How do cage-free eggs work?

Cage-free eggs indicate that hens were not kept in battery cages, allowed instead to move about the egg production barn. But cage-free does not mean hens were given access to the outdoors. They were also likely stocked at high densities, meaning there was no limit to the number of birds in a given barn.

Is it better to eat cage-free eggs?

There is no difference in nutrition between cage-free and conventional eggs, Dr. Karcher said. “Unless there is something on the carton that would indicate it is more nutritious, the egg from a cage-free system is no different nutritionally compared to any other egg that could be produced,” he said.

Are cage-free eggs sustainable?

The WWF’s leader on sustainable food says cage-free eggs are “hard to defend” from a sustainability standpoint. Cage-free eggs are winning support because of concerns about animal welfare, but the former specialty product may be less environmentally sustainable than conventionally raised eggs.

What percent of eggs are cage-free?

Housing Environments of U.S. Laying Hens As of March 2021, organic and cage-free shell egg production accounted for 29.3% (96.1 million hens) of the current table egg layer flock. Of this, 6.8% are organic (22.3 million hens) and 22.5% are non-organic cage-free (73.8 million hens).

Are cage-free eggs fertilized?

Any kind of egg bought in a supermarket will not be fertile. Commercially produced eggs are laid by hens who are either in cages, barns or pastures – but without access to a male chicken. And without a male, a hen’s eggs cannot be fertilised.

Why would you want cage-free eggs?

The reason for the decreased risk with cage-free systems is most likely because of a combination of the cage-free systems being cleaner, having fewer rodents that could be carrying diseases, the systems themselves are easier to clean and disinfect, the hens have a more natural gut flora, and they are less stressed.

Why cage free eggs are bad?

Inhumane because thousands of birds will still be crammed together in factory-like operations. Unhealthy because eggs are still loaded with cholesterol.

Are free range eggs cruel?

The term ‘free-range’ is widely used to market and sell eggs. But the term itself has been the subject of a whole heap of marketing. As consumers we are led to believe that free-range means cruelty-free. Sadly this just isn’t true.

Is there a difference between cage-free and free-range eggs?

The main difference between cage-free and free-range eggs is that the latter come from hens that, in addition to the extra space that cage-free birds have, can also access some form of outside area. However, there are no uniform standards regarding how long they are outside for or what the outside space is like.

Are cage free eggs fertilized?