The Best Way to Buy Chicken Eggs

Keeping your restaurant or independent market stocked with high quality chicken eggs will usually mean that you have a good supplier. Buying your wholesale eggs directly from the farm can give you greater control over the type of eggs that you get and can even save you some costs. There are many ways to buy chicken eggs, but the best way is straight from happy and healthy hens. Checking out the farmer and their animal husbandry methods is a good way to determine which eggs are the best to pass along to your customers and keep them coming back for more.

Many people will tell you that the most important thing to look at when trying to buy chicken eggs is how the hens are treated. The better fed and less stressed a hen is, the better eggs she is likely to produce. This can affect taste and can also affect the cost. The best, and least expensive, system that a farmer can use to produce eggs is one that keeps the hens from illnesses and from stressing one another. This is because they are spending less money per egg laid and can pass this savings on to you. Many times an egg farmer will tell you upfront about the types of animal husbandry they use for their hens to give you the option of what to purchase. Sometimes you can even find cage, barn laid, and free range methods all used by the same farmer.

The Differences Between Cage, Barn Laid & Free Range Eggs

The average consumer is confronted with many options in the egg section of the grocery store; three of which are cage, barn laid, and free range eggs. It can be confusing to understand the discrepancies between these egg types. The nutritional value is equivalent, but the production processes at each type of egg farm is different.

Cage

Over half of all eggs are laid by birds living in cages, and these eggs are the least expensive to buy. A clean caged environment can be beneficial for hens because they are well-protected from predators, the weather and other birds. In a caged environment, there is also a decreased likelihood of hens getting sick from a parasite or some other type of disease.

Barn Laid

Birds that are confined to barns instead of a cages produce barn laid eggs. The price of these eggs can vary, but typically fall between the cost of caged eggs and free range eggs.

Free Range

Free range eggs come from hens that are able to roam outside if they wish, for at least part of the day. These birds may have a canopy or an open barn for shelter, and the size of the farm can impact the exact set-up. Free range eggs also cost the most.

Eggs are nutritious and delicious. Depending on your preferences, there is an egg farm that produces just the type you require.