Food labels are downright confusing and can often even be misleading. What do you think eggs from “free range” chickens means?
Chickens frolicking through green pasture all day long?! At least that’s what the picture on some egg carton shows, but that may not be the reality.
There are so many options at the store: Free-range, Cage-free, Omega-3 Enriched, Organic, Vegetarian Fed, etc.
If you’re like I was just a few years ago, you just get overwhelmed and choose the first carton you find without a broken egg or the one with the prettiest picture, ha!
Let’s dig into what all the labels actually mean…
CONVENTIONALLY RAISED
These are the most inexpensive eggs on the grocery store shelf and account for the majority of eggs produced in the country.
Chickens are raised in massive buildings with thousands of other chickens, each with their own cage just big enough for them to stand in. That’s where they spend 100% of their lives.
They eat, poop, and lay their eggs in this tiny cage, never getting to scratch & dig in the grass, hunt for bugs, feel the sunshine or breathe fresh air.
Their eggs can be washed in chlorine or lye to remove all of the bacteria, can be given routine antibiotics, and the chickens are fed all kinds of grain, soy, and/or animal products.
CAGE FREE
This is a tiny step up from conventional eggs as the hens aren’t confined to cages, however they still are raised inside a massive building with an average of 1 square foot per chicken and they don't have access to the outside.
You’d think this would be “better” than conventional eggs, but may actually be worse! There’s usually more violence between the hens in addition to lower air quality than facilities with cages.
They have the same feed as conventional chickens, antibiotic use isn’t regulated and their eggs are also washed in chlorine or lye to remove bacteria.
FREE RANGE
Free range chickens are not in cages and they get access to the outside, though they may not ever step foot outside.
The USDA recommends 1.5 - 2.0 feet per chicken, which isn't really that much space.
Most commercial egg producers have their chickens in large buildings and provide a door for chickens to go outside if they want. The chickens can walk around and get exercise, but the outdoor access is not readily available, and it can lead to a concrete area to make cleaning easier, so they’re not even getting grass.
On the other hand, a lot of small farm producers or even families with chickens use this term to explain how their chickens roam around their yard, making this label especially confusing for the average consumer.
This is why it's important to know your farmer and be confident in exactly how their chickens are raised and cared for.
There is no specific guidelines for the type of feed the chickens are givne, so it can include grain, corn, soy, or animal byproducts.
VEGETARIAN FED
This one is interesting because I’ve seen first hand how much chickens LOVE bugs and little critters! They love to fight over bugs they find in the pasture, it’s like more precious than gold to them, haha.
Chickens are omnivores by nature, so they need the extra protein and variety in their diet to produce the best and healthiest eggs.
This label seems to designate that animals are not fed any animal byproducts. There are no guidelines for how the chicken is raised, but to be 100% vegetarian fed, the chickens would need to be inside and have no access to the outside.
Omega-3 Enriched
These eggs come from hens given feed rich in omega-3 fatty acids. This label says nothing about how the hens are raised, thus cages are still allowed under this label. Plus, hens raised outside in nature have up to twice the amount of omega-3s anyway.
Hormone-Free or natural
These are both marketing gimmicks. Laying hens are not given hormones and all eggs are considered “natural”.
ORGANIC
These chickens eat feed that is grown without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. The chickens must be uncaged and have access to the outdoors.
There is no space requirement set by the USDA, so chickens can still be raised inside massive buildings.
Their eggs are less likely to have harmful bacteria, but most producers still wash them with either chlorine or lye. This can be a state requirement for large egg producers.
PASTURE RAISED
Though not a USDA regulated claim, this is the best option in our opinion. These chickens have the best animal welfare and their eggs are the most nutritious. This is what we consider our eggs!
Most farmers claiming to have “pasture raised” eggs move their hens with some kind of frequency to fresh pasture and chickens are raised 100% outdoors, where they thrive.
Studies have shown that pasture-raised eggs have almost 3x the omega 3 fats, 75% lower omega-6:omega-3 ratio, 2/3 more Vitamin A, 4x the amount of Vitamin D, almost 3x the amount of Vitamin E, almost 7x the beta-carotene, and decreased cholesterol and fat.
All of this is because chickens live how you’d imagine in your mind and how nature intended - outside! Chickens can forage in the grass for bugs, worms, seeds, or whatever else they are naturally built to eat.
The farmer supplements their feed (most using a non-gmo or organic feed), but a large part of their diet comes from the pasture.
BiG TAKEAWAYS
In my opinion, knowing and trusting your farmer goes further than any label. That way, you can have the utmost confidence in the food you’re eating and feeding your family.
At our farm, our hens are raised 100% outdoors in a mobile coop that has roosting bars for them to sleep at night and roll away nesting boxes, meaning very clean eggs! The hens can come and go as they please, but if it’s daylight, they’re almost all outside foraging, taking dust baths, or hunting for bugs.
We move them every week to fresh pasture and give them a non-gmo laying hen feed from a farm just a few hours away. Happy and well-fed hens!
If you’re not already following our farm on Facebook or Instagram, we’d love for you to join along so you can get a sense for how and why we farm.
In addition, we plan to offer spring and fall farm tours, so join our email list at the bottom of the blog so you’ll be the first to receive that info!
Tell us in the comments below something you learned that you didn’t know already. After reading this, what is important to you when it comes to your eggs?