Why so Many Kinds of Eggs in Stores, and How are they Different?

The basic answer to your question is because we are all different, and different people have different preferences. Some choose an egg for its value, some for nutritional enhancements, others for the way the birds are raised, and still others for the feed the birds eat. Whatever your choice, we respect it and are pleased you choose to purchase eggs produced by Oakdell Egg Farms.

You first may want to know that an egg can be either brown or white. Based on color alone, there is no nutritional difference in the eggs, but the type of feed and the way the birds are raised can make a difference. Brown birds produce brown eggs and white birds produce white eggs. Brown birds are a more calm and gentle bird and typically do better outside of cages than white birds.

Ordinary White

Produced by white chickens fed the most common feed produced under commercial agricultural standards. The birds in this environment have 24 hour access to all the feed and water they want, and are protected from other birds or pests (raccoons, skunks, etc) that may try to harm them.

Nutritionally Enhanced Eggs (Example: Oakdell’s Omega-3 Brown Eggs)

Produced by birds fed special diets to increase certain nutritional components of the egg. For example, Oakdell adds extra vitamin E and feeds flaxseed and marine algae to its brown birds to produce the Omega-3 Brown eggs. These eggs costs more to produce than ordinary eggs and are commonly produced by birds in cages, but can be cage-free as well.

Organic Eggs (Example: Oakdell’s Organic Cage-free Brown Eggs)

Produced from birds that meet the same requirements as Cage-free (see below), and they must only eat feed that is certified non-GMO, and has not had any commercial fertilizer or pesticides used to produce them. Oakdell is pleased to offer this egg in our own label, as well as under Costco's Kirkland Signature label in most of their Utah and Idaho stores. This is the most expensive egg to produce.

Cage-free Eggs

Produced from birds that do not live in cages. Depending on weather, Oakdell’s organic birds (see above) will have access to the outdoors. These birds typically eat the same feed as ordinary chickens. These eggs cost more to produce than ordinary eggs.

Free-range Eggs

Produced from birds that can spend most of their time outdoors. They can be fed organic feed, but can also forage the outdoors for their own feed.  This method of production poses the most challenges regarding food and bird safety because of the environment birds share with predators.