Now that I am buying eggs in the grocery store, I have had to join the masses in trying to discern whether it is worth the extra money {considerably extra, in my opinion} to pick up a carton of natural, organic, cage-free, etc. eggs. I support the ladies’ cause, I don’t want the birds shoved into tiny pens, breathing in their own…stuff, but how do I know if picking out a $4.00 carton of eggs has done any good?
The answer, in a nutshell, er, eggshell, is that you flat out don’t know unless you buy directly from the farmer–where you’ve seen the conditions. Turns out, after a little researching, labels mean pretty much diddly squat.
So, before you throw those $4.00 eggs into the cart, with visions of two legged chickens sprinting through fields of green, their tail feathers blowing in in the breeze, you may want to consider these little nuggets {sorry hens, poor word choice}:
Farm Fresh and Natural eggs pretty much qualify as anything. The hens that are stacked on top of each other in cages are still considered from farms. Natural, is well, a word that is used on labels, and means nothing. It is not regulated–and pretty much anything can qualify for natural. Don’t pay extra for anything with these claims. In fact, according to the NPR article I found, “95 percent of eggs in the U.S. come from chickens raised in something called battery cages. These cages house anywhere from four to 12 birds, giving each bird roughly 67 square inches of floor space (that’s about the size of an iPad).”
Cage-Free egg labels literally make the price of a dozen eggs sky rocket. In actuality, imagine the exact picture of the caged birds, and just transfer them to the ground of a dirty, over-packed industrial barn. True, the birds can move a little more freely, but the air quality is reduced. So, it’s a toss up, caged vs. non-caged in this scenario.
No Hormones and/or antibiotics – This is one of those claims that makes you think you’re getting a good thing, but in reality, it’s illegal to use hormones to chickens, and antibiotics are pretty much reserved for birds being raised for meat.
Vegetarian Diet and/or Omega-3 eggs – Again, don’t waste your money. Most likely, vegetarian and Omega-3 eggs are being fed corn that is fortified…for the Omega-3 it is typically fortified with flaxseed…which may lead to higher Omega-3 content, but probably not enough to justify the expense. Truly free-range birds {like backyard flocks or small farm} that eat a natural omnivore diet of insects and veg, naturally have higher ratios of Omega-3 content. So, if you really want the Omega-3, splurge on those.
{Read more about my tour of Eliot Coleman’s Four Seasons Farm in Maine}
Pasture-Raised – This label might actually have a little bit of merit. Pasture raised birds typically spend most of their lives outside, on pastured land, foraging for food. Likely, though, they are supplemented with corn feed. There are varying levels of space, depending on each farmer, but in general, the birds have the opportunity to come closer to their natural diet.
Organic – Organic labels basically mean that the birds must receive feed free from pesticides, have access to the outdoors {though, no real space requirements}, and not receive any antibiotics or hormones {which they pretty much nail by default}.
The bottom line is that you need to either a.) start your own backyard flock , b.) find yourself a nice little farm somewhere that you can comfortably purchase eggs {which will probably run more, but at least you know your money will be well-spent} or c.) accept the nature of the egg industry, purchase the cheapest option and move on. {I guess there is d.) stop buying eggs altogether}. No judgement on any front, just the options as I see them.
Which option do you choose?
~Mavis
Kristina Z says
Keeping hens is pretty easy if you have room for them. One of the things to remember though, is that wild birds are a major disease vector for salmonella. If your birds are where wild birds can poop on them and the ground they’re eating off of, they can infect your birds. We have to worry about salmonella from wild birds in our nut farming business all the time, though when you’re farming trees, it’s sort of hard to avoid. 🙂
Jenn says
I have a membership to not only Costco but to Sam’s Club as well. I normally purchase my eggs from Sam’s because I can get them cheaper. The eggs that I buy there are cage free. One day I forgot to buy eggs at Sam’s and had to buy my eggs from Costco. I ended up buying their Kirkland brand, organic eggs. We eat a lot of eggs in this house. A lot. and I have to tell you that the Costco eggs were terrible. I know that organic is supposed to be better for you, but the taste was terrible. The yolk was a pale yellow compared to the Sam’s eggs that are almost always a nice orange in color. Personally I think it is all about what you like and what you are willing to pay for. Soon however, I will have my own backyard flock and I can’t wait!
Linda says
I would like to buy pasture raised but it’s a little expensive for my budget especially because we eat a lot of eggs. I buy organic eggs usually. If I can start getting to the farmer’s market, I’ll buy my eggs there if they have any left.
Marla says
Mavis, do you plan on having chickens again (at your new home)?
Athena says
She has said before that the HOA doesn’t allow chickens at the new house 🙁 I LOVED hearing her chicken stories and she really seemed to love them.
Marla says
Aww, I must have missed where she has talked about that. That is sad. I loved hearing them too! Thank you for responding to my question!
