What If Chickens Are Vegetarians?

Are chickens vegetarian? Read more to find out what I believe.

Labels always seem so proud…

Egg cartons that boast that their eggs come from chickens that are fed an “all-natural vegetarian” diet.

Isn’t that a pretty reasonable deal? There are a lot of “iffy” things happening in the food industry right now, so reading labels is always a smart idea.

My local health food store always has labels on eggs that make me shudder…

Chickens are definitely not vegetarians if you’ve ever seen them scratch and peck in your yard.

Free-range chickens eat a variety of food, including moths, grasshoppers, grubs, larvae, worms, and even mice and frogs. A pleasant pastime, this dish contains protein.

The fact that Harvey Ussery raises insects for her flock makes her a very special person to me. The Small Scale Poultry Flock (affiliate link) describes how he raises soldier grubs as the flock’s main protein source. I think this is a great idea, but I’m not sure if I could implement it myself. 😉

Chickens are omnivores by nature, so how did vegetarian chickens become popular?

The stories behind the labels

People used to feed processed feed to animals raised in commercial operations until they became aware of it.

Initially, it doesn’t seem too problematic. Animal by-products are gross when you realize what they are.

Blood, meat from the same species, feathers, rendered roadkill, and euthanized dogs and cats are all examples of “animal by-products” that appear in animal feeds. (1)

This practice not only offends my common sense, but it could also cause bovine spongiform encephalopathy, which is also known as “Mad Cow Disease (2).” This is a very serious issue. Cows aren’t designed to eat other cows. Pets aren’t either. Cows eat grass.

As laws changed, producers and consumers became more aware of what animals were eating. Eggs from chickens fed a vegetarian diet would generally be preferred to eggs from chickens fed slaughterhouse waste (or something similar).

They aren’t to blame either. However…

What Does It Mean to Be Natural?

Animal by-products were not used to raise eggs labeled “vegetarian.” Organic eggs must also be produced by chickens fed vegetarian diets consisting of certified organic grains (3).

A vegetarian egg is probably produced by chickens that aren’t allowed to roam freely since a chicken in its natural habitat can’t be a vegetarian. As a result, real “free-range” chicken diets are bound to contain all sorts of creepy crawlies.

However, that label does not necessarily indicate that commercially-raised chickens on vegetarian diets are better off than their commercially-raised counterparts. A chicken’s diet should consist of meat bits and insects according to nature.

It isn’t all it seems when it comes to egg labeling… “Cage-free eggs”, for instance, sound good until you realize they are free to roam around in crowded coops. There are not all of them who have access to the outside or run around eating grasshoppers in lush green pastures.

In general, pasture-raised chickens are healthier.

This post explores the world of confusing egg labels from The Rising Spoon.

An Egg-Lover’s Duty: What Should He Do?

Consider these alternatives to those “vegetarian” eggs:

1. Raise your own chickens.

A growing number of Americans are keeping chickens in their backyards. Chickens are fed a custom mixed ration that is GMO-free (get the recipe in my Organic Homestead ebook! ), as well as grass, weeds, bugs, worms, and whatever else they enjoy. Sometimes they are given meat scraps and fat. (I only feed them beef, pork, or fish.)

2. Buy eggs from a friend or farmer

Most likely, you have a friend who raises chickens. If your friends still haven’t jumped on the chicken bandwagon, perhaps you can find a farmer’s market or a family that sells eggs. The most knowledgeable farmers will tell you how and what they feed their chickens.

3. Buy pastured eggs.

Rather than purchasing local chicken, look for pastured eggs. Since labels don’t always mean what they say, there are no rules for the term “pastured.” In general, pastured eggs come from birds that graze on grass and whatever bugs are hanging out there. This is a very positive thing.

However. Chickens are omnivores and like crunchy bugs, whereas cows are herbivores. Try it. 😉

The following does not apply to human vegetarian diets, only to chicken vegetarian diets. This is not my intention. 😉

Justin Rhodes did a YouTube video inspired by this post! Check it out—>