Hens who live on commercial chicken farms typically spend their entire life in an indoor cage. Animal rights activists have long decried the animal welfare issues involved with caged chickens. Egg-laying hens who live in cages are unable to move about and are prone to developing skeletal problems. There are also environmental problems related to large-scale chicken frames, due in large part to the large quantities of manure produced by the birds.
According to U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations, a free-range chicken is one that is give access to the outdoors. Many people value free-range chickens and the eggs they produce because they are healthier and cause fewer environmental problems.
According to the National Geographic, studies have found that free-range eggs contain on average higher levels of vitamins A and E, beta-carotene and omega-3 fatty acids. Read more about cage vs. free-range eggs on the National Geographic website.