Pam says
When I lived in North Carolina, I was friendly with a gentleman who worked as an egg inspector for the state. He was required to verify that eggs were being stored at the correct temperature at the processing sites and retail locations and that the packaging had an expiration date stamped on it. He told me that there were no regulations that governed what processors put on their packaging. This was about 15 years ago so I can’t state whether that’s still true but, according to him, there was nothing that verified that organic eggs were actually organic, that free range eggs actually came from free range chickens ….. you get the idea. He recommended purchasing the store brand eggs since they were subjected to the same guidelines/inspections as the much more expensive “fancy” eggs. Just thought I’d pass that along.
Krista says
I usually get the Simple Truth cage free, veg fed, brown eggs from QFC or Fred Meyer. I strictly buy them for the taste and not for any claims on the carton. After trying many brands with a variety of claims on the cartons, my family prefers the Simple Truth ones. Our farmer’s market (in season only a few short months) has one vendor with fresh eggs. They sell out quickly and are $6 a doz, which is about $2 more per doz than I pay at the grocery store. My family did not notice a huge difference in taste and I didn’t notice a difference in quality. While I do feel concerned about the living conditions of the hens, I’m not sure what my options are save for buying from a local farmer, which I have not been successful at locating in my area. My parents have a backyard flock of 17 prolific layers, however they are clear over on the other side of the mountains.
Darlene says
We have our own chickens, haven’t bought eggs in years thank goodness. We sell our extras for $3 a dozen, now I’m thinking we should charge a little more! Lol
Marcia says
Not sure where you live, but here in So Cal, the farm fresh eggs at the farmer’s market are $6-7 a dozen.
Darlene says
I’m in Oregon, so thinking 4 bucks maybe?
AlysonRR says
Are you covering your costs at $3/dozen? Most casual, local egg sellers here where I live (WA) charge $4…
Carrie says
In NC I buy farmer’s market eggs for $3.00 a dozen and $4.00 for 18 count and they taste so much better than any store bought I’ve tried. I raised 4 girls this past year and two have started to lay this week! There is nothing more exciting than to see a fresh egg in the morning! My four chickens are cheaper than my boxer and they give me food and beg for treats too! 🙂 Everyone should have a couple chickens in their backyard!
Tee Kay says
Amen!
Cori says
Have you checked around to buy eggs from a former neighbor? We were raising chickens but we had to move. Thankfully my husband found a guy to buy eggs from. Store eggs are never as good as backyard hens’ eggs!
Leslie says
I buy cage free, certified humane eggs. After watching documentaries about how most laying hens are kept, there is no way I’ll buy those cheap battery cage eggs again. I am looking for a local source for farm fresh eggs.
Wynne says
I buy certified humane eggs, too. Do they not have those in your area, Mavis? They’re worth checking into.
jcw says
I have my own backyard flock and try to only use their eggs. When I need more eggs for a holiday or big baking session I will ONLY buy from the farmer’s market where I know the chickens are real farm chickens. I pay $5/dozen and feel good about it. After getting to know my girls I can’t support the commercial chicken farming and the torture they inflict on hens. It makes me tear up just thinking about it!
Dottie says
We started buying organic eggs because we think they taste better than “regular” eggs, and they seem to fluff up better when scrambling. I’ll admit when I buy the expensive eggs, I am envisioning happy chickens running wild in a field. I kind of assumed organic went hand in hand with pasture raised- why go to the trouble of feeding them better but not improve the living situation?! Thanks for a great article Mavis!
Lisa says
Eggs from pastured hens can have a strong flavor and some don’t like it. Usually pastured eggs will have a harder, thicker shell and a darker, deeper orange yolk. Not always. The pasture itself can affect the chickens diet, if there’s a large flock, only the early birds will get the worm, there may not be enough bugs and grubs to go around.
Some farmers give their hens additives (either natural or synthetic) to produce darker yolks, so you can’t always tell from looking.
My hens stopped producing so I’m buying eggs again until we get new layers. RIght now I’m buying from my local health food co-op, since they are pretty good about vetting their suppliers. They are more expensive there but saves me from driving to the farm. The cheaper eggs sold in most stores would not support a baby chick to full term. I’ll pay more for an egg that has the nutritional punch that would support a chicken embryo, if fertilized and set correctly (of course). It’s the economics of the cost of the feed to keep a laying hen.
Diane says
As Leslie said above, I buy certified humane eggs from New Seasons Markets here in Portland. That label actually DOES mean something. Here’s a list of egg producers that are certified humane: http://certifiedhumane.org/whos-certified/
Lynn Mc. says
I too buy cage free, certified humane/organic eggs. I live in California where two new regulations took effect on January 1st. The first requires space allocated for every egg-laying chicken to increase by nearly 70%. The other regulation bans the sale of eggs from chickens in small “battery cages” altogether which includes out of state producers.
karen says
Here in NE Ohio we get our eggs for the Mennonite ladies. i can’t say for certain how they are raised, but occasionally, i see some in their chicken tractors being moved around. The eggs are delish and there is no comparison to what i have to settle for from the grocery when I can’t make a trip to the farm.
