Cage free eggs?

Question

I see some egg cartons say "cage free". What would that have to do with a chicken's egg laying?

Answer 1

In a lot of cases, especially in commercial egg production, the hens are caged ALL the time. Up to 5 birds share a cage with less than a meter square floor space, with a wire bottom to the cage so the droppings fall through.
Barn raised eggs are where the birds are free to roam the whole shed, only going to the nesting boxes to lay.
Free range chickens are housed in a barn, but have access to the outside during the day, to forage as they would in nature.
So in terms of what is kindest and more natural for the birds it goes free range (best), barn raised (OK), caged (cruel).

Answer 2

In simple terms, it means the chicken isn't caged 24/7. There is no difference in the eggs nutritional value. It just means the chicken has more room to roam around. Don't think you are doing a chicken/farmer a favor by paying the extra money for a dozen eggs. Eventually all chickens end up at the slaughter house or die of old age. Fact of life. Commercial chicken farmers know what chickens are laying and how often. It is cheaper for them to replace a chicken when it goes through its first molt then to feed it for 3 months and not get any eggs.

Answer 3

In the US most laying hens are housed 100% of the time in a very small cage with 4-5 other hens. "Cage free" or "free range" eggs mean that the hens that lay these eggs were not housed in these tiny cages.

Answer 4

They say it is a free range Chicken,he can eat what he wants...SO,,the same SH*T he eats,,You can eat too,,ain't that just Lovely..