As you walk down the egg aisle at your local grocery store you are bombarded with flashy terms such as “cage-free,” “free-range” and “pasture-raised.” You’re probably thinking, “wow, all of these companies take such good care of their chickens!” but here’s the truth, a lot of companies just use these terms on their packaging to get you to choose their product over the competitor. Let’s go ahead and break these specifications down so you can be an informed, egg loving consumer next time you walk into your local grocery store.
Are These Specifications Meaningful?
Did you know that some of these terms are not regulated by the USDA when used to describe eggs? Oftentimes, this term is used simply for marketing purposes. That means that some of those egg companies you see in the grocery store aisle are pulling your chicken leg and stretching the truth about how they care for their eggs. Regardless of the legitimacy of these claims, consumers gravitate towards them with hopes that they are purchasing a product from a company that treats their animals well and produces nutritious eggs. Here at Farmer Boy Eggs, we aim to provide the best experience for our customers which means we take humane practices and high-quality eggs very seriously.
Cage-Free
According to NPR, ninety percent of eggs we eat come from chickens who are raised in cages. Often, there are up to eight birds in each cage! While there aren’t too many composition differences between the eggs from cage-free or caged chickens, a study from 2010, published in the journal Veterinary Record found that eggs from chickens who are raised in cages are 7.77-times more likely to contain salmonella.
So, what does the carton labeled “cage-free” say about the chickens who laid the eggs in the carton? As obvious as it sounds, it means the chickens were not confined to cages. At first glance, this might sound like a really great thing - and it is, don’t get us wrong - but what’s hiding behind this label is the fact that, while these chickens might not be in cages, they are quite possibly confined to a small barn with no access to the outdoors. Letting these chickens outside to feel the wind in their feathers is where the free-range label comes in.
Free-Range
Farmer Boy Eggs proudly raises free-range chickens. This means that not only are our chickens not in cages, but they also have the ability to go outside at their leisure. If Lola, a fan favorite Farmery Boy Eggs chicken, wants to get herself a suntan and enjoy a beautiful summer day in Montana, she can walk herself right out of our chicken-sized barn door and find a soft place to sit. When it comes to nutritional benefits of free-range hens, it has been said that the ability to go outside and forage for bugs and plants that wouldn’t normally be in the diet of a caged or cage-free hen could potentially add more nutritional diversity. While there aren’t significant studies on this topic, you can feel good knowing that when you eat free-range eggs, the hens that laid them are living a good life.
Pasture Raised
Just like it sounds, pasture-raised chickens are supposed to have the ability to freely roam through pastures and farmland. As mentioned earlier in this article, if you see the term pasture-raised printed on an egg carton in your local grocery store, there is a chance the company could be using the term as a marketing technique, not to display how they are actually treating their chickens. There are a few agencies such as Certified Humane and A Greener World who have set up their own certifications with specific requirements that put meaning behind the term pasture-raised, so be sure to keep an eye out for these labels when choosing a carton labeled pasture-raised.
So What Should You Do?
As a consumer, you have millions of decisions to make that all add up to have a huge impact on the earth. Should you buy these organic carrots or settle for the regular ones? Should you purchase another pack of plastic water bottles or find a refillable bottle you can use instead? While we don’t have much to say about these other decisions you make as you walk through your local grocery store, we do have something to say about choosing the right eggs. You have the power to support companies who treat their hens humanely and supply a high-quality product. Our amazing staff who take care of our chickens (or chicken tenders as we jokingly call them), really do care about our hens, and we take pride in the quality of our eggs. So, next time you are in the grocery store, take an extra minute to consider the hens behind the eggs you are purchasing and choose to purchase from a company that treats their chickens well.