

Nah, Mom It's in the water lately........

-- Sparrowhawk (sparrowkiak@yahoo.com), January 26, 2001.

Hi Gene, Seems to me this would be a mighty small and shallow forum without the additional chat that goes into people's answers. Kind of like talking among a group of friends - the conversation can travel. Frequently some really cool but unsolicited information will surface, too. So my thanks to you for starting this conversation! : )

-- Laura Jensen (lrjensen@nwlink.com), January 26, 2001.

Just couldn't resist the opportunity to speak up on behalf of our feathered friends, I guess. Not EVERYONE knows the horrors of factory farming, but I do realize that most people reading this forum are aware. No offense to you, Gene. I din't realize you wanted to know JUST the diff between A & AA...I thought you meant other differences between eggs, too.

-- Shannon at Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary (gratacres@aol.com), January 26, 2001.

No Sparrowhawk, clearly a case of advancing Mad Cow Disease. We all have it in various stages. The first symptom is a mysterious call to check out this forum. As it progresses you find yourself lurking more and more. Finally you jump in and participate. As it progresses you find an area of expertise that you can contribute but you still find yourself reading all sorts of threads about stuff you didn't even think of before. As the disease progresses further you lose objectivity and start taking things very personally. Eventually you learn to live with the disease or you stalk off and lurk again.God Bless us all!!!!

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), January 26, 2001.

I guess we all figured that you got your answer in the first response post, Gene, so we can now have what's left of the thread! LOL! Yes, it would be a rather boring place here if "just chatting" weren't allowed. I just happened on this place the other day and would certainly have passed it right on by if I had found it to be such a dry and clinical forum. I mean, I rarely get to visit with anyone except my husband, mother, father, ranch hand and the dogs, so just love to chat online!

My egg-selling story: We've had chickens for as long as I can remember and have always kept a rooster or two with them. When I was a child, Mom would sell the eggs (now I do or trade them like the other poster does!). One customer called my mother in a snit and said that every egg she got from us was bad! Mom told her to come over and she'd make it right. The lady showed up, Mom took her on a tour of the chicken house, showed her the hens happily running around, let the lady gather eggs with her (really Mom showed her how to do it ~ she was too prissy to do it herself! LOL! City- folks...). They got back to the house and Mom broke a couple in a bowl to show her that they were all fresh and good ~ she was going to cook them and eat them to prove it. But the lady pointed to the little white thing attached to the yolk and said, "There! See?! Rotten!" While stifling a laugh, Mom explained to her that that just meant that the egg was fertile!

-- Wingnut (wingnut@moment.net), January 26, 2001.

Last week, a feed store in Houston and they had a dozen double yoke eggs in an egg carton for $3.50. Wonder how many A's that was. Eagle (PS I didn't buy them.) (PS #2 No answers on this one please, just a little joke.)

-- eagle (eagle@alpha1.net), January 28, 2001.

I've always been told that the orange yolks come from our hens free ranging on the grass. I'm on Coastal grass. Must be true ~ during the drought I get yellow yolks! I know folks in snow country that feed alfalfa rabbit pellets in the winter 'cause they like the orange yolks.

I've seen the 'small' eggs in the market here. Look like they're from Cochins. Made me chuckle. I have some of the jumbo cartons from the market and I can't get near to closing the lid when I put in my eggs. Bless those naked neck Turkens! -G-

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), January 28, 2001.

Gee gene, next time I see a post from you, I'll make sure to remember to only answer the question if I know it and skip it otherwise. I guess I just read the "not sure of the difference in eggs" and know I've learned alot from additional stuff people have added. Opps, I've written too much.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), January 28, 2001.

Ayuh! Same problem with the eggs from the 2+ year olds! Cant fit the eggs in even a jumbo carton. So we save those and the Banty eggs for ourselves. Anyway. Gene - get a couple of lovelies! Good Lord - you can keep a few in your closet! Are you in some futuristic condominium where the judge will sentence you to death for harboring an alien lifeform? Attack! Attack! Attack! (Further instructions available upon request). GL!

-- Brad (homefixer@SacoRiver.net), January 31, 2001.