Hello everyone just out of curiosity here what kind of eggs does ozbargainers buy?
For me i always go for free range. Although it is dearer than caged eggs, i always support free range.
Over 90% of the eggs sold in Australia are caged.
In Australia, caged eggs come from the 10.5 million caged hens in battery farms.
I've given up on eggs until I can see the hens myself. The so-called free-range eggs they sell in the supermarkets are a sham.
Free range. I don't buy eggs often enough for it to make too big a difference, but I'm a weirdo who doesn't eat red meat either, so who knows? I certainly don't hold it against anyone who buys caged eggs because they can't afford otherwise.
Homebrand caged eggs because they're cheap. You don't really have a choice if you're on Centrelink…
have you thought about keeping your own chickens?
Do you have a back yard?
another interesting point is that moving from caged to free range takes more land which then hurts local wildlife
I pledge to always get the free range eggs given they are offered without range.
Free range chickens still technically live in a cage, no? And how would you know if those cages are "RSPCA-approved" number-wise and living conditions.
But I for one wouldn't pay 30% more for something that tastes the same. Anyone able to taste the difference between cage vs. free range?
Theres a huge difference between being stuck a small cage all the chickens life, compared to even being allowed to roam in an over-density paddock.
By that logic, you could say all cows or sheep live in a cage…
They do, but that is generally at night so that they don't get attacked by wildlife.
If the day is spent being able to roam around a paddock freely and then brought in at night I see that being far more humane than never being able to leave a cage from birth.
Stop lying to yourself, caged eggs and free range are the same thing.. you're just paying more for a different packaging.
Evidence?
I find that there is no taste difference at all….I also find the big 2 also profiteer and take advantage of peoples thinking they are doing the "right" thing buying free range…$5-$9 for a dozen of eggs…Seriously?
There is a definite taste difference - at least for caged vs pet chicken
We ran blind taste tests at home on several occassions before swapping over permanently.
I have had a child on the Autism spectrum blunty refuse pet chook eggs as they tasted "bad" and were the "wrong colour" - he had grown up on cage eggs.
Oh great. Now we'll have people claiming autism is caused by backyard chicken eggs! :-)
Only if the chickens have been immunised
@airzone: Chickens are vaccinated against certain diseases (like every other farmed animals, including salmon!). http://www.farmerswarehouse.com.au/vaccination-programs-for-…
Wow, 90% caged? I had no idea. I guess many of those are restaurants etc.
Where i love (northern Sydney) i was at woolworths yesterday and in the egg section, i had a look and i didnt see any caged eggs for sale, though i didnt spend ages looking. I was have bought them once or twice many many years ago, but i would never even consider it now.
I guess there is a level of geography/socioeconomics to it too.
I live in a semi rural area and one of my colleagues owns a free range egg farm where the chickens literally have huge paddocks to enjoy, and at night each paddock has a caravan where they are secure from foxes. Every egg is large and a double yolker.
I get the Coles jumbo sized free range dozen.
I have my own chickens but I buy free range if I need extras.
Free range!
The cheapest…which most of the time are caged eggs.
Most of the time?
Let me know when free ranged are cheaper!
I get it straight from the source, well sort of, from a egg farm. Those jumbo eggs are huge, I feel sorry for the chickens that have to lay them lol.
Anyone tried duck eggs? Been told it's nice and good for you?
Love duck eggs, goose eggs are yummy also.
Stick to the goose eggs.
I buy cageless eggs, can't afford free range.
How much extra do you think it costs?
Would you pay extra, if it's a small amount?
I remember 'the checkout' in ABC doing a piece on eggs and the different classifications. The point I found most interesting was that Australia could not support the current amount of egg consumption if all eggs were 'free range' (even the most conservative definition of this from memory)
How on earth do they come to that conclusion. Even with the most strict free range guidelines, its still 1000s of chickens per acre. Its not like we have a shortage of land or anything LOL
Unfertilised
I buy free range only from Eco Eggs or Veggs, as they have a chicken camera, or from the market near me. I never buy from brand that produce cage and free range, as I think they're not trustworthy. The checkout did a great bit last season about the transparency of egg brands. I stopped buying one of the brands because of it.
we buy caged egg because thats what i can afford but once i bought free range and honestly it was lot better than caged ones…. went to again to buy again, got in trolley but had to put it back…. just couldn't afford it…
While egg consumption and cancer risk have not been studied as thoroughly as the consumption of meat and dairy products as they relate to cancer risk, there is still enough evidence to encourage dietary alternatives to both egg whites and egg yolks. The most convincing evidence points to egg consumption as increasing risk for colorectal cancer and bladder cancer.
