Egg and Chicken Terms

"Free-range" 
"Cage-free"
"Omega-3 Enriched"

What does it all mean?

Let me take a few minutes to break down all these confusing terms according to the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension office.  Be careful, sometimes you may be paying extra for nothing!

Cage-free - Hens are raised in an enclosed structure with unlimited access to food and water.  They are NOT required to have access to the outdoors.

Free-Range - Hens are cage free with continuous access to the outdoors during their laying cycle.

Vitamin Enhanced - Hens are given a special diet that helps them produce eggs with a higher vitamin content (e.g. Vitamin E)

Omega-3 Enriched - Hens are fed a diet that includes flaxseed, algae or fish oils to increase the Omega-3 fatty acid content of the eggs.

USDA Organic - Certified organic eggs are from uncaged hens that have free range of their houses and access to outdoor spaces.  They are also fed an organic diet.

100% or All-Natural - Only means nothing was added to the egg (coloring, flavoring).  Does NOT indicate how the chicken was raised.

No Added Hormones - No eggs have added hormones, regardless of what the package says, because the use of hormones is NOT allowed in hog or poultry production.  If you see "No added hormones" on a package, it must be followed by the statement:  "Federal regulations prohibit the use of Hormones."

​No Antibiotics - Hens are raised without any antibiotics of any type.