Free Range Chicken Eggs

“Free Range.”

You might come across this term when you’re grocery shopping for meat, particularly poultry, and eggs, but what exactly does it mean?

The term “free range” in terms of livestock means that the livestock is kept in natural conditions and are given the freedom to roam.

Why is buying “free range” better?

Other than free range chickens being free to roam, as opposed to caged chickens, free range chickens are often hormone and antibiotic free. According to a study done by Mother Earth News, comparing free range eggs to the U.S. Department of Agriculture nutritional data for commercial eggs, free range eggs were found to have:

• 1/3 less cholesterol
• 1/4 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

Why are free range eggs brown?

Don’t let the color scare you! Chicken eggs can come in an array of colors: white, brown, tan, even ones with a blueish hue. This all depends on the chicken and the chicken’s diet. Brown eggs are often more expensive than white eggs because they’re larger.

So give it a try and go free range!

Here are a list of free range chicken eggs: