One summer, when I was 12 years old I worked at an egg ranch in Loomis, Minnesota. Some cousins of mine worked there and let me help out on weekends to make a little pocket change. Those weekends I’d don a disposable face mask to protect myself from the dust and smell then collect eggs from the rows and rows of cages stacked four to six cages high. The clucking of what seemed like a thousand hens was only overshadowed by the constant roar of the exhaust fans turning overhead. I collected eggs, I learned to candle eggs and I even used a hot blade machine to trim the beaks off the hens. (Trimming the beak to remove the point keeps them from pecking each other to death while housed in close quarters.) I was paid $1 for every flat of eggs I collected and I even got to take a flat of eggs home with me. Despite the dust and smell, I thought it was all pretty cool.
In hindsight, it is a wonder I didn’t get hurt. (I mean, really, who lets a 12 year old use any tool called a “hot blade machine”!?) To this day, despite the novelty of a paying job, I remember being a little freaked out by the dark, impossibly long aisles of noisy, cramped cages and thinking, “This is just wrong.” Unfortunately, this is the standard at most industrial egg ranches.
Flash forward a few years (cough…26 years) and things have changed. Larger portions of the public are concerned about where their food comes from and how the animals that provide that food are treated. If you check your local grocery store there are more egg options than you can imagine! Free-range, Cage-free, Organic, Omega-3 enriched and your standard industrial ranch eggs. But which are best for you and what do all these options really mean?
Here are the basics:
Free-Range: The chickens are allowed access to the outside. Defined loosely, “free-range” could mean the owners open the doors of the building for 5 or more minutes a day. It does not mean the chickens ever leave the building or are treated humanely.
Cage-Free: The chickens are not “caged”. Defined loosely, “cage-free” could mean they are crammed into a giant building with no cages. It does not mean the chickens are allowed outside or treated humanely.
Organic: The chickens are fed organic chicken feed and are not treated with hormones or antibiotics. Defined loosely, “organic” only relates to the type of feed and medical treatment of the chickens. It does not mean the chickens are allowed outside or treated humanely.
Omega-3 Enriched: The chickens are fed a diet of flax seed and/or fish oils. While the eggs may contain up to 7 times the fatty acids of standard eggs, again, it does not mean the chickens are allowed outside or treated humanely.
So what is a shopper to do? Ideally, we hope the chickens who provide us eggs are allowed to run freely, fed nutritious foods, treated well and are generally happy, but that may not be the case. Here are some suggestions.
RESEARCH: Take a minute and look up the farm that provides your eggs. What standards do they use? How long have they been in business? How far do the eggs ship to get to you?
BUY LOCAL: Go to your local farmers markets and ask the farmers some questions. You may even be able to visit the farm and see how the chickens are raised! There are lots of family farms in the area like Chaffin Family Orchards. They are a local farm that provides fresh eggs as well as fruits, vegetables, olive oils and meats. http://chaffinfamilyorchards.com/ (We are lucky to have a friend nearby who raises a dozen chickens on his land. Yes, it takes an extra trip to buy eggs, but the kids love seeing the chickens and at 2$ a dozen, the price isn’t bad either.)
GET SOME CHICKENS: I know this is not feasible for everyone, but lots of neighborhoods are zoned rural/residential and allow chickens to be raised. With a little pre-planning you could have organic, free-range, cage-free, omega-3 enriched eggs delivered practically to your doorstep! (At least that is what I am hoping for! Right now, my chickens are just free-loading bug eaters.)
Sincerely,
MM
The chicken novice anxiously awaiting some eggs.
(originally posted on June 18, 2010 for Monson Family Farm.)
Chicks enjoying the day.
Kids feeding the chicks
Coop is primed and ready for paint.
Last coat of red!
PS: Since this post the coop is complete, the rooster is a pain and my hens have begun to lay eggs! We are getting 3-4 eggs a day!
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