Have you wandered through the egg aisle at your local grocery store recently? Talk about information overload! There are so many different labels, certifications, and varieties of eggs that it’s very easy to feel overwhelmed by it all. But all of that is going to change today!
I want to help unravel the mystery of all those different kinds of eggs, so our trips through the egg section are filled with certainty rather than doubt. :-)
So buckle up, because today’s post is all about eggs! Or is it all about chickens? Regardless of which came first, we’re talking about eggs and the chickens who lay them. :-)
There are two common types of distinctions made on egg carton labels, and we’ll be talking about both! The first is housing types, or the kinds of conditions that the hens live in, and second I’ll cover diet types, or the kind of food that the hens are fed. I’ll talk about each one, and what difference each distinction makes (or doesn’t make) in terms of the price and quality of the eggs. So let’s get started, shall we?
Housing Distinctions
Conventional
The eggs produced by chickens in conventional housing are usually the most budget-friendly. You can find them for about $2.50 to $3.50 per dozen at most grocery stores. Chickens in conventional housing are kept in “battery” cages at all times, with 24/7 access to food and water.
With these kinds of cages, farmers can keep more egg-producing chickens in a smaller space, and then sell those eggs for a low consumer-friendly price.
Cage-Free
Many stores and restaurants have recently turned to “cage-free” eggs. “Cage-free” eggs aren’t inherently different from conventional eggs, the chickens are just housed differently. In a cage-free facility, the hens are allowed to roam around instead of being kept in a small cage all the time.
It’s not clear whether cage-free facilities are more humane than conventional ones. Some egg producers will even argue that the birds have a better quality of life in cages, citing a smaller chance of the birds hurting themselves or each other. Ethical aspects aside, cage-free chickens are still crowded in their laying houses. And because the farmers aren’t using space as efficiently, their costs are higher, and that premium gets passed onto the consumer.
Free-Range
Free-range eggs have much of the same requirements of cage-free eggs, with the added requirement that the chickens have “access to the outside.” The chickens have an outdoor area they have access to, but it is usually just a small patch of yard.
Many chickens choose to simply stay inside, even when they have access to a “free-range” yard. Otherwise, the diet for free-range chickens is quite similar to cage-free birds, and most birds still only have have 2 square feet of space to themselves.
Pastured or Pasture-Raised Eggs
Pastured eggs are one of the best options available in stores, but they’re also one of the most expensive egg options. For the most part, these hens are kept in mobile coops at night to roost and lay eggs. But during the day, farmers release the chickens into pastures where they are can forage, take dust baths, soak up the sun, and just be chickens.
While the nutritional content of eggs is pretty much identical across all housing varieties, there is some evidence that eggs from pastured chickens are an exception. Some sources suggest that pastured eggs have more vitamins and less cholesterol due to the chickens’ increased access to sunlight and a highly varied diet.
Diet Distinctions
Organic
Farmers provide these hens with feed which is certified organic. If eating organic is important to you, organic-fed eggs could be a good option for you. But keep in mind that there are fewer certified organic feeds than standard feeds, so the chickens may end up with a more limited diet overall. And of course, organic eggs are definitely more expensive than conventional ones!
Omega-3
The hens that produce Omega-3 eggs are fed a diet with plenty of Omegas, such as kelp, flax, and linseed. This makes for a more nutritionally beneficial egg, offsetting fats in the eggs that are not as healthy.
More Ideas You'll Love
According to Healthline, Omega-3 eggs had 39% less of the inflammatory omega-6 fatty acid and 5 times as much omega-3 as conventional eggs.
Vegetarian-Fed
Some egg-laying hens are fed a vegetarian diet. But did you know that chickens aren’t actually herbivores? They’re omnivores, just like us! (Fun fact: the modern chicken is the closest living relative to the great Tyrannosaurus Rex!)
Chickens love to eat insects, worms, even small mammals if given the chance. Vegetarian-fed eggs come from chickens that aren’t getting their usual sources of protein, and may even be protein-deficient.
In Conclusion
When it comes to buying eggs, there are a lot of buzzwords and designations that can make it a confusing choice! Hopefully the information above will help you make that decision with confidence the next time you’re at the store.
To find the very best quality eggs from happy hens, seek out local farmers and/or CSAs! If you call around enough, you’re sure to get in touch with someone who has a chicken coop, or knows someone who does. Because happy birds lay the most delicious eggs, in my opinion. :-)
Related: 11 Surprising Ingredients That Will Make Your Eggs Taste Better
Wow, Jillee
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This has been enlightening. I don’t think that I’ve concerned myself much with the difference in eggs and the hens that lay them. But now that I’m on medication to reduce cholesterol, and I have one of my doctors telling me to continue to eat eggs, I now have a smart and informed choice. I love it!
