About Burnbrae Farms Organic Eggs

It’s no secret that organic food has become increasingly popular over the years. We’re committed to providing choice to our customers, and our Naturegg Organic eggs are just one of many products we offer. We often get a lot of questions about organic eggs and how they’re produced, so we’d like to share some more details in this article.

All eggs are wholesome and nutritious, and organic eggs are too. Like many other eggs, organic eggs are an excellent source of protein, each 53g egg is a source of 13 vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B12 and selenium. Organic eggs are unique in that they are only produced by free range birds. These birds have access to the outdoors (weather permitting) and live in open concept barns with room to explore as well as nesting boxes to lay eggs.

Do hens like going outside?

Although they have access to the outdoors, most prefer the inside comfort and safety of the barn. This is also true in the summertime, as the barn interiors are kept cool. Hens prefer the barn interior where they will find their feed, water, and nesting boxes. Mike Petrik "the Chicken Vet", shares his perspective on why hens prefer to stay indoors.

Free-range hens are free to move as they please, but this actually exposes them – and their farmers – to a number of risks. Predators, weather, feed and nutrition, water quality and quantity, disease control, egg quality and egg collection can be more difficult and labour-intensive to manage compared to other hen-housing systems.

Are hens fed an organic diet?

Yes, they are. Our hens are fed a multi-grain feed that is manufactured specifically for organic egg production. Dr. Dave, our poultry nutritionist, explains:

“Organic feeds are manufactured from ingredients that comply with Canadian Food Inspection Agency regulations and Canadian Organic Standards. Grains and protein ingredients added to feed must have been grown without pesticides, and not have been genetically modified or engineered (non-GMO). Also, organic feeds for hens never contain medications.”

It’s worth noting, as Dr. Dave does, “that organic feed ingredients like corn, wheat, and soybeans are difficult to source, so their quality over time may be inconsistent. That is why a lot of attention must be taken to ensure that the organic feed always has sufficient nutrition for the hen.”

Organic feed has some similarities with non-organic feed. For example, both organic and non-organic feed must be properly nutritionally-fortified to ensure that hens consume enough nutrients to achieve excellent health and egg production.

Are our organic eggs certified by a third party?

Yes, they are. To be labeled organic, food must have been produced by farmers who are certified as organic producers and follow the ‘Organic Production Systems, General Principles and Management Standards’ developed by the Canadian General Standards Board.

The majority of the organic eggs that we sell are produced by local farmers, like the DeBoer family, who manage a flock of 7,400 organic, free range hens.

You can be assured that when the Canda Organic Logo is present on a carton of organic eggs, you can trust that they came from farmers like the DeBoer family. Also, all Naturegg Organic eggs are packed in recyclable post-consumer plastic cartons and are recyclable where facilities exist.

We hope this has given you a better idea of what goes into organic egg production – if you’d like to learn more, we encourage you to check out a Virtual Farm Tour of the DeBoer family farm for more details here , and feel free to leave a comment or question!