Difference Between Cage / Organic / Certified Humane Free Eggs

[HennysMom]

So, have my latest and greatest Mother Earth News magazine and ran across an article on how to "Decode an Egg Carton" and the differences between Cage Free / Free Range/Roaming; Certified Humane and Certified Organic Eggs - and found it quite..uhm.. interesting. This made me think about what truely IS and what is NOT as we have been led to believe. So word for word, here is the defintions from the USDA.


"Cage Free" "Free Range" or "Free Roaming": The terms "Free Range" and "Free Roaming" mean that hens have "been allowed access to the outside," according to the USDA. There are some thrid-party verification programs too (see below). "Free Range" ususally means the laying hens are raised in large flocks in big open warehouses rather than in stacked cages. They can walk around, flap their wings and preen their feathers. But outdoor access is not clearly defiend, it is probably very limited and on dirt or concrete rather than pasture. "Cage free" does not mean outdoor access.

"Certified Humane" - Humane Farm Animal Care operates a certifcation program specfiying that laying hens are uncaged, with access to perches, nest boxex and dust bathing areas. There are stocking-density maximums but outdoor access is not required. Beack trimming (but not debeakng) is allowed, starvation to induce molting is prohibited.

"Certified Organic" - Production methods must comply with the USDA National Organic Program including organic, vegetarian feed, no use of antibiotics, and no cages. Debeaking and forced molting by starvation are allowed. Oraganic standards require producers to "maintain livestock living conditions which accommodate the health and natural behavior of the animals." How much access to the outdoors this requires for chickens is still being debated. On large organic chicken farms, it may mean nothing more than a small door opening onto a concrete yard.

"Omega 3" All eggs contain small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, through tot be beneficial to human health. Omega-3 levels in eggs can be raised by supplementing the birds diet with fish oil, flax seed, or alfalfa meal (or by simply allowing the birds to forage on lawn or pasture).

Okay - now without turning any of this into an activist movement (the word we arent allowed to use on here) *please I dont want this to get locked* - after reading these definitions myself - I'm really torn on what I THOUGHT that people who were purchasing eggs from the grocery store, was for the birds. Which brings to mind a few questions for me:

1. Cerftified Humane - If they are allowed to force a molt by starvation - is that actually humane? Shouldnt a bird be allowed to molt on its own if its going to do so (mine havent molted yet and they are 15 months old and havent stopped laying yet) and I would never starve them. This actually sounds like the best out of the 3 options however - but do they give medications, antibiotics, what type of feed? It doesnt say...so is it really the best option? Do they have room to run around and stretch their wings?

2. Certified Organic: So just by not using antibiotics and feeding vegan - that certifies as organic? So they can use any other medication, just not antibiotics? And debeaking? How humane is that? The rest of what "certified organic" means is very sketchy to me and to me, sounds very crowded and very inhumane for the bird. How is forcing a molt by starvation and feeding all vegan when a chicken is an omnivore "maintaining the natural behavior of the bird?" Very confusing and a thin line there in my opinion... To me organic means no chemicals, no medications - just let the chicken be a chicken and treat natural/homepathic when its sick.

3. Cage Free/ Free Range - again the lines are unclear to this defination by their own admission. Which is it - do they have access or dont they to the outside grass and sunshine? Cage free means no cage.. but Free Range means they should have free range to the outdoors, grass and sun to me. It also doesnt state what they are fed, medications given, debeaking, etc.....

So now I'm as confused as ever

Guess when my girls do finally go into their molting (naturally..not forced by starvation) I will either go without eggs or have to find someone locally with a farm that sells eggs where I can inspect the conditions myself. I guess I can call my chickens Organic, Cage Free, Free Range and Humane and back it up with proof and my thoughts on the definitions of what those words should be because they have access daily to all the sun, grass, bugs, etc they could want, although they are in a huge 12X12 dog pen during parts of the day to keep from predators and keep them safe and their coop at night inside that pen (free to come in and out), but I still consider that cage free as they can preen and run around (I only have 6). They get treated like queens. I dont know, maybe I"m putting too much thought into this, but I dont think so....

And your thoughts are...???