A case-control study done in Argentina found that people consuming approximately 1 1/2 eggs per week had nearly 5 times the colorectal cancer risk compared with individuals consuming less than 11 eggs per year. And, the World Health Organization analyzed data from 34 countries and determined that egg consumption was significantly and positively correlated with mortality from colon and rectal cancers in both men and women. Moderate egg consumption also tripled the risk of developing bladder cancer as determined by a case-control study of 130 newly diagnosed bladder cancer patients published in the journal International Urology and Nephrology.
Eggs have zero dietary fiber, are devoid of cancer-fighting antioxidants, and about 60 percent of the calories in eggs are from fat—a big portion of which is saturated fat. They are also loaded with cholesterol—about 213 milligrams for an average-sized egg. Because egg shells are fragile and porous and conditions on egg farms are crowded, eggs are the perfect host for salmonella—the bacteria that is the leading cause of food poisoning.
Interesting. I have read plenty of material about eggs, the fat they contain and concerns about heart disease, but it's a first for me to read consumption may be related to increased risk of cancer. A few months ago TIME magazine had a front cover article with the heading "Eat Butter", then a lengthy prose about how fat is not the danger it was once made out to be. Sugar is.
I don't know what to think now. All bad things in moderation I guess. What happens if I eat my eggs on wholemeal toast with a side of green antioxidant rich vegetables?
All bad things in moderation I guess
All things in moderation. Too much of anything isn't good for you.. even if common sense and modern nutritional science says that XYZ is good, it doesn't mean you should eat it by the bucketloads.
the biggest concern nowadays is as Time as suggested, is sugar. Sugar is a simple carb, and much of the foods we eat in a modern (Western) diet is actually extremely carb rich.
If anyone is concerned about heart disease then they should get off the couch, stop eating crap and get some exercise and fresh air.
Proper "cardio" exercise is the cure folks…
Eggs have zero dietary fiber, and about 70 percent of their calories are from fat—a big portion of which is saturated. They are also loaded with cholesterol—about 213 milligrams for an average-sized egg. For reference, people with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or high cholesterol should consume fewer than 200 milligrams of cholesterol each day. (Uh oh.) And, humans have no biological need to consume any cholesterol at all; we make more than enough in our own bodies.
Why so much fat and cholesterol in such a tiny package? Think about it: eggs hold every piece of the puzzle needed to produce a new life. Within that shell lies the capacity to make feathers, eyes, a beak, a brain, a heart, and so on. It takes a lot of stuff to make such a complex being.
In addition to these excessive (for humans) natural components of an egg, other human-health hazards exist. Because eggshells are fragile and porous, and conditions on egg farms are crowded, eggs are the perfect host for salmonella—the leading cause of food poisoning in the U.S.
Those are some facts and figures. But how do eggs affect real people in real life? Luckily, researchers have conducted good studies to help answer that question.
Cancer
In a 1992 analysis of dietary habits, people who consumed just 1.5 eggs per week had nearly five times the risk for colon cancer, compared with those who consumed hardly any (fewer than 11 per year), according to the International Journal of Cancer. The World Health Organization analyzed data from 34 countries in 2003 and found that eating eggs is associated with death from colon and rectal cancers. And a 2011 study funded by the National Institutes of Health showed that eating eggs is linked to developing prostate cancer. By consuming 2.5 eggs per week, men increased their risk for a deadly form of prostate cancer by 81 percent, compared with men who consumed less than half an egg per week. Finally, even moderate egg consumption tripled the risk of developing bladder cancer, according to a 2005 study published in International Urology and Nephrology.
Diabetes
A review of fourteen studies published earlier this year in the journal Atherosclerosis showed that people who consumed the most eggs increased their risk for diabetes by 68 percent, compared with those who ate the fewest.
