Organic eggs v. free-range eggs?

moneyistooshorttomention

With the rather large price differential between normal eggs (ie free-range) and organic free-range eggs = is it worth it?

What is the difference between organic eggs and "normal" (free-range) eggs?

I understand it's to do with what the hens eat and that organic eggs are from hens that have had an organic diet and that normal eggs aren't - but what exactly do the two groups of hens eat respectively?

Also, I've heard something before somewhere that says that some unscrupulous producers just feed the hens organic feed (rather than standard food) for just a few weeks before taking the eggs and marketing them as "organic". Is this so - and, if so, which are the producers that need to be avoided and which are the "real deal"?

I can't afford that price differential - but if the eggs are going to be so much better then perhaps I should? This is part of upping my game generally on my diet. I am changing my diet from (genuinely) healthy to super-healthy - as I'm fed-up with various minor health niggles that have been hanging around for a while now and it's time I "got serious" about getting rid of them once and for all.

flubberyzing

It depends on whether you are more interested in animal welfare/quality of life or what the animal has eaten, and therefore the quality of the product produced.


If it's animal welfare that you are interested in, go for free range, if it's finished product, go for organic.

Mr_Singleton

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I can't afford that price differential.

There.... you answered you question yourself!!

I get Organic because I do but the world isn't going to end if you decide to go free-range do what feels right for you.

nuatha

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

With the rather large price differential between normal eggs (ie free-range) and organic free-range eggs = is it worth it?

What is the difference between organic eggs and "normal" (free-range) eggs?

Depending on the certifying authority (Soil Association, Organic Food Fed, etc) the criteria for organic differ. Generally they are "Free Range" plus, however free range does not mean what most people think it does, up to four flocks of 4000 birds in a barn with limited access to the outside, debeaking and poor welfare standards are common.

Try and find a local small producer where you can see the hens, then you don't need to worry about marketing terms which are all "Free Range" and "Organic" are at their worst.

Houndmum101

"Free-Range" can be a grey area, and a bit meaningless really, as it can legally be applied to many variations in levels of care.


It doesn't necessarily mean the chickens are free to wander around a field, expressing natural behaviours. It can just mean that they are housed in a barn, with "access" to the outdoors during daylight hours if they want it.


Fine in theory, but what often happens is that the stronger, more dominant birds congregate and hog the exit points, and the weaker, more submissive birds can't get through, so spend all of their lives indoors effectively. Of course, some free-range only farmers are excellent and give the birds a decent life, and just can't justify or don't want the expense of gaining organic certification. How would you ever know which supplier was the most ethical when choosing your eggs or Sunday roast in a supermarket though?


I actually had this conversation with a manager in Waitrose once, and when pushed he admitted that there are some pretty minimum and meaningless qualifications to claim "Free-Range", and different suppliers went to different lengths.


Organic rearing for meat and eggs has to comply with much more stringent welfare rules, and the birds are truly free-range, so its a safer bet if welfare is your particular issue. The changeover period is fairly long too. Gaining organic certification is not as simple as just changing things for a few weeks.


"Woodland" eggs, are a fairly safe middle ground, as the farmer has to prove that all his birds spend a minimum number of hours outside every day in suitable habitats, and then there's the other option of buying from a local farmer for those lucky enough to have one nearby where they can actually see how the birds are reared.


Hope that helps

WantToBeSE

If you want to go 'super healthy' i would cut out eggs altogether and adopt a plant based diet.

However, for the questionyou are asking,i would go for Organic.

moneyistooshorttomention

Mr_Singleton wrote: »

There.... you answered you question yourself!!

I get Organic because I do but the world isn't going to end if you decide to go free-range do what feels right for you.

Perhaps I should have been more specific.

When I say "cant afford" I mean = cant really afford the money, but will find it if I have to.

Not "cant afford" - as in I literally couldn't find the money at all.

**************

Re welfare of the chickens - I hadn't realised that about the more dominant birds ensuring "they get theirs" (ie access to the outside) at the expense of the other hens. That makes sense to me that that probably happens though.

I cut out battery eggs some years back, partly out of concern for chickens being kept in such conditions. I am concerned to have the healthiest diet I can manage to get my hands on personally - but, obviously, would like to think that the chickens concerned are living the sort of lives chickens should be living.

Looks like I had better start asking around here as to who produces and sells eggs locally - and see if I can even get an introduction to the hens personally LOL. Visions of being told "This is Mabel, this is Gertie and that's Laura over there"....

Gloomendoom

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Looks like I had better start asking around here as to who produces and sells eggs locally - and see if I can even get an introduction to the hens personally LOL. Visions of being told "This is Mabel, this is Gertie and that's Laura over there"....

We get given eggs by neighbours or buy them locally and it's usually possible to see what kind of condition the hens are living in without having to get on first name terms.

Whenever, we have done any "hen sitting" I have been amazed at what they do like to eat, potato peelings and prawns go down very well. Not sure if that counts as organic though.

Gigervamp

Gloomendoom wrote: »

Whenever, we have done any "hen sitting" I have been amazed at what they do like to eat, potato peelings and prawns go down very well. Not sure if that counts as organic though.

No and it's actually illegal to feed food waste from a kitchen to chickens, but most small chicken keepers ignore or don't know the law. (Also, potato peelings should be cooked, not given raw.)


All commercial chickens are fed pellets or mash. Organic pellets for organic chickens. We don't feed our chickens with organic pellets as the feed is about £6 more for a 20kilo sack. However, we do use a good brand which is GM free.

The quality of the feed they are given shows in the quality of the eggs.
We had to buy in eggs one year when ours all stopped laying through their moult, and although we bought eggs from a local free range farmer with a smallish flock of 300 girls, the eggs weren't anywhere near as good as the eggs that we get from our girls, simply due to the feed being given.

If you can afford organic, go for those. They'll be GM free.

Mojisola

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Also, I've heard something before somewhere that says that some unscrupulous producers just feed the hens organic feed (rather than standard food) for just a few weeks before taking the eggs and marketing them as "organic". Is this so - and, if so, which are the producers that need to be avoided and which are the "real deal"?

When the organic inspection is done, the producer will have to prove that he/she has been buying organic feed. There may be a few who are willing to go to enormous lengths to falsify loads of documents to fool the inspector but it's not really worth the effort. It costs the producer a lot of money to be registered with one of the inspection bodies.

There have been a few instances of retailers buying in non-organic eggs and then repackaging them but the big companies wouldn't get involved with this.

The Soil Association has always had higher standards for egg production than the other inspection bodies but the higher standards mean the eggs are more expensive to produce. Any eggs sold as 'organic' have to have been produced according to the EU regulations.

Although most people don't realise it, chickens don't like being in a wide open field - they are too vulnerable to predators. They are naturally woodland and woodland-edge creatures - they will venture out into a clear opening but like the security of bushes or trees to hide under if threatened which is why they often hang around the pop-holes when they do go into the field.

A really good free-range/organic system will have the field planted up with shelter rows. Far more birds go outside when shelter is provided.

Gloomendoom

Gigervamp wrote: »

No and it's actually illegal to feed food waste from a kitchen to chickens, but most small chicken keepers ignore or don't know the law. (Also, potato peelings should be cooked, not given raw.)

Thanks. You learn something every day. Just as well we don't keep hens.

BTW The peelings were cooked, as were the prawns.