Love hens? Enjoy eggs?

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Your choice makes a difference to the lives of millions of hens

All egg boxes are labelled with how the hens were farmed. Make sure you check the box carefully, and don't buy eggs marked with 'Eggs from caged hens'.

 

Freedom Food egg boxes © RSPCA

Always choose eggs labelled:     

  • Freedom Food
  • Free-range
  • Organic
  • Barn

 

Freedom Food egg sandwiches © RSPCA

Don't forget egg ingredients, such as:

  • quiche
  • sandwiches
  • mayonnaise
  • cakes
  • pasta

> > Download your guide to choosing cage-free eggs (2.81MB PDF) < <

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1 January 2012 marked an important day for egg-laying hens across Europe. After years of waiting, an EU ban on conventional barren battery cages came into force.
 

So does this mean that every egg we will now buy is cage-free?


Absolutely not. While the ban outlaws ‘conventional’ battery cages, it still allows so-called ‘enriched’ battery cages. These cages give hens a nesting, scratching and perching area and a little bit more usable space, but still amounting to no more than an A4 sheet of paper per bird. This is why it's important to choose cage-free eggs.


So always check the packaging to be sure what you're buying contains cage-free eggs and if you are not sure - ask.

Hettie the hen

Watch the animation as Hettie the hen tells it how it is!

When you've heard what she has to say, you will definitely think twice about your choice of eggs.

 

See more of our campaigns.

Cage-free pancake idea 

Rhubarb pancake

Check out the delicious recipe for rhubarb and ginger pancakes on the Freedom Food website.

  • Laying hens Free-range laying hen © Andrew Forsyth/RSPCA Photolibrary

    Find out all about laying hens and our work to give as many hens as possible a better life.

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