In a 2008 publication for the Physicians’ Health Study I, which included more than 21,000 participants, researchers found that those who consumed seven or more eggs per week had an almost 25 percent increased risk of death compared to those with the lowest egg consumption. The risk of death for participants with diabetes who ate seven or more eggs per week was twice as high as for those who consumed the least amount of eggs.
Egg consumption also increases the risk of gestational diabetes, according to two 2011 studies referenced in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Women who consumed the most eggs had a 77 percent increased risk of diabetes in one study and a 165 percent increased risk in the other, compared with those who consumed the least.
Heart Disease
Researchers published a blanket warning in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, informing readers that ceasing egg consumption after a heart attack would be “a necessary act, but late.” In the previously mentioned 14-study review, researchers found that people who consumed the most eggs increased their risk for cardiovascular disease by 19 percent, and if those people already had diabetes, the risk for developing heart disease jumped to 83 percent with increased egg consumption.
New research published this year has shown that a byproduct of choline, a component that is particularly high in eggs, increases one’s risk for a heart attack, stroke, and death.
Animal Protein
Inevitably, this discussion also leads to another question: “Even egg whites?” Yes, even egg whites are trouble. The reason most people purport to eat egg whites is also the reason they should be wary — egg whites are a very concentrated source of animal protein (remember, the raw material for all those yet-to-be-developed body parts?). Because most Westerners get far more protein than they need, adding a concentrated source of it to the diet can increase the risk for kidney disease, kidney stones, and some types of cancer.
By avoiding eggs and consuming more plant-based foods, you will not only decrease your intake of cholesterol, saturated fat, and animal protein, but also increase your intake of protective fiber, antioxidants, and phytochemicals. Be smart! Skip the eggs and enjoy better health!
Does egg still have the Heart Foundation Tick of Approval? Not sure what to get now.
Certified organic - you just don't know how 'free' the regular free range are these days…
Duck eggs.
:'(
Caged. Who cares about stupid chickens? I'd put you in a cage if you crapped out eggs daily. Animals are bred to be eaten. If the chickens took over, do you think they would want free range humans or the cheap stuff?
Human morality gradually improves over time.
Human sacrifice, genocide, cannibalism, infanticide, slavery and child labour are now known to be evil and basically illegal worldwide.
Institutional sexism, racism, child abuse, and animal cruelty are also on the retreat.
I wonder if chicken morality would also improve over time. Maybe!
There is no such thing as evil. Good and evil is in your head. There is only the person on the top and the rest getting rooted.
don't feed it….
haaa…ur stupendous comment made my day
Coles or Woolworths 'free range' eggs, where Colesworths defines free range as being 1m2 per hen, including outdoor roaming area. After watching The Checkout's story on free range egg farming I realise it's a lackluster certification at best but better than keeping hens in A4 size cages that are only opened twice: once to stick the animal in, the second to take the dead animal out.
We have pet chickens, so we mainly get nice fresh eggs. But occasionally we need to buy eggs and we always buy proper free range.
When you have pet chickens you realise that they aren't "stupid" - they are actually pretty smart and funny. And even the scientifically bred ones that are very calm and super egg layers (ISA Browns) have plenty of personality and a range of natural behaviours. This makes us very sad to imagine the life of caged layers who have no opportunity to express their natural behaviours, and unwilling to invest in the caged eggs system.
Have you seen the hens after they come out of their 18 month laying cycle?
They are in better condition than most backyard hens.
They are regularly rspca inspected and constantly cared by professional people who take very good care of them.
The pics you see on tv and in the press are not from Australian producers….
Just a beat up to get extra $$'s from suckers.
Sure. Spending your entire life in a cage is completely health and no un-natural or anything…
Always the cheapest. Not much different in flavor, and at the end of the day it's all I can afford.
Just wondering if anyone knows the best brand of free range eggs to buy at Coles that has the most humane treatment standards etc
I buy $2 / dozen eggs. if it free range, its good otherwise its good
Sounds like a win win
I got these eggs from iga last week. Cant remember the name as threw the box.
It costed me $8 for 20 eggs.
Every Egg had 2 yolks in it.
I think they are called GM eggs.
I buy eggs Benedict, from a restaurant, because f**k cooking.
I collect pigeon eggs from the nests they keep building behind my aircon unit… I suppose you could call them free range, but probably not chicken..
hahaha wow. you deserve a medal or something. very committed ozbargainer.
