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Pasture-Raised Eggs

The USDA doesn’t currently have guidelines for pasture-raised production. Generally, pasture-raised eggs are laid by hens who roam and forage on a maintained pasture area that usually has a mobile shelter for nesting. Pasture-raised hens tend to have the most space of any housing environment, though they’re more susceptible to extreme weather and predators, like […]

Standard or Conventional Eggs

Conventional eggs are the standard eggs you find on the grocery shelf that are simply labeled “eggs”—usually with a grade AA, A or B and a size like large or jumbo. These eggs come from hens that are raised in cages. Keeping hens in cages in temperature-controlled barns protects them from extreme heat and cold […]

How Hens Are Housed, Continued

Continual progress As egg farming evolves as an industry, farmers are always interested in discovering, testing out, and implementing new practices. The goal shared by all egg farmers is to continuously improve the way they farm for the good of their flocks, the environment, and the people who rely on eggs as part of their […]

How Hens Are Housed

Healthy hens that are well cared for lay quality eggs. So along with every other ethical reason to take good care of a flock, it’s in every egg farmer’s best interest as a businessperson to make sure their hens are doing well—these birds are their livelihoods. There are lots of different types of egg farms […]

Free-Range Eggs

Free-range production is regulated by the USDA. The chickens are cage free and have access to the outdoors. They’re fed chicken feed, but outdoor access means they may have a more diverse diet because they’re able to forage for bugs and plants. When outside the barn, they may also be susceptible to extreme weather and […]

Cage-Free Eggs

Cage-free hen housing is regulated by the USDA. All cage-free barns have scratch areas, perches, and nests that allow hens to behave more naturally, but the term “cage-free” doesn’t mean that the hens are allowed to run all around the farm. Hens in cage-free environments are kept inside barns where they can be protected from […]

Eggs Are a Climate-Friendly Food

If you’ve ever wondered where eggs rank in terms of environmental sustainability compared to other animal- and plant-source proteins, have a look at this chart.

Do Egg Farmers Use Antibiotics?

Antibiotic Residue When antibiotics are used as directed by the FDA, it’s highly unlikely that there will be antibiotic residue in eggs. The government tests animal-based agricultural products to make sure that any medicines used on the farm don’t pose a risk to human health, and over the past several years, there have been zero […]

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