Barn Eggs

Barn eggs are laid by hens who are confined indoors and never go outside. The standards are set by the government department Defra, with input from the very industry that profits from low standards. It is a direct marketing response to consumers boycotting eggs from caged hens, but in reality it is a very small step forward  for hen welfare and just dresses up the same industrial system.

In the UK, the law allows a maximum floor stocking density of 16.5 birds per m2, two  pieces of enrichment per 1,000 birds, and a maximum colony size of 6,000 birds. In reality, this means each bird gets about the floor space of an A4 sheet of paper. That’s it. And two “enrichments” per 1000 birds, could mean two plastic bottles tied to a piece of string. No joke.

No room to stretch their wings properly.
No space to get away from other birds.
No space to rest without being stepped on or pecked.

So when you see “barn eggs” or read “airy barn” or “free to move around,” picture 16 or 17 birds crammed into the space of a small dining table for their whole lives. That’s what the law allows.

The term “barn eggs” is also used to describe free-range eggs, when there is a bird flu housing order and the birds are all kept indoors. But even free-range farms are not up to scratch.²