duck egg nutrients, compared to chicken eggs
a harvest morning on the farm last spring; sugar snap peas, spianch, duck eggs....
Compared to Chicken Eggs, the Duck Egg reigns supreme in nutrients.
Notably, they contain twice as much potassium and Vitamin A, three times as much iron, and five times as much Vitamin B12. They also are higher in these nutrients: protein, calcium, magnesium, phosporus, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6, folate, and retinol. They also contain twice the amount of monounsaturated fatty acids. Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) while increasing HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol).
from the newagrarian.com:
Duck eggs have a slightly HIGHER FAT CONTENT and somewhat more cholesterol than chicken eggs. Unless you intend to survive exclusively on eggs, I don’t see this as a nutritional problem. It may, in fact, be offset by the possible health benefits of free-range eggs: at least two studies have found that free-range eggs are significantly higher in omega-3 fatty acids than eggs from birds raised in confinement.
Duck eggs also have more ALBUMEN (the protein in the white) than chicken eggs, which gives them more structure when cooked. For this reason, many people prefer duck eggs for baking: the extra protein creates additional loft in cakes. Some pastry chefs warn against using duck eggs for this reason, but I have not found it to be a problem.
When fried, duck eggs set up firmer than chicken eggs (especially if they are very fresh). Many people call the result “rubbery” and recommend steam-frying them, but I think this is an exaggeration. I have actually grown to prefer the firm texture; the last time I had fried chicken eggs they felt a bit mushy. (The texture is sublime as long as the eggs are not OVER-cooked.)
The SHELLS of duck eggs are thicker than those of chicken eggs with a thicker inner membrane, which makes them harder to crack. I was used to cracking eggs on the flat counter to prevent bits of shell getting into the egg, but I’ve gone back to using the edge of a bowl.
Precious duck eggs, frying gently in olive oil. Note the gorgeous orange yolks, and the double yolker on the left!
They look lovely! Do ducks lay as often as chickens?
Some breeds of ducks lay better than some breeds of chickens. The eggs are quite different though- MUCH more tasty!