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You should check the stamp on the egg. The first number is how the chicken was raised. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_marking#Producer_code https://en.wi

You should check the stamp on the egg. The first number is how the chicken was raised. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_marking#Producer_code https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_marking#Producer_code Free range is not necessarily what a person would expect of free range. The farm can pack 9 hens per square meter with some outdoor space available at times.

markdown 6y ago
> Free range is definitely not what a person would think of free range. Yup, it's a scam. Deceptive marketing. What people think of as free range they'll find if they buy "pastured eggs" (in Australia at least).
- user5994461 6y ago
  I've edited my message, the European standard is not that bad actually, 4 square meter per hen of external space. Australian regulations seem to be a joke though.
  - scandinavegan 6y ago
    It's still misleading in Sweden, even though we're in the EU. Here it's called "frigående" (free-walking, or free-range) which for hens just means that they are not kept in small cages. The free-range version with access to the outdoor is called "ecological" (16% of the hens). When people buy eggs in Sweden from "free-walking" hens, they expect them to be outdoors in the sun, but instead they are kept indoors with a maximum of 9 hens per square meter and up to 10.000 hens in a barn. It's not easy to find an English description of this, so here are some Swedish articles: Wikipedia: https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frig%C3%A5ende_djur https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frig%C3%A5ende_djur Swedish Egg, an organization from the egg industry: https://www.svenskaagg.se/?p=19891&m=3959 https://www.svenskaagg.se/?p=19891&m=3959 Djurens Rätt, an animal rights group: https://www.djurensratt.se/djur-i-livsmedelsindustrin/honor-och-tuppar https://www.djurensratt.se/djur-i-livsmedelsindustrin/honor-...
    - takluyver 6y ago
      This is interesting. The EU regulations include a table with what each grade can be called in different languages (p 24 of https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1991R1274:20020101:EN:PDF https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSL...). The grade called 'barn' in English can be called 'frigående inne' (free indoors) in Swedish. The English term 'free range' officially corresponds to 'frigående ute'. In most of these languages, the term for barn eggs (hens indoors without cages) seems to refer to ground, soil, or scratching. Swedish seems to be an outlier in applying a word like 'free' to this grade.
      - Sharlin 6y ago
        In Finland none of the official terms uses "free" or equivalent, but barn eggs are still permitted to be branded "free hens' eggs" in marketing. So the "free" there doesn't mean "free range", just "non-caged". Myself, I just buy organic eggs these days.
      - HenryBemis 6y ago
        I assume that "free indoors" is like keeping them in a massive warehouse where they can walk around, but with a other 9,999 animals around them. Technically they can walk around, realistically they can't make half a step before bumping to 10 other animals, and they poop all over, thus the needs for antibiotics. The "out in the open" is not happening for most farms.
- matthewmacleod 6y ago
  Bear in mind that there is massive variation globally. US "free range" is pretty much a scam, yes; EU rules are pretty clear.
- pvaldes 6y ago
  Free range is not uncommon in Europe In any case the pasture will not look flawless all around the year unless you have a lot of water. Chicken eat it, will scratch until reach rock and will make holes to take sunbaths. In summer the soil will have a lot of dry patches and in a harsh winter the hens will prefer to stay inside all day. They are very sociable animals but there will be always a few omega hens looking a little plucked. Anyone thinking that "zero animal cruelty" is a realistic goal in a flock of chickens, is delusional. They have a different relationship with pain than us.
JdeBP 6y ago
I have just pulled a box of this very brand of duck eggs from my kitchen. There are no stamps on the eggs. The code on the carton is UK.1.666.L . This is not a Lion mark, and the code is not in the right format for a Lion egg. I don't know whether different schemes apply for duck eggs. The "1" is suggestive.

markdown 6y ago

> Free range is definitely not what a person would think of free range. Yup, it's a scam. Deceptive marketing. What people think of as free range they'll find if they buy "pastured eggs" (in Australia at least).

user5994461 6y ago
I've edited my message, the European standard is not that bad actually, 4 square meter per hen of external space. Australian regulations seem to be a joke though.
- scandinavegan 6y ago
  It's still misleading in Sweden, even though we're in the EU. Here it's called "frigående" (free-walking, or free-range) which for hens just means that they are not kept in small cages. The free-range version with access to the outdoor is called "ecological" (16% of the hens). When people buy eggs in Sweden from "free-walking" hens, they expect them to be outdoors in the sun, but instead they are kept indoors with a maximum of 9 hens per square meter and up to 10.000 hens in a barn. It's not easy to find an English description of this, so here are some Swedish articles: Wikipedia: https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frig%C3%A5ende_djur https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frig%C3%A5ende_djur Swedish Egg, an organization from the egg industry: https://www.svenskaagg.se/?p=19891&m=3959 https://www.svenskaagg.se/?p=19891&m=3959 Djurens Rätt, an animal rights group: https://www.djurensratt.se/djur-i-livsmedelsindustrin/honor-och-tuppar https://www.djurensratt.se/djur-i-livsmedelsindustrin/honor-...
  - takluyver 6y ago
    This is interesting. The EU regulations include a table with what each grade can be called in different languages (p 24 of https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1991R1274:20020101:EN:PDF https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSL...). The grade called 'barn' in English can be called 'frigående inne' (free indoors) in Swedish. The English term 'free range' officially corresponds to 'frigående ute'. In most of these languages, the term for barn eggs (hens indoors without cages) seems to refer to ground, soil, or scratching. Swedish seems to be an outlier in applying a word like 'free' to this grade.
    - Sharlin 6y ago
      In Finland none of the official terms uses "free" or equivalent, but barn eggs are still permitted to be branded "free hens' eggs" in marketing. So the "free" there doesn't mean "free range", just "non-caged". Myself, I just buy organic eggs these days.
    - HenryBemis 6y ago
      I assume that "free indoors" is like keeping them in a massive warehouse where they can walk around, but with a other 9,999 animals around them. Technically they can walk around, realistically they can't make half a step before bumping to 10 other animals, and they poop all over, thus the needs for antibiotics. The "out in the open" is not happening for most farms.
matthewmacleod 6y ago
Bear in mind that there is massive variation globally. US "free range" is pretty much a scam, yes; EU rules are pretty clear.
pvaldes 6y ago
Free range is not uncommon in Europe In any case the pasture will not look flawless all around the year unless you have a lot of water. Chicken eat it, will scratch until reach rock and will make holes to take sunbaths. In summer the soil will have a lot of dry patches and in a harsh winter the hens will prefer to stay inside all day. They are very sociable animals but there will be always a few omega hens looking a little plucked. Anyone thinking that "zero animal cruelty" is a realistic goal in a flock of chickens, is delusional. They have a different relationship with pain than us.

JdeBP 6y ago

I have just pulled a box of this very brand of duck eggs from my kitchen. There are no stamps on the eggs. The code on the carton is UK.1.666.L . This is not a Lion mark, and the code is not in the right format for a Lion egg. I don't know whether different schemes apply for duck eggs. The "1" is suggestive.