I have had emu eggs, those are huge! If pigeon tastes anything like quail eggs, then they should taste good :)
Free range at ALDI is about the price of caged eggs at Coles/Woolworths. Yet 80% of Australia shops at the more expensive store.
Aldi doesn't exist (yet) in SA, WA, NT, Tas. Nearest store is about 400km away.
Something for "free range" people to ponder…
Would it be worthwhile for sneaky entrepreneurs to create an extreme image of the mistreatment of livestock (hens) so that some people would then purchase eggs at 300% more than normal retail?
Would those entrepreneurs also substitute caged eggs that they purchased in bulk quantities from caged egg producers at wholesale prices? Surely not.. (lol)
I believe that one local caged producer near me processes over 600,000 eggs per day to meet a small portion of the daily market requirement. How do the "free range' buyers imagine that an equivalent production output from any free range producer could come within cooee of that output? The little ladies with their starched aprons and cane baskets would really have their work cut out skipping around that 50 acre paddock looking for all those googy eggs from those happy hens.
It's one big beat up and some smart operators are making VERY big bucks from the "free range" buyers who get a warm fuzzy feeling when they pick up a carton with "free range" printed on it and pay 3 times the price.
Who's fault is it? ?? ?? ?? The shifty operators or the suckers who fall for it.
There are no maids skipping around the fields collecting your happy eggs folks. Wake up.
Are you an idiot.
You clearly have no idea how the industry works. Free range means the ability to roam during the day. The chickens still lay their eggs in a roost. Are you seriously that stupid.
Large scale free range operations have just as high output as caged, it just has higher costs and requires more land.
Keeping ANY animal in a cage for their entire life is simply wrong no matter what stupid justifications you use.
Nice conspiracy theory without actually having any actual facts to back it up…
Free range and preferably from farmers markets. The size and flavours are head and shoulders above any caged eggs.
I laugh at people who say "I can't afford free range eggs". How sad. It's a few CENTS per egg for goodness sake. An attitude like that is no better than this lady http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2768442/It-s-not-e…
Those who have chickens to lay their eggs, is it worth the while or is it just a luxury pastime?
More a pleasurable pastime than a luxury one. Personally I think it's very worthwhile, as we really enjoy having them. We also grow lots of veggies so I guess are the type of folk who get a buzz from picking and eating their own produce (btw, we are city dwellers). From a purely economic perspective I'm not sure that you'd come out ahead having your own backyard chickens. But I don't know anyone who has chickens and doesn't enjoy it…..chickens have much bigger personalities than you might expect!
I usually buy barn eggs. Best of both worlds - the conditions are much better than cages and the eggs are not too expensive.
Get your own chooks win win
Always buy free range.
I like Manning Valley just because they went to the effort of setting up a webcam to view the chickens.
"The site is offlime for maintanence at the moment." manning valley
Hope the cunning foxes are not attacking.
Still offline after 2 days. Does the webcam ever work?
The cheapest
does everyone who buys free range eggs also buy free range meat?
No.
But if some people buy free range eggs, and some people buy free range bacon, then at least some chickens and some pigs are better off.
I buy caged eggs from the local Asian market. $3.29 for a carton of 700g eggs. I believe the whole free range thing is just a marketing scam. Yes some people care about where the chooks come from and how they're treated, but at the end of the day cost of living is more important to me.
I wouldn't mind keeping chickens as pets to gather freshly laid eggs..
but then I'll have to stop eating chickens. cause I wouldn't want to eat my pets.
cant live without chickens, so I'll just keep buying free range eggs from the local farm.
I understand some people have to opt for caged but I am surprised at the numbers from the poll.
Personally I buy 70% organic i.e. when there is a good deal to be had & then free range the rest.
This is an interesting clip on our poor chickens, which incidentally Samsara is a great movie. Best with sound.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjhpQhNq9rk
The cheapest ones available….usually, it's either from Aldi or Costco. The caged/barned ones are in the 23-25 cents a piece range. I can't afford anything more expensive.
I have my own chickens so have fresh eggs everyday.
Caged. I guess there is a line that has to be drawn on how much pain can be inflicted on animals for profit/consumerism but buying caged eggs certainly doesn't cross that line for me. I've owned chickens before and I could never taste the difference between them and caged eggs. They had my whole back yard, feed when they wanted, security, etc.