Organic eggs: what makes them different

Choosing eggs can be confusing, with labels like free-range, barn, caged and organic all promising different things. Organic eggs come from hens raised to the highest welfare and environmental standards in the UK. These standards shape every part of a hen’s life – from the size of the flock and the space they have outdoors, to what they are fed and how they are cared for.

This article sets out how organic eggs differ from other types of eggs, and why choosing organic can help drive change for farm animals, people and the planet.

Smaller flocks

The maximum size for a flock of chickens under organic standards is 3,000 hens.

In comparison, RSPCA Assured's free-range standards set a maximum flock size of 16,000 hens.

In intensive caged systems, there is no maximum, with some flock sizes reaching 100,000 chickens.

Having fewer birds encourages more use of the birds' outdoor range. It makes it easier to take care of animals on an individual level, ensuring the birds are kept to the highest standards of welfare.

Truly free-range with access to the outdoors

Organic chickens must have continuous and easy daytime access to an outdoor range covered with suitable vegetation. However, there are exceptions in specific circumstances, including:

• adverse weather conditions, and
• mandatory housing orders during disease outbreaks, such as avian influenza

In general, a smaller proportion of birds tend to go outside when kept in larger flocks. Organic farms certified by the Soil Association have to provide more pop holes (exits from the hen house) than free-range farms do. This is to encourage chickens to get out onto their range as much as possible.

Range size and quality

Soil Association organic standards also require that laying hens have access to a much larger outdoor range than EU organic standards and free-range standards.

This means, under Soil Association standards, each hen is allowed a minimum of 10 square metres of space outside, compared to 4 square metres for hens reared to EU organic and free-range standards.

Chickens get outside at a younger age

Another way that Soil Association organic standards differ from any other type of laying hen system, is that certified farmers must give hens access to the outdoors at 12 weeks. This is a much younger age than free-range systems.

Hens are initially fearful of new environments, such as the outdoor range. By giving them access from an early age, farmers encourage a more free-range life for the hens.

The range itself must be rested for at least 9 months between flocks to allow vegetation to grow back and prevent the build-up of disease in the soil. In contrast, the range in free-range farms only needs to be rested for 2 months. 

Higher standards of animal welfare

Beak trimming is banned under Soil Association's organic standards. It's a mutilation that can be painful, stressful and also prevents the hens from expressing their natural behaviour by foraging.

The practise is routinely performed on laying hens in the UK (including EU organic and free-range systems) to reduce the damage birds can cause to each other through feather pecking.

However, it does not prevent the underlying cause of the behavioural problem, which is often caused by overcrowding and lack of stimulation. We believe feather pecking can be solved by improving welfare standards. This means providing hens with stimulating environments, plenty of space, and allowing birds to satisfy their natural behavioural needs, like foraging and dust-bathing.

No routine use of antibiotics

The routine use of antibiotics is banned by organic standards. This regular, preventative use of antibiotics in intensive farming (treating animals with antibiotics before they get sick) is increasing the risk of antibiotic resistance. This undermines our ability to help treat infection and disease.

Under organic standards, antibiotics can only be used to treat animals if they do get ill. Because of the lower stocking densities and higher animal welfare, organic animals need antibiotics far less frequently than non-organic and free-range livestock.

Genetically modified free diet

In the UK alone, over one million tonnes of genetically modified (GM) crops are used to feed animals. This is banned by organic standards and organic birds are not fed on GM grain or feed (which is common in free-range and non-organic hens). Outdoor foraging also means that organic chickens get to eat a variety of plants, grubs and insects, which adds variety to their diet and helps keep them healthy.

Standards for Soil Association certified organic laying hens have been given the gold standard by Compassion in World Farming (CIWF). This is the highest of any farming system in the UK. Next time you shop, look for the organic symbol to make sure you're opting for higher welfare products and helping to make a big difference for farm animals.