We never thought much about eggs; until we spent a week housesitting for friends, and taking care of their five chickens. Then all of a sudden, we thought a lot about the eggs we eat, and the chickens who produce them. First and foremost it is important to note that chickens are not prime candidates for consumer sympathy. They are not cute and cuddly, don't smell great, and frankly they seem dim-witted. It's easier to conjure up the image of a newborn calf, say, and use that as motivation to forgo a meal of veal. But truthfully, chickens make surprisingly charming pets. They are highly sociable, running out to greet you as you approach each morning. They have distinct personalities, some being timid, others comical. They are somewhat clever, as one particular bird proved time and time again, escaping from her enclosure and driving us to insanity as we searched the nearby tree branches, in the pitch black, every night, until we found her and brought her "home". And most importantly, healthy, happy chickens make damn good eggs. Eggs which are flavourful, and have deep orange coloured yolks, thanks in part to their natural diet of leaves and greenery.
So following our brief foray into farming, we started to be somewhat thoughtful about the eggs we buy regularly, and decided to educate ourselves about the options available to us, here in Canada, so that we coud make better decisions about how we spend our money and the food we feed our kids and our clients. Here is what we found out, so that you can make informed decisions about your own purchasing habits.
There are approximately 25 million hens laying eggs across the country as we speak, and well over 90% of them are housed in groups, in small battery cages, for the 12 month duration of their egg laying lives. We won't even go into detail about what happens to them when that first year of their lives often comes to a rather unceremonious end. The remaining commercial chickens live in moderately improved conditions, and generally fall into the following categories: free-run, free-range, and organic - all of which are readily available at your local grocery. So which do you choose?
Non-specified: If the labelling doesn't specify any of the following : free-run, free-range or organic, it's safe to assume that the eggs are from caged birds. These are the cheapest available (generally running from about $2-3 per dozen), and can be white or brown. Their diets are wheat or corn based, and while they are not fed antibiotics unless required, their source of food is not pesticide/ chemical free. Some sources suggested that the use of antibiotics is more frequent because their cramped conditions generally lead to much higher levels of illness and disease.
Free-run eggs (aka Cage-free): these eggs are from chickens which are not caged, but are housed in large, open barns. They don't necessarily have more space per bird than the caged counterparts (which is a minimum of 432 cm2 in Canada, per hen), and there are no regulations surrounding their diets or care, beyond regular standard.
Free-range eggs: these eggs come from birds which are free-run, and have regular access to the outdoors. Their diets and general living conditions are otherwise similar to those of caged and free-run chickens.
Organic eggs: these eggs are from birds which are free-range, have outdoor access (weather permitting), are fed organic, corn based diets including grains, proteins, minerals and vitamins, and enjoy the most space per bird within their enclosures (2323 cm2, per bird). Their diet is certified organic, vegetarian, chemical and antibiotic free. They generally cost about twice as much as your basic, cage produced egg, between $5-6 per dozen.
So there you have it. We buy certified organic eggs, at home and for the business. So if you buy our food, you enjoy the benefits of better eggs. If you want to test them out you can buy certified organic eggs pretty much anywhere today, or go one step further and order them alongside your organic, free range meats, from Les Fermes Valens at www.fermesvalens.com. Stayed tuned for our next blog about this awesome, local farm coop in the Chateauguay Valley. So if you have the luxury of a couple of extra bucks ot spend on groceries - put your money where your mouth is - literally - and buy ceritfied organic eggs. You, and the chickens who so generously share their eggs with us, will sleep better at night.
