Commercial Eggs
The vast majority of egg-laying hens in the United States are confined in battery cages. On average, each caged laying hen is afforded only 67 square inches of cage space—less space than a single sheet of letter-sized paper on which to live her entire life. Unable even to spread their wings, caged laying hens are among the most intensively confined animals in agribusiness.
Caged hens also suffer from the denial of many natural behaviors such as nesting, perching, and dust-bathing, all important for hen welfare. Numerous scientists and other experts have spoken clearly about the animal welfare problems with battery cages.
Commercial Cage-Free
As defined by the USDA cage-free eggs must be produced by hens housed in a building, room or enclosure that allows for unlimited access to food & water & provides the freedom to roam the area during the laying cycle. Cage-free hens are not required to have access to the outdoors & do not produce more nutritional eggs.
Commercial Free-Range
As defined by the USDA free-range eggs must be produced by cage-free hens housed in a building, room, or area that allows for unlimited access to food, water, and continuous access to the outdoors during their laying cycle.
Pasture Raised Chickens
Pasture raised chickens are given at least 108 square feet each and consume some feed and lots of grass, bug, worms and anything else they can find in the dirt. They tend to be let out of the barns early in the morning and called back in before nightfall.
Pastured-raised hens also produce healthier eggs, according to a 2003 study out of Pennsylvania State University. In it, researchers found that one pasture-raised egg contains twice as much omega-3 fat, three times more vitamin D, four times more vitamin E and seven times more
beta-carotene than eggs from hens raised on traditional feed.
Our flock has 8-acres to forage and while doing so they have a beautiful lakeside view!
Beak Trimming
Most commercial egg facilities practice beak trimming. Beak trimming remains a controversial subject. It has undoubted economic advantages for the producer, in particular by reducing the incidence of cannibalism and feather pecking, but the procedure is traumatic for the bird and deprives it of important sensory feedback from its beak.
Washing Eggs
A commercial chicken factory will use chemicals to clean their eggs.
These chemicals can include:
- Chlorine
- Potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide (lye)
- Sodium carbonate
- Ozone (a brand name disinfectant)
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Peracetic acid—a mixture of vinegar and hydrogen peroxide
What Is Egg Bloom?
Just before laying an egg, the hen adds a protective layer called “bloom” or cuticle to the outside of the egg. This coating seals the shell pores, prevents bacteria from getting inside the shell, and reduces moisture loss from the egg.
Because of this and per the requirements of the State of Wisconsin we do not wash our eggs.
Egg Sizes
The United States Department of Agriculture, also known as the USDA, is the authority on sizes for eggs sold in the US. The USDA measures egg sizes by weight per dozen, not by the dimensions or visual size of an egg. If you've ever noticed that some of the eggs in your carton look larger or smaller than the others, it's because what ultimately matters, according to the USDA, is the total weight of the dozen eggs in the carton.
Why Are Eggs Different Sizes?
There are many factors that can influence the size of a hen's egg, including her age, breed, and the time of year.
- Hen age: When hens are still learning how to lay, they often produce eggs that fall into the peewee and small weight classes. However, young hens have also been known to lay jumbo eggs (sometimes with double yolks!). When hens are in the prime of their laying days, they usually produce medium and large eggs.
- Hen breed: Some hens are bred to lay larger eggs, while other breeds tend to lay very small eggs. In general, the larger the hen's body, the larger the eggs she'll lay.
- Time of year: When the weather cools down and the days get shorter, a hen's production naturally slows. During the coldest months of winter, her eggs may be slightly smaller than usual.
Egg Color
Different types of chickens lay different colored eggs from bluish tones to creamy pinks and even dark brown (and yes, green eggs are real too). The two colors widely available in stores are white eggs and brown eggs. While most people assume brown eggs are healthier and organic, that’s not the case. They were just hatched from a different breed of chicken, and they are priced higher because that type of chicken is usually larger and more expensive to raise.
Our Egg Colors
The color of our eggs range from bright to light blue, light green to dark green, all shades of brown from light beige to dark brown and some of our eggs even have speckles!
Our Egg Sizes
Due to the time of year, age of the laying hen, and breed of the hen means we have all different sizes of eggs!! We try to only sell eggs ranging in size from 2.0 ounces to 2.8+ ounces. If we have to put an egg smaller than 2.0 ounces into your dozen another larger egg has offset that smaller weight.
Our 1 Dozen Egg Weight
1-Dozen Weight In Carton
Net Weight Of 1-Dozen Eggs
1-Dozen Weight In Carton
1 lb 14.8 ounces
or
30.8 ounces
Empty Carton Weight
Net Weight Of 1-Dozen Eggs
1-Dozen Weight In Carton
2.6 ounces
Net Weight Of 1-Dozen Eggs
Net Weight Of 1-Dozen Eggs
Net Weight Of 1-Dozen Eggs
30.8 ounces - 2.6 ounces = 28.2 ounces
This dozen weighs 28.2 ounces so it falls between the x-large and jumbo classification.
Great Value Large White Eggs 12 Count
Price as of 1/28/2023 $4.68 39.0¢/ea
These chickens are mostly likely kept in battery cages.
Eggland's Best Farm Fresh Cage Free Large Brown Eggs 12 Count
Price as of 1/28/2023 $5.48 45.7¢/ea
Blue Sky Family Farms Free Range Brown Eggs Large 12 Count
Price as of 1/28/2023 $5.58 46.5¢/ea
If a carton of eggs has both a “pasture raised” claim and the American Humane Certified seal, it means that “pasture raised” claim was verified, and the hens were given roughly 10 by 10 feet of pasture per bird (the standards have an outdoor space requirement of no more than 1,000 birds per 2.5 acres, which translates to 108 square feet per bird). The fields must be rotated and have a substantial cover of living vegetation. The pasture has to be actively managed with reseeding to encourage regrowth of vegetation.
THIS BRAND OF EGGS HAS THIS CERTIFICATION
Northwoods Freedom Farm Eggs 12 Count
Price as of 1/28/2023 $5.00 41.7¢/ea
The coop doors open at sunup and close again at sundown. This affords our flock the opportunity to free range for 8-10 hours during the winter months and 14+ hours during the summer months. They have ample ground cover and are able to forage under the canopy of maple, pine, birch, and oak trees. There are insects, worms, seeds, grass, and various other sources of supplemental nutrition they can find. Our flock is given a feed with 16% protein and fortified with calcium. It also contains:
Vitamin E, Biotin, Selenium, Vitamin K, Manganese, Zinc, Niacin, Copper, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3, Folic Acid, Riboflavin, and Vitamin A. We also like to mix Chia and Flax seeds into their feed. Our flock is also given fresh fruits and vegetables numerous times during the week.
What you feed your chicken directly affects the nutritional value and taste of the egg the hen lays.
These nutrients make our eggs "egg-ceptionally" delicious and healthy!