Eggs are an amazing nutritional source for dogs and humans alike. We buy our eggs from a nearby farm through our neighbors and recently were offered to try some duck eggs for the dogs. They LOVE them, and will even eat the whole shell! Duck eggs are packed full of nutrients, even moreso than chicken eggs, and are something that Patrol Unit can eat no problem (having allergies means there's lots of foods she can't eat! Duck and duck eggs are foods she should be eating, but until now I've had trouble finding at low cost).
What's the difference between duck and chicken eggs?
- Duck eggs have twice the nutritional value of a chicken egg and stay fresher longer due to their thicker shell.
- Duck eggs are richer with more Albumen making cakes and pastries fluffier and richer.
- Duck Eggs have more Omega 3 fatty acids ..something you can actually see in the salted pickled eggs the Chinese love to eat. Omega 3 is thought to improve everything from brain health to healthy skin and hair.
- Duck Eggs are an Alkaline producing food, one of the few foods that leave your body more alkaline which is a great benefit to cancer patients as cancer cells do not thrive in an alkaline environment. Chicken eggs are an acid food leaving your body more acid.
There is one reason why many people are scared to try a duck egg and that is that the yolk contains about a 1 day supply of Cholesterol ..which is not good for heart diseases..well ... This depends on what you believe about weight control and fat or cholesterol. We are only just beginning to understand the real effects of eating fat in our diet. In practice we know that healthy active people who exercise need fat in their diet, otherwise their bodies would generate the cholesterol itself. So good (HDL) cholesterol is good and will stop your body from producing its own cholesterol. Your body needs to know how to process fat and get the energy benefits. If it forgets how to process fat or has easier sources of fast energy as from hydro carbons then guess what, your body stores the fat as an energy source ...hence your love handles are really stored energy.
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Raw vs Cooked
There is a lot of debate out there whether feeding raw eggs to dogs is good or bad. Cooking depletes nutrients, any raw feeder will tell you that. Those opposed to feeding raw eggs would probably tell you that the harm in feeding raw egg is far worse than losing a bit of nutrients. Here's the thing though, the concerns regarding feeding raw eggs are not very large concerns at all and the nutrients lost is far more valuable!
One of the main concerns is that egg whites cause biotin deficiency and contain enzyme inhibitors which can interfere with digestion (especially in the very young and very old). Biotin is a B vitamin that is important for cellular growth, fatty acid metabolism and good skin and coat. Biotin is abundant in the egg yolk. There are other ways of obtaining biotin as well through the diet (liver is a good source of biotin).
If feeding your dog eggs on a regular basis, simply make sure he gets the whole egg, not just the white.
[2] Eggs should not be the staple of a dog's diet, and feeding the whole (and organic!) egg will decrease the chances of biotin deficiency (which is pretty rare to begin with!).
Another large concern is often bacteria, salmonella being a big one. Dogs are designed to eat raw foods. They have a short digestive tract that quickly pushes harmful bacterias through the system faster than they can colonize. Not to mention the digestive enzymes in the saliva and strong stomach acid that often kills bacteria before it even gets to the intestines!
Their saliva has antibacterial properties; it contains lysozyme, an enzyme that lyses and destroys harmful bacteria. Their short digestive tract is designed to push through food and bacteria quickly without giving bacteria time to colonize. The extremely acidic environment in the gut is also a good bacteria colonization deterrent. People often point to the fact that dogs shed salmonella in their feces (even kibble-fed dogs do this) without showing any ill effects as proof that the dog is infected with salmonella. In reality, all this proves is that the dog has effectively passed the salmonella through its system with no problems. Yes, the dog can act as a salmonella carrier, but the solution is simple—do not eat dog crap and wash your hands after picking up after your dog.
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When you compare the bacteria naturally found in or on eggs to the amount of things dogs lick or ingest I think you'll find that eggs are the least of your worries! Unless a dog is already unhealthy and has a compromised immune system to begin with, the bacteria found in and on eggs is not enough to harm your dog.
Don't Throw Away The Shells!
Egg shells are jam packed with calcium. You can make calcium powder from egg shells relatively easily and without the cost you would spend on calcium supplements! This powdered calcium can be used not only for your dogs but also yourself! Pregnant or nursing mothers require a lot of calcium and this is a great way to get it at low cost! If you're already buying eggs all the time and composting or throwing away your egg shells, start saving them!
How to Make Calcium Powder from Egg Shells
CLICK HERE to read my blog about how to make Calcium Powder!
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Unit shows how it's done.
Eating an egg for the first time whole,
and she did it like a pro! |
Organic is Best!
When buying chicken or duck eggs you want to find a good source from an organic farm.
Most eggs (those not labeled as organic) at your local grocery market will contain all sorts of carcenogens that otherwise shouldn't be there!
A 2010 study published in the journal Veterinary Record found that the eggs from hens confined to cages, as they often are in factory farms, had 7.77-times greater odds of harboring salmonella bacteria than eggs from non-caged hens.
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Whether you're feeding those eggs to your dog or your family, you should be looking for healthy eggs that come from healthy chickens. Stay clear from farms feeding soy to their chickens and if you can, visit the farm! Are the chickens healthy looking? Are they kept indoors, outdoors and/or in cages? Are they fed a high quality feed that does not contain soy?What's Wrong With Soy?
Originating in China, soybeans have been consumed by humans for thousands of years. It’s only been in the last century that the way we eat soy has changed dramatically. Fermentation is how soy was first prepared for eating. It was a side dish that complimented the rest of the meal. Raw soy is not fit for consumption and can be considered toxic. Today’s soy is processed in variety of methods (not fermented) which denatures the proteins and increases levels of carcinogens.
Soy is a prevalent ingredient in almost all processed foods. Those with a soy allergen (it’s one of the top eight food allergens for humans) know this best. It’s in fast-foods, baby food, processed meat, breads, etc. Unless you are very conscious of everything you eat, it is easy to consume an unregulated amount of soy products every day.
Perhaps you are not allergic to soy, here are some other findings that may be important to you. Soy is not a complete protein (as commonly believed), lacking some important amino acids. Soy foods can cause deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D. Soy increases levels of estrogen (possibly simulating the growth of related tumors) and decreases levels of testosterone. It has been related to pre-mature sexual development in females, and delayed development in males. Animal studies show soy foods causes infertility in animals.
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[1] LocalHarvest
Duck vs Chicken Eggs
[2] Dogs Naturally Magazine
Feeding your Dog Raw Eggs - Good or Bad?
[3] Myths About Raw Feeding:
The Bacteria in Raw Meat Will Hurt Your Dog
[4] ABC News -
The Truth About Your Eggs
[5] Soy Free Chickens -
Why Soy-Free?
Toast R Oven: 180° F for 5 minutes, pull the eggs out and flip them over. Let cool for a few minutes and put back in for another few minutes. Keep an eye on them, my first batch in the toaster oven burnt very fast!
I used my NUTRiBULLET and milled the egg shells into a small power. You can also use a blender (sift out any large pieces afterwards if it does not make such a nice fine powder!) or use a coffee grinder. Coffee grinders can be bought fairly cheap (less than $20 at WalMart) so if you do not have something to grind the shells and don't want to invest in an expensive product, a coffee grinder will work just fine!
Half of the power is dark, that is from the burnt batch. The colour of your shells will determine the colour of your powder. If yours isn't an eggshell white, it may be due to the eggs being burnt (like in my first batch!) and the colour of the shells themselves will make a difference too!
