Beyond the gate: The problem with free-range eggs

Yesterday I read an article that really challenged me and prompted further research into the poultry and egg industry. I had already viewed the industry with suspicion, but Chas Newkey-Burden presented a case that cannot be disputed:

1) 'Free-range' barely ensures free range.

2) Intensive production doesn't allow for any level of natural animal behaviour

3) Commercial production compromises the welfare of chickens and chicks.

A 'free range' egg farm in Cornwall

It is firstly worth saying that free-range is still preferable over cages or barns. Caged hens are so limited to roam that they experience musculoskeletal weakness. However, there is great variability in the welfare of hens in free-range systems. Whilst there is often ample space outdoors, many are too cooped up to access the barn exits.

Surely if you raise your own chickens and let them run wild, that would be okay? Newkey-Burden seems to say no... but his reasoning is limited and I fear his hard-line approach that demonizes "flesh guzzlers" is more likely to preach to the converted. Whatever dietary standpoint you take - vegan, vegetarian and carnivore - there is good reason to reconsider your purchases.

It partly depends on your valuation of animals as sentient. Many of us believe animals are aware of their emotions, feelings and perceptions. For example, they can feel pain and experience pleasure. If this is true, they should have the some or full rights to freedom, and should not be caged, or even owned, some argue.

We might assert that since humans are technically part of the food chain, we should have the same rights as other carnivores to eat animals or animal products.

Male chicken sexing

The difference, it seems to me, is that most humans in the developed world don't hunt; humans are the only animal that have the capacity to breed, control and domesticate animals. Whether or not this is in itself an problem, we ceaselessly abuse this power through many unethical practices - from lasering bird's beaks to stop them from pecking each other in frustration of their cramped conditions, to crushing new-born male chicks which have no egg-laying capacity and whose lives are therefore worthless by anthropocentric estimations. The commodification of food means that chickens' lives are ended prematurely because they have no economic value.


But for the consumer, the ambiguity of labels doesn't help matters. Under EU law, you can have a maximum of 9 'free range' hens per square metre. The higher the density, the greater the risk of pecking and hence the need for beak trimming and chicken glasses. In multi-tiered free-range systems, metal staging allows for more natural roosting behaviours, and reduces smothering, cannibalism and aggression. Some free-range companies ensure that their outdoor spaces include trees and sheltering spots, whilst barn hens have no access to the outdoors. From a commercial standpoint, complex environments and outdoor access increases the risk of diseases and parasites, and requires more cleaning. But in these environments, hens can more easily practice natural behaviours, such as making choices based on social and thermal preferences.

These nuances in management practices and conditions hugely impact animal welfare, but how little a label tells us! We've been led down the garden path to believe that we can maintain ethical standards and still expect 90p for a pack of 6 free-range eggs. Until this age of cheap food ends, the industry will keep spinning these mistruths.

Organic offers the highest level of graded-eggs, beyond RSPCA-assured. Organic hens are fed on a non-GM, grain-based diet and have unrestricted access to the outdoors.  Routine-multilation such as beak-trimming is prohibited, and smaller flock sizes means birds are better encouraged to make use of the outdoor space. To mitigate the risk of diseases and parasites, outdoor ranges must be rested periodically. As is probably obvious, this system shuns purely commercial concerns in favour of an ecological-based approach.

However, not all smallholder farms or roadside egg sellers can afford the cost of organic certification.

If you want to buy better eggs, here are a few options:

1) Buy locally and ask about the farms/farming practices. Directories for local producers and food councils/assemblies are a good place to start.

2) Buy organic. Organic farmed are independently audited to allow them to make organic claims, however EU organic standards only insist on the same stocking densities as free-range. Local and organic gives you the best chance of knowing what level of ethical standards the hens were afforded.

3) Seek advice from websites like Ethical Consumer, who provide score ratings on a number of variables.

4) Go vegan

Unfortunately, supermarket eggs don't promise higher ethical standards. If you purchase your eggs from supermarkets, choose organic eggs certified by the Soil Association.

For better eggs, we should expect to pay more, because they accurately reflect the cost of ethical and sustainable production. Alternatively, buying locally from smaller farms is a good way of getting more ethical produce cheaper than at retail.

Becky