Thank you very much
I was hoping to be able to attach a photo with this comment, but jpeg files aren’t allowed. It’s a photo of several eggs in a bowl showing the difference in the color of the yolks between pastured eggs and store-bought eggs. The pastured eggs are a rich orange color. The Vitamin K2 content in the pastured eggs is high because of all the green grasses that the chickens eat while foraging.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We found pastured eggs at our local HEB. We keep chickens ourselves, but in the winter, and as chickens age, they lay less. The pastured egg brand tasted exactly like our own happy-chicken eggs. Well worth the money. We won’t go back to conventional eggs.
Jillee, this is the best blog out there. Thank you.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Also to note is when chickens are fed “vegetarian” diets, it consists of a lot of soy. Soy is 95%+ GMO in this country, meaning is sprayed heavily with pesticides. This is the feed that is used to make your eggs. It’s not always about what you eat, but about what you eat ate. It’s what that animal used to make it’s protein. Many of these toxins are stored in higher amounts in higher fat foods. Same goes for corn-fed animals. Our chickens are fed an organic, non-GMO diet, they are free-ranged/pasture-ranged, they get all kinds of goodies from our organic garden and even leftover milk and meats. Their eggs are stand-up orange yolks. Shell color is determined by breed of chicken. Rhode Island Reds and Barred Rocks lay brown. Isa Brown lays dark reddish-brown, Leghorns lay white. Americaunas lay green and blue. Brahmas lay a pinkish brown. They’re all good and the mix makes for a beautiful carton of eggs when we sell them.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My daughter raises Arcana hens. When she brings some over to our house, they make great egg dishes. They have very hard shells and are very fresh and great in baked goods.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I thought you might address the price for size of eggs in the same category–For example, the difference in price between medium, large, extra large and jumbo eggs. I use the guideline that if the next size up is 25 cents or less, buy the larger eggs.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Do size of eggs matter in baking. We always buy jumbo brown eggs if my daughter’s aren’t available?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for the suggestion Ellen, I’ll have to get started on Part 2!
Nancy, most recipes are meant for large eggs, but I wouldn’t worry about the small difference unless you’re baking something very particular. :-)
Hi Jillee,
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I live in Australia and the free range eggs here means the chooks get to range freely.
But there are good and bad “free range”. Choice website has an extensive list on the
details of how many chooks per acre. I am amzed that so many eggs who claim to be “Free range”
have 10,000 birds per hectare. The best I have found is 4 chooks per hectare. This is real “free range”
and I am very picky about making sure I only buy the true “free range”.
When I go to the supermarket, they have maybe 6 different free range and I am very lucky to find
any of these approved of by Choice. This is so frustrating when you see people buying the crook “free range” and they think they are doing the right thing. (and paying eextra for the privilage)
Check out: https://www.choice.com.au/food-and-drink/meat-fish-and-eggs/eggs/articles/what-free-range-eggs-meet-the-model-code#vic
Does the US have a similar consumer watchdog who has checked this out?
BTW I just love your laundry recipes.
You are a gem
Sueie Barber
Melbourne
Australia
I thought you might address the difference between price of eggs in the same category. For example the difference in price between medium, large, extra large and jumbo eggs. I use the guideline if the next size up is 25 cents or less, buy the bigger eggs.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Local farm fresh duck eggs are my treat; deep yellow yolks (they have a pond). A great chef let me know long ago to cook eggs on very low heat to preserve the protein, plus these tender eggs taste wonderful. On my gas stove I cook in coconut oil and set the burner to the lowest flame–takes 4-5 minutes to finish two eggs over easy perfectly. When hard boiling, use the same principle; bring to a boil, turn off the heat, and cover with a lid for 20 minutes. For a softer yolk, less minutes to your preference.
Just found this site today while searching for a natural granite cleaner/polisher. I’ll be coming back often. Thank you.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love them no matter what color, or type raised. Your information is very helpful. Lot I did nt know. Like one of your readers posted, more expensive eggs are not in the budge, because we eat lot of eggs. Via it, baking with them, having for breakfast, boiling to eat after a workout, or whatever. You are always so helpful. Thank you.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I believe the reason for the labeling meme: “vegetarian fed hens” is because of Mad Cow disease and Bird Flu. Companies branded eggs and poultry that way so that people would know hens weren’t being fed ground up contaminated cattle (as cattle had been, which led to the spread of Mad Cow), and that they weren’t being fed other ground up contaminated chickens.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It was more of an assurance of protection (from the bastardization of the bird’s “omnivore” diet).
