When it comes to family health, which egg quality is better? Free-range eggs or caged eggs?
First, let’s examine their differences:
Living condition is an important factor in chicken farming and when it comes to living conditions, free-range chickens have more access to outdoors which means they can roam freely, peck at the ground, and engage in natural behavior. On the other hand, caged chickens are usually confined in small cages, often with limited space to move which prevent them from engaging in natural behavior.
Next is diet. Caged chickens are dependent on controlled diet which primarily consist of commercial feeds which may lack the diversity found in a natural diet although many chicken farmers are incorporating supplemental food to lessen the cost of feeds, there is still a limitation to what they can eat compared to free-range chickens who can roam around foraging insects, plants, grains, and kitchen scraps, contributing to a varied and healthy diet.
Health. Free-range chickens have access to exercise, sunlight, and varied diet which contribute to a better overall health compared to caged chickens who are confined to a small space. Caged chickens are also prone to weak bones and high stress level.
When it comes to bird’s security, caged chickens are protected from cats, dogs, lizards, and hawk compared to free-range chickens who have high risk against these external predators. But this can be resolved by proper fencing, installation of free-range net, and fixing a shed mainly for the protection of the chickens both from ground and aerial attack.
When it comes to egg quality, free-range chicken eggs have higher quality compared to caged chicken due to varied diet and healthier living conditions. There are also some testimonials from those who have egg allergies wherein they have not suffered or have less allergic reactions to free-range eggs.
Cost-wise, free-range eggs cost a bit higher than caged eggs due to some factors like production cost (free-range chickens needs more space than caged chickens), labor management and oversight, and consumer demands.
