Do chickens make Vitamin D?

Blue Eggs

Eggs from chickens who run around in the sunshine have more Vitamin D.

I got a phone call this morning from one of my dear suppliers (for products we use in our commercial kitchen). He thought I should know that blue eggs are now available - commercially.

Well this COULD be good news.

Commercial growers want to have pretty eggs or better yet, they are jumping on the farm wagon. Good - because we need more folks on this wagon!

Will they really sell more eggs just because they are blue?

Currently, I can buy “organic, free range “ eggs. My complaint is that they are not always very fresh and I am sure the chickens never see daylight – but, when I need 30 dozen eggs, I would need do to go to at least 10 farmers for that quantity. So, I have had to settle for these “organic, cage-free” eggs.

I have to do a little research to find out about these blue eggs. I am working towards sourcing all our eggs from chickens that are running around and making Vitamin D.

Wait - Do chickens make Vitamin D?

A study by Mother Earth says that only a few foods, including eggs, are good natural sources of Vitamin D.  That is confusing because not all eggs are created equal.  (All eggs are not created equal)

Mother Earth News states that pastured eggs have 4 to 6 times as much Vitamin D as typical supermarket eggs.  I am sure it has to do with the fact that they can are exposed to the sun and make Vitamin D from the real sunshine.

I am watching my hens from my window - they are foraging, dust bathing, preening, flapping, shaking, stretching, playing, tossing, rubbing, and taking in the sunshine.

I know the chicken who laid the blue eggs for my commercial supplier don’t have as much Vitamin D as my chickens.