Are brown eggs more nutritious than white? Which should we prefer?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.White or brown doesn’t really matter – just look for the words mentioned in this post :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We have about 10 farm raised laying hens. They are range free brown, white, and blue shelled eggs and have deep yellow/orange yolks. When I take deviled eggs to a potluck dinner, I bring home an empty plate.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you for this article. We raise happy pastured chickens. Once you have your own chickens, you realize how inhumane it is to keep them in tiny cages. As you mentioned, most any area will have many people raising backyard chickens who would be happy to sell the eggs to you, or even give them away.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I wonder if the hens who are fed soybeans have the phyto hormones in the eggs. I cannot eat soybeans so I try to avoid eggs from vegetarian or organically fed chickens. I have no idea what chickens are being fed unless it’s bragged about on the label.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you SO much for this article. I am on a tight budget but spend more on commercially produced eggs that are certified “free range”. Thanks to you I will no longer do that. I will either buy from my local farmers’ market or – when necessary – just go ahead and buy regular eggs, which makes me feel pretty bad. But anymore there is practically no way to feed oneself with a clear conscience unless you can afford the high prices of food produced humanely on small farms. But, having been tricked for so long by misleading information, even then I wonder….
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Mother Earth magazine did testing on eggs a few years ago. They asked readers to send them eggs along with information on how the chickens were cared for and all feed given. The eggs that were from chickens that ate organic feed and had free run of yard or pasture, (and they do eat anything) had the best nutrition. I know from raising my own they taste much better also. The cheap eggs have no flavor. For breakfast I use the better eggs. I keep the cheap eggs for baking. Now for meringues you may want to get eggs from someone you know just collected them that morning. Store eggs are anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks old before they get to the store.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You should have added pictures of the hens in the overstuffed cages used for conventional production. Its terrible. Caged free isn’t much better. Vegetarian chickens? How silly. My hens are free range. Lots of space exercise and bugs! They taste and look great!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Couldn’t agree with you more :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.One important thing to know about battery eggs is that hey are much more prone to salmonellas (due to the fact that, to put it bluntly, the hens sh*t on each other in there, since they’s stacked – ugh). That explains while salmonella is so widespread in the US (much more so than in European countries), since there are lots of battery farms there. I live in a country where battery raising was banned more than 30 years ago, thankfully.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What isn’t mentioned here is that male chicks born with their sisters (who go on to be kept to produce eggs) are slaughtered after hatching, by being gassed, put ALIVE into a grinder, or sometimes left to suffocate in a plastic bag, as they are useless to the egg industry! For years I would buy eggs from so-called ‘happy hens’ who i could see running about outside and felt okay about it. When I found out the real situation I stopped eating or buying eggs. There is no such thing as cruelty free eggs I’m afraid.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Get your own chickens – ours are rescued from battery farms (past their peak laying days but still a lot of eggs left in them) and they free range around our place. It’s nice to see them doing chooky stuff and we get lovely eggs from them. Good for the chooks, good for us :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve read quite a bit about factory farms, the places where the animals spend their entire lives in cages. I haven’t decided if they’re just horrible or horribly sad.
I now buy eggs and meat from animals that were treated well, wild-caught tuna and every other fish, grassfed beef and organic produce if not non-gmo. My weird GI tract is much happier.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I find the eggs that are cage free give me an easier time to digest. Some other eggs give me abd pain,gas and diarrhea.I found your article very helpful. Keep up the good work.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You are correct in stating chickens are omnivores like us and that they will eat small mammals. We raised three hens in our backyard, (even though it was against city codes), and had so many eggs we shared them with our neighbor who was a single mother with 3 children. I had to share the fact that I saw one of the hens snag a mouse away from my cat and proceed to gulp it down in one swallow! I was amazed ! They were champions at eating all the bugs in the yard, but I never imagined they would eat a mouse.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you….jim
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I found that Organic free range eggs..ex large, are very small..can’t imagine how small the small eggs are..the pricier the eggs, the smaller they seem…
Please log in or create a free account to comment.which egg do you buy?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You did not mention Furtile Eggs, which i have been told are easier for one to digest etc.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Well written, Jillee! I personally believe what you believe: a happy chicken will lay better eggs! Besides — I would NOT want to live in a tiny cage my whole life, riiiiight???? I actually choose to purchase my eggs and produce from my local co-op, and then purchase everything else from a standard grocery store! Thanks so much, as always!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.