 

[mjdtexan]

Hmm, that is interesting. I admit my birds do not get to do what I consider to be "free range". Free range to me means that they go outside with no restrictions at all. Mine go outside whenever (except at night) they want but they have a fenced in area with netting over the top as well. I dont want predators getting them. They do have a good sized yard though. I dont feed medicated feed either.

Thanks for the information.

Mjd

 

[Ridgerunner]

Good luck on this not getting blocked. Hopefully people can contain themselves and hopefully I don't fan the flames too much.

If you want eggs from chickens raised a certain way, you need to raise them yourself of get them from someone you really trust. And think of the legal definitions anytime you hear the words green, organic, natural, or any other current advertising buzzword that means what it legally means, not what you think it might mean. My wife and I have had some of these discussions. She puts a lot more faith in whole, organic, natural foods than I do.

 

[Judy]

Your first question indicated they can induce molt with starvation and still meet the "humane" definition, but your definition of the "humane" category said this was prohibited.

Other than that... what is interesting to me here is there is no measure or standard to make it clear to the buyer that the chickens actually get out on pasture or even into sunshine, which was already my understanding. This is why I rarely bothered with the more expensive eggs in the grocery when I bought them there. I found that Eggland did seem to taste a little better, and the yolk was a bit darker, so sometimes I bought them.

Does anyone know whether there are provisions elsewhere in the law prohibiting selling eggs laid by chickens who have been given antibiotics or wormers in, say, the last two weeks? Do commercial productions even use these meds, or do they just cull?

For those interested in organic, which I am not, one would evidently have to research further into the USDA National Organic Program.

I am also curious about the UK programs/laws, as there has been mention here of a changeover to more humane ways of raising birds. Can those in the UK actually buy birds or eggs in the grocery, knowing the birds have led a true outdoor, pastured life?

 

[Judy]

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I hope we don't get too tied up in "organic" here. To me that's a separate discussion: one step at a time. Let's give the chickens something approaching a "normal" chicken life before we get into that stuff.

At any rate, this is a federal law, and states also define and regulate "organic," each in their own way, so that is already a separate conversation.

I put essentially no faith in words like organic, natural etc., as I know how limited these definitions are, and in some cases they are not even defined. Not a lawyer and not interested in researching laws to this extent.

 

[speckledhen]

All I'll say is that you have to be very diligent in finding out the changing definitions established by the USDA. They do change from time to time. I heard a big uproar about the pastured grass-fed beef definition, saying that if the cattle are in an enclosure and they toss grass over the fence, they will be able to call it "grass-fed". I have not done research, so don't climb all over me on that one, but I heard it from someone who is constantly researching this information.

With all this stuff you really have to define your terms! And the USDA seems a bit slippery to me, hedging on meanings more and more. Bet it's the same with eggs. I am not well versed on it, but I never take any term at face value anymore, never assume they are speaking plain English.

 

[HennysMom]

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I agree Speckled - its all so confusing and seems to be getting defined by who makes the rules, yet constantly changing to meet whatever seems to be the mood of the day it seems.

I too have heard the same thing with the cows, and I have friends that have cattle farms who raise them who would never call that practice "grass fed beef".

 

[JennsPeeps]

HennysMom, you've got a misunderstanding on a word here.

From webster.com:

1: to forbid by authority
2 a: to prevent from doing something

So if the humane method prohibits forced molting, then it means that they are not permitted to do it. I'm willing to bet this will change your mind about the "humane" category.​

 

[HennysMom]

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So if the humane method prohibits forced molting, then it means that they are not permitted to do it. I'm willing to bet this will change your mind about the "humane" category.

I didnt even see the word "prohibit" LOL! Thanks Jenn! I do know what it means...thanks for the definition though

I guess I wasnt quite awake this morning.. or my mind was thinking too much

Still very vague classifications on what is "humane" however... each category is very very vague and can be twisted to support whatever big companies / farms want it to read though... Why not just come out and rightly say what IS and what is NOT? Very confusing to those that are thinking "Oh.. look Certified Humane/Organic/Cage/Free range chicken eggs! I'm buying those!" Only to find out they're not what they're thinking they are in all actuality.

 

[JennsPeeps]

The "vegetarian-fed" claim on eggs always cracks me up. Anyone who knows chickens knows that they don't WANT to be vegetarian.