Eggs from free range, free range or organic eggs: what you should know when buying
You can buy eggs from free range or free range. There are also organic eggs. Here we explain what you need to know about these terms with regard to the keeping of the hens.
Keeping eggs - not as good as it sounds
The term “keeping eggs” does not mean that the laying hens really move on the floor.
- The animals are kept in so-called aviaries, which are stacked on top of each other. The laying hens move on gratings.
- There are then 18 chickens per square meter without a run. In order to prevent the animals from harming each other, the beaks were shortened earlier. However, this is now legally prohibited.
- Since diseases spread quickly in such a small space, antibiotics are used in large quantities.
- You can tell whether eggs come from free range from the code on the eggs. In the case of floor housing, the first number of the code is a two.
Free range with run for the hens
Free-range farming is much better for animals than keeping them on the ground.
- With this type of husbandry, the laying hens do not run all day. They are kept in large stables. There, nine chickens share a square meter of space.
- The laying hens have more space during the day. Then every animal has an additional four square meter free-wheel available.
- However, antibiotics are also used here. You can recognize free-range eggs by the 1 as the first number of the egg code.
Organic eggs from happy chickens
If you buy organic eggs, they can be identified by the 0 as the first number of the egg code.
- Organic eggs are subject to strict rules. For example, the chickens must be kept appropriately in open stables with a run.
- In addition, each laying hen must have 18 centimeters of space on a perch. A maximum of six laying hens may be kept per square meter of barn.
- There is a big difference to the other types of husbandry in terms of feed. This must come from ecological cultivation. Genetic engineering is prohibited.
- Antibiotics are also not used. Sick animals are treated with natural remedies.
In our next article, you will learn how to recognize milk from animal husbandry.