Mommy Goes Green

Ever go to pick out a pack of eggs and wonder why there are 12 choices?  Always pick the one on sale?  I used to.  I didn’t have a clue what all the different labels meant like cage-free,  free range or vegetarian fed. I actually didn’t know why I would even care.Fast forward several years and after having a baby and realizing we needed a healthier lifestyle for ourselves and the environment – we don’t buy the cheapest eggs any more.  Here’s what you need to know about egg labels to choose the best ones for your family:      

CAGE FREE       

 According to the Humane Society, nearly 280 million laying hens in the United States are confined in barren wire battery cages so restrictive the birds can’t even spread their wings.  Cage-free hens generally have two to three times more space per bird than caged hens. Cage-free hens may not be able to go outside and may have parts of their beaks cut off, but they can walk, spread their wings, and lay their eggs in nests—all behaviors permanently denied to hens crammed into battery cages.  Many supermarkets like Wal-Mart and restaurants like Subway have started selling or using cage free eggs.      

CERTIFIED ORGANIC        

Animals must be fed 100% organic food and no antibiotics or hormones can be given.  All organically raised animals must have access to the outdoors – although the amount and length of time is not defined. Compliance is verified by a third-party.     

FREE-RANGE or FREE ROAMING 

No standards or third-party verification but typically means that they are uncaged inside a barn or warehouse and may have access to the outdoors.   There are no restrictions on what they are fed.    There is also evidence that free range eggs contain more 3-6x more Vitamin D, 1/3 less cholesterol, 1/4 less saturated fat, 2/3 more vitamin A, 2x more Omega-3 fatty acids, 3x more vitamin E, and 7x more beta carotene – than typical supermarket eggs.

VEGETARIAN FED    

Feed contains no animal by products.    

CERTIFIED HUMANE RAISED    

No antibiotics or hormones can be given to animals.  Cages, crates and tie stalls are among the forbidden practices, and animals must be free to do what comes naturally. For example, chickens are able to flap their wings and dust bathe.  Certified by Humane Farm Animal Care.    

COMMERCIAL VS. LOCAL 

One final note from the Humane Society: virtually all hens in commercial egg operations—whether cage or cage-free—come from hatcheries that kill all male chicks shortly after hatching. The males are of no use to the egg industry because they don’t lay eggs and aren’t bred to grow as large or as rapidly as chickens used in the meat industry. Common methods of killing male chicks include suffocation, gassing and grinding. Hundreds of millions of male chicks are killed at hatcheries each year in the United States.  

Instead of buying eggs from a supermarket, you can find a local farm or farmer’s market to buy eggs from or keep chickens in your backyard, also known as urban chickenkeeping. I would LOVE to have fresh eggs every day from my own chickens (unfortunately our city rules prohibit it).

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