As I grow wiser and more compassionate, I am leaning more and more towards a vegetarian diet. For now, vegan is not for me, however I will not be surprised if one day I jump off the fence and jump into the vegan life. Meanwhile, I continue to try to purchase humane non-vegan foods.

I started buying “Cage Free” eggs a few years ago after I learned of the horrible living conditions of caged hens. Caged hens are crammed into small cages, their beaks are removed and they live in cold, dark indoor pens. The hens cry in misery and live only about ¼ as long as pastured hens. Their feed is far from their natural diet. Instead they are fed a mixture of the cheapest grains that are lacking in nutrients. So cage free sounded great to me. Well, that is what the marketers of “cage free” eggs would like us to think. The truth is, that cage free hens lives are just as miserable as the caged hens. While it is true, they are not in cages, they are still kept in cramped, dark, cold, cement floored, indoor conditions. They are just as sickly and miserable, and have no better diet than caged hens.

On a postive note pastured eggs are eggs from hens that truly live outdoors or have daily access to the outdoors. They are usually kept in a coop at night to protect them from predators. They have not been debeaked and live in a natural environment allowing them to eat their natural diet of insects, worms, seeds, and green plants along with a supplement of grains or laying mash (a specialized feed rich in calcium, protein, fat, fiber, amino acids and phosphorous). These are truly happy hens!

If this doesn’t sell you on pastured eggs take a look at this! The Mother Earth News 2007 Egg Testing Project found that compared to supermarket eggs, pastured eggs contain:

½ less cholesterol

¼ less saturated fat

2/3 more vitamin A

2 times more omega-3 fatty acids

3 times more vitamin E

7 times more beta carotene

This is truly good news for both egg eating humans and egg laying hens!

Finding pastured eggs is not as hard as one would think in our google connected world. Google pastured eggs with the name of your geographical area and you are sure to find your source for pastured eggs. Sure, it may not be quite as convenient as picking up a dozen at your supermarket, but you may find the spirit of adventure in you that has been waiting to burst out and experience something new!

 Sources:

 http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2007-10-01/Tests-Reveal-Healthier-Eggs.aspx

http://www.cheeseslave.com/2009/02/20/how-to-buy-organic-eggs-pastured-vs-free-range-eggs/

http://www.care2.com/causes/animal-welfare/blog/behind-the-cage-free-label/