4 ms·

I'm a vegetarian not a vegan, and thus I eat eggs. But the 'ethically' sourced part is something I'm not that sure about. Sure they can be (and I get them from

I'm a vegetarian not a vegan, and thus I eat eggs. But the 'ethically' sourced part is something I'm not that sure about. Sure they can be (and I get them from my grandparents who keep some chickens.. so that's ethical IMO). If you buy eggs from a shop, I'd say there is a fair chance that the animals are not treated that well. EDIT: I now realize many others have already made this point in other comments, oopsie.

ravenstine 8y ago
Most of what people think are "ethical" eggs that are sold in stores are basically a scam. Sure, they're eggs, but "free range" can mean the chickens have access to a little door and a puny plot of land for an hour, and "cage free" can mean the chickens never go outside. Pasture-raised eggs are your best bet, and that's all I'll buy, but even I'm skeptical because I've been burned so many times by believing my eggs were ethical.
- KozmoNau7 8y ago
  It depends on local regulations, but here in Denmark, organic eggs must meet the following regulations: -Maximum of 3000 chickens in a flock and a maximum of 6 chickens per square meter in the coops, which must allow daylight in. -The chickens must have access to perches and nests. -At least one third of the flooring must be loose bedding, such as straw or sand, to allow the chickens to dust bathe. -The chickens must have all-year access to outdoor areas with at least 4 square meters per chicken. It must be covered by grass or other vegetation, and must provide shelter from wind/weather. An outdoor area must stand unused every other year, for parasite prevention and to let the vegetation regrow. -Beak trimming is prohibited. -Feed must be organic and must include roughage. While it's not perfect, it's a damn sight better than battery caged hens.
dguo 8y ago
I use this "Organic Egg Scorecard" to help determine if I should buy eggs from a particular brand: https://www.cornucopia.org/scorecard/eggs/ https://www.cornucopia.org/scorecard/eggs/
- Insanity 8y ago
  That's handy, but it seems to only be for brands in the USA unfortunately! :)
atombender 8y ago
In the US, look for the Certified Humane [1] label; Pete and Gerry's, for example. Terms like "free range" and "pasture raised" aren't regulated and aren't trustworthy. Under the HFAC standard, antibiotics are forbidden, mammalian proteins in feeds are forbidden, beak trimming has strict guidelines, etc. Note that HFAC paradoxically/disappointingly doesn't require chickens to be have range, but if the package says free range, there's a 108 sq.ft.-per-bird requirement. Pete and Gerry's eggs are marked free-range. [1] https://certifiedhumane.org https://certifiedhumane.org

ravenstine 8y ago

Most of what people think are "ethical" eggs that are sold in stores are basically a scam. Sure, they're eggs, but "free range" can mean the chickens have access to a little door and a puny plot of land for an hour, and "cage free" can mean the chickens never go outside. Pasture-raised eggs are your best bet, and that's all I'll buy, but even I'm skeptical because I've been burned so many times by believing my eggs were ethical.

KozmoNau7 8y ago
It depends on local regulations, but here in Denmark, organic eggs must meet the following regulations: -Maximum of 3000 chickens in a flock and a maximum of 6 chickens per square meter in the coops, which must allow daylight in. -The chickens must have access to perches and nests. -At least one third of the flooring must be loose bedding, such as straw or sand, to allow the chickens to dust bathe. -The chickens must have all-year access to outdoor areas with at least 4 square meters per chicken. It must be covered by grass or other vegetation, and must provide shelter from wind/weather. An outdoor area must stand unused every other year, for parasite prevention and to let the vegetation regrow. -Beak trimming is prohibited. -Feed must be organic and must include roughage. While it's not perfect, it's a damn sight better than battery caged hens.

dguo 8y ago

I use this "Organic Egg Scorecard" to help determine if I should buy eggs from a particular brand: https://www.cornucopia.org/scorecard/eggs/ https://www.cornucopia.org/scorecard/eggs/

Insanity 8y ago
That's handy, but it seems to only be for brands in the USA unfortunately! :)

atombender 8y ago

In the US, look for the Certified Humane [1] label; Pete and Gerry's, for example. Terms like "free range" and "pasture raised" aren't regulated and aren't trustworthy. Under the HFAC standard, antibiotics are forbidden, mammalian proteins in feeds are forbidden, beak trimming has strict guidelines, etc. Note that HFAC paradoxically/disappointingly doesn't require chickens to be have range, but if the package says free range, there's a 108 sq.ft.-per-bird requirement. Pete and Gerry's eggs are marked free-range. [1] https://certifiedhumane.org https://certifiedhumane.org