Compared to a typical grocery store egg, the yolks of our eggs have a darker, orangey-yellow color. In a fresh egg (like ours), the egg white is thick and doesn't spread out very much. The yolk "stands up" instead of flattening out. The chalazae (white, ropey strands) are more prominent in a fresh egg. (The chalazae are a normal part of every chicken egg, designed to "anchor" the yolk. They do not indicate if an egg is fertilized.)
We think there's only one downside to a fresh egg: it can be more difficult to peel a fresh, hard-cooked egg than an older one. But a fresh egg makes the best fried-egg sandwich.