Jillbert says
We get eggs from our 5 hens during warm weather. They aren’t really laying now so I’m buying cheap, supermarket eggs — I figure the crappy, less nutritious eggs are balanced out by the fresh, delicious eggs from my girls. That said, I use store bought eggs more for baking and stuff like that — egg salad, and omelets, I wait until our birds are in season — they just taste better. Also, during warm weather, I buy from a friend if I need more. She sells for $3/dozen — and her birds are pampered .
Mary says
I understand from a news program that California is the highest producers of eggs in the country. Now, there are regulations governing the square inches a hen needs. The price of eggs have now increased since the farmers must regulate the areas where the hens live. I also can’t figure out which eggs to purchase, but regardless prices are increasing for everything.
Cheri says
I missed this post when it first went up. Whole Foods sells a brand here in CO called Farmer’s Hen House–from Amish farms in Iowa. They are Certified Humane and cost about $4-6, depending on if they’re cage-free or free-range (a variety that wasn’t mentioned in the post). According to actress Alicia Silverstone, author of The Kind Diet and an avid vegan, she strongly discourages buying eggs at all, of course. She does say in her book, though, that if you do buy animal products at all, aim for buying only Certified Humane. It is the only label that truly means business, as far as animal welfare is concerned. I don’t think that means that every farmer abuses his hens–that isn’t realistic, and labels are difficult and expensive for farmers to acquire, so I’ve heard– but it is the only way to ensure that you know the kind of farm you’re buying from. This is important because chickens are one of the most abused animals in the production system. The way they’re typically treated is truly horrendous.
Tee Kay says
There are several local farms that sell eggs in grocery stores here and charge astronomical prices for the labels you speak of. We are fortunate enough to have a small flock of chickens who do their best to keep us in eggs all year. However, during slow months, we are forced to buy eggs. I can’t help but notice the difference between our backyard eggs and even the locally grown eggs boasting cage free, organic etc., etc. These locally grown eggs asking for twice (or more) the amount of other eggs on the shelf look no different from the generic cheap-o eggs. Runny whites, soft yellow yolks and transparent shells- BARF! Since these local farms refuse visitors, hiding behind a “secrets of the trade” curtain, no one knows how the chickens are kept. My theory? They feed the chickens a cheap diet (low protein) and cram as many as they can in a small area to make moolah, just like the rest, then slap a huge price tag on. Boooooooh!
Lee says
I found this article and comments from readers quite interesting. I wish each of you could experience for a period of time what it is like to be the producer, and then come back to your comment and see if your thinking would be the same. We are farmers, producing eggs. To be specific we have pastured hens that produce organic eggs, and our farm is American humane certified. If comparing to a back yard flock you would say we are huge. But compared to places that have multiple house with 20,000 birds per house we are just a family farm. Farming is a life we love, but the regulations required of us by people who do not really understand animals and farming make it difficult, even impossible at times to continue. For example, we are required to have 2.5 acres of pasture per 1000 birds. Currently we have 25 acres of pasture. By nature the birds do not want to go that far from the chicken house, which is their safe place from birds of prey. Also consider the money the farmer needed to invest in that piece of property. I could go on telling about organic fees, inspection fees, high feed costs, and the physical labor put into doing it. Each needs to personally decide what is important to them. We all value how we spend our money. And we are bombarded with information through media sources, some facts and others not. But somehow people choose what they want to believe. I miss the backyard flock I had before we began this journey about 4 years ago. By regulation I can not have them because they might bring disease to our large flock. Not realistic thinking but just one of those regulations I referred to previously. I share all of this to give you a glimpse into the farming life. Farmers make mistakes, and have room for change. But putting yourself in their place for a time will give you a greater appreciation for the hard work that goes into producing that egg you fry up for your morning breakfast. And the butter used to fry your egg, and the toast you eat with your egg, and the juice you enjoy with it, and even that cup of coffee you enjoy each morning. Mavis, thanks for your blog. I value what you share and have been following your posts for several years.
Mary3M says
Mavis – why are you buying eggs? Have the busybodies once again cropped up their nosey noses up over your fences? I hope it’s because of the weather and not for any other reason. though I am inferring that you aren’t posting personal photos any more something must have happened. And since you are texting you husband ‘I want outa here’ multiple times a week, that the HOA has broken your spirit. So sorry to see that you aren’t posting garden or chicken pictures anymore. Nor Pinky and the girls.
Miss all of them!!!
P.S.: Nothing like free range eggs from the organic farm!