Quote:
Originally Posted by Newvilla
(Post 2091853)
Remember: Eggs were probably underpriced for years. Until the last two years, eggs were around a dollar a dozen. Egg producers weren’t making much.
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Factory farm eggs were dirt-cheap for years because they had fewer regulations. Stricter standards of care of the hens have resulted in fewer hens per square foot, which results in fewer eggs, which results in higher prices.
It's still not even almost humane - the conditions are horrific. Even "cage free" chickens typically have their beaks cut off so they can't peck at each other in their coops, and they're typically hundreds of chickens in a single coop, trampling each other for space, with fecal waste all over each other because they have no way to turn or move, even when they're not in actual cages. These "cage-free" hens rarely ever see daylight.
Hens fed a "strictly vegetarian diet" means they are not or pasture-raised. Hens are not vegetarians. They're omnivores. They eat worms and bugs and insects - and yes, grain as well. But mostly worms, bugs, and insects. A vegetarian-raised hen is being force-fed exclusively grain to keep them fat and produce fattier denser egg yolks. It is unhealthy for the hen, but who cares if they can sell a dozen eggs for under $2.
That's why I don't mind paying a premium for eggs. Pasture-raised hens who are allowed to eat whatever crawls around in the yard, are hens that are roaming free, without their beaks sawed off, with safe, clean nesting areas where they can lay, and fencing around their designated "home" to deter coyotes and other prey animals. They have a coop, but they don't live their entire lives isolated within them.
They are fed better, which means their eggs are healthier, with better nutrients, make much tastier omelets, and produce much better baked goods.
Sure they're $5 a dozen but they're absolutely worth the extra price, if you're a baker.
