Buying Eggs? So how do you really choose?
There are several different ways that Hens are farmed for laying eggs, but how does the consumer truly know what they are buying? Well most consumers have no idea about the eggs that they are consuming, because it is truly confusing. I hope by the time you have read through this post you will know how to navigate the egg carton and pick the egg that best suits you.
So which one will it be?
Battery Cage Laying Hen Eggs:
Most egg laying hens in the United States are confined to cages called “Battery Cages” So what is a Battery cage? Battery cages are a form of high-volume, extreme confinement. The standard battery cage houses up to ten chickens, who live their entire lives on barren wire; each hen has approximately 67 square inches of space, less than a 8.5” X 11” piece of letter-sized notebook paper. Battery cages are stacked side by side, several cages high in long rows in windowless buildings. Thousands of chickens can occupy a single building, and a single factory farm may contain millions of laying hens. This prevents the hens from being able to turn around, spread their wings, touch the ground or ever see the light of day.
The majority of egg laying hens (approx 95%) in the United State are raised in battery cages which also denies the hen of its natural-born behaviors of nesting, perching or dustbathing. These hens are among the most intensively confined animals in agribusiness.
Cage Free Laying Hen Eggs:
Cage Free systems generally offer hens an improved level of animal welfare over the battery cage systems, Though cage-free hens are able to walk, spread their wings and lay their eggs in nests which are natural-born behaviors, most cage-free hens live in very large flocks that still never go outside. The vast majority of cage-free hens live on farms that are 3rdparty audited by certification programs that mandate perching and dust-bathing areas. These advantages are very significant to the animals involved. Though cage free hens are spared cruelties that are like battery cage systems it would be naive to think that these are cruelty-free.
Both Battery Cage and Cage Free Farmers:
- Buy their hens from hatcheries that kill the male chicks upon hatching.
- Both systems burn the beaks off the hens which is painful to the hen.
- Both systems typically slaughter the hens at less than two years old which is less than half their normal lifespan.
- While a majority of the battery and cage-free egg industry no longer use starvation to force molt the birds, there is battery and cage-free producers alike who still use this practice.
So, while cage-free does not necessarily mean cruelty-free, cage-free hens generally have significantly better lives than those confined in battery cages. The ability to lay their eggs in nests, run and spread their wings are tangible benefits that shouldn’t be underestimated.
So what about Free Range Laying Hen Eggs? Pasture Raised Laying Hen Eggs or Certified Organic Laying Hen Eggs? Well that would depend on how they are certified on the egg carton label. So here is the difference and the names you want to look for on your egg carton.
Animal Welfare Approved: Has the highest standards of any third-party auditing program. This program of the Animal Welfare Institute prohibits forced molting through starvation and beak cutting, as well as feed containing meat or animal byproducts. Flocks must contain fewer than 500 birds.
- Each hen must have 1.8 square feet (259 square inches) of indoor floor space and must be able to nest, perch and dust-bathe
- Birds must have continuous access to an outdoor area for ranging and foraging
- The outdoor space must be covered by growing vegetation and must provide at least 4 square feet (576 square inches) of space per bird
- Suppliers must follow requirements for stocking density, perching and nesting boxes
You can read more here about Animal Welfare Approved
Certified Humane: Is run by, “Humane Farm Animal Care”, this program offers three levels of certification. All levels prohibit forced molting through starvation but they do allow beak cutting. They have third-party auditing that verifies compliance.
Cage-free:
- Birds are uncaged inside barns but may be kept indoors all the time
- Birds must be able to nest, perch and dust-bathe
- Suppliers must follow regulations for stocking density, perch numbers and nesting boxes
Free-range:
- Birds must have access to an outdoor area for at least six hours each day
- Each hen must have at least 2 square feet (288 square inches) of outdoor space
- The outdoor space doesn’t need to have any living vegetation
Pasture-raised:
- Birds must be placed on a pasture for at least six hours each day
- Each hen must have at least 108 square feet (15,552 square inches) of pasture
- The pasture must be covered mainly with living vegetation
You can click on Certified Humane to learn more.
American Humane Certified: Is a program of the American Humane Association. They prohibit forced molting through starvation but still allows beak cutting. They do have third-party auditing which verifies compliance.
Enriched colony cages:
- Birds must have 0.8 square feet (116 square inches) in each individual “furnished cage”: smaller than a legal-sized sheet of paper. Scientific evidence demonstrates that these cages are detrimental to animal welfare.
- Suppliers must follow some requirements for perching and nesting boxes
Cage-free:
- Birds are uncaged in barns but may be kept indoors all the time
- Each hen must have 1.25 square feet (180 square inches) of floor space and access to perches and nesting boxes
Free-range:
- Each hen must have 21.8 square feet (3,139 square inches) of outdoor space
- No minimum period of outdoor access is specified
Pasture Raised:
- Each hen must have 108 square feet (15,552 square inches) of outdoor space on a pasture with a substantial cover of living vegetation
- No minimum period of outdoor access is specified
You want to learn more go to American Humane Certified
Food Alliance Certified: This certification program prohibits forced molting through starvation but it does allow beak cutting. No meat or animal byproducts are permitted in feed. They have third-party auditing to verify compliance.
- Birds are cage-free and must be provided with at least 1.23 square feet (117 square inches) of floor space apiece
- Birds must have access to natural daylight or an outdoor area for at least eight hours per day
- Outdoor spaces must have living vegetation
- Birds must be able to nest, perch and dust-bathe
- Suppliers must follow requirements for stocking density, perching and nesting boxes
You can click on Food Alliance Certified to learn more.
Lastly you have,
United Egg Producers Certified or UEPCertified: Most of the U.S. egg industry complies with uepcertified, a voluntary program that permits inhumane practices. The certification prohibits forced molting through starvation but allows beak cutting. Third-party auditing verifies compliance.
Caged:
- Each hen has 0.46 square feet (67 square inches) of cage space: smaller than a sheet of paper. Restricting hens to these barren battery cages prevents them from perching, nesting, foraging and even spreading their wings.
Cage-free:
- Birds are uncaged inside barns but may be kept indoors at all times
- Each hen must have at least 1 square foot (144 square inches) of floor space
- Some perching and nesting requirements exist
If you want to read more click on uepcertified
So there you have it, the confusing and complicated egg hunt to find your egg of choice. At least now you know the truth about what type of egg you are buying and how to read your egg carton.