What is Pasture-Raised?
Pasture-raised eggs come from hens that get access to outdoor pasture, sunlight, grass, insects, and natural foraging. It is the highest standards of egg production and animal welfare.
To understand why pasture-raised is different, let’s compare it with other common egg production systems.
Types of Egg Production Systems
1. Caged Eggs
- Indoor Space
- Outdoor access
- Naturally Enriched from Pasture Foraging
Hens are kept inside small cages their entire lives with very limited movement. This is one of the lowest welfare systems of egg production and majority of the eggs in India are produced this way.
2. Cage-Free Eggs
- Indoor Space
- Outdoor access
- Naturally Enriched from Pasture Foraging
Hens are not kept in cages. They can move inside a barn or shed. They do not get access to the outdoor and often cramped in small sheds.
3. Free-Range Eggs
- Indoor Space
- Outdoor access
- Naturally Enriched from Pasture Foraging
Free-range hens get outdoor access, but the outdoor space is limited.
Generally, they get 2 sq. ft. of outdoor space. When many hens use a small outdoor area, the land can quickly become bare, dirty and overused.
4. Pasture-Raised Eggs
- Indoor Space
- Outdoor access
- Naturally Enriched from Pasture Foraging
Pasture-raised hens get much more outdoor space. Hens must have 108 sq. ft. of outdoor space per hen.
Pasture Rotation – The land is divided into sections and hens are regularly rotated. This allows the pasture to regenerate and helps hens get access to daily fresh grass, plants, insects and natural food.
This diverse natural diet results in naturally enriched egg with better nutrition compared to other eggs.
Understand Nutrition in Pasture-Raised Eggs
Are pasture-raised eggs more nutritious than other eggs?
This is what makes Pasture-Raised one of the highest standards of egg production.
Our actual farm photo
Fresh pasture on the left. Used-up pasture on the right.
Both started the same. But real pasture access means hens actually forage and consume the land. Once a section is used up, we rest it for regeneration and move the hens to fresh pasture.
Other Brands | ||||
Pasture-Raised | Free Range | Cage-Free | Caged | |
Indoor Space | ||||
Outdoor Access | ||||
Naturally Enriched Eggs from Pasture Foraging | ||||
Understanding the Space Difference: Pasture-Raised vs Free Range
The difference is not small. It is MASSIVE.
Pasture-Raised | Free Range |
108 sqft per hen | 2 sqft per hen |
1 acre of land can hold just 400 hens. | 1 acre of land holds 21,780 hens!!! |
162 – A4 sheets for one hen | 3 – A4 sheets for one hen |
Pasture-Raised gives 54 times more space than Free-Range.
Our Pasture-Raised claim is not just a promise. It is independently certified by Humane Farm Animal Care, USA, under the Certified Humane® Pasture-Raised standards.
Understand PASTURE-RAISED CERTIFICATION
However, Pasture-Raised standards focus on animal welfare and pasture access. While this supports better natural nutrition in an egg, it does not primarily address the purity of the egg. This is where ORGANIC standards become important.