Why do cage free eggs cost more than regular eggs?
Wow. Let us count the ways…. There are two main reasons: lower densities and higher feed costs. And we can’t forget the consumption factor. But first, density…If the hens are not stacked in cages, the farmer cannot get as many birds in the barns, so it takes a lot more barns, a lot more farmers and a lot more money to produce the same amount of eggs. Caged producers give their birds about 67 sq. inches per bird, or a little over 8″x8″! Very small space for a chicken. Then they cram four or five together in a cage and stack the cages six levels high, which usually leads to about 250,000 birds squeezed into each barn! Each of our cage free birds is allotted at least 324 sq. inches per bird. And because they’re free-roaming there’s no stacking and they can go anywhere in the barn they want. And now, onto the feed…Caged producers’ feed contains animal fat and by-products which is a very inexpensive (but gross) way to add fat and protein to the feed. They get the animal by-products fr
