All about Eggs

In New Zealand 920,000,000 eggs are eaten every year.  The eggs are mostly produced by caged hens (Caged 89%, Free range 9%, Barn 2%) Depending on the chicken the egg can be white or brown. (Brown hens make brown eggs and white hens make white eggs).

Caged hens usually have 6 hens per cage. Cages are on an angle so that the eggs will roll down onto a conveyor belt. There is a computer system that takes the eggs and prepares them to go into the carts. Caged hens normally lose their feathers. Caged hens can’t lay eggs when they don’t have feathers. In this case, farmers sometimes starve the hens to make them lay eggs (forced moulting). Caged hens cannot do the following: dust bath, flap their wings, nest or run around like normal hens.

Free range hens are able to run, flap their wings, perch and dust bath unlike the caged hens.

They feed on grass and chicken feed. With 11 square metres per chicken, they have space to run free they get good exercise. At night they don’t close the doors so they are able to go out in the morning. When they lay their eggs they are all hand picked and put into the cartons.

Barn hens are able to perch, nest and flap their wings. They don’t have space to run around.  They get feed on chicken feed. They live in a barn and don’t go out. The eggs are hand picked and put into cartons. They last 21 days unrefrigerated.