Egg farmers across the country follow feed regulations set by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Egg farmers also work with animal nutritionists to ensure hens receive a balanced diet of grains, protein, vitamins and minerals. Laying hens eat feed that is mostly made of grains such as wheat, corn, barley, rye and oats which provides mostly energy but also some protien, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Pulses (soybeans and peas) are also added to provide a more concentrated source of dieary protien while oilseeds (canola and flax) are added as sources of fat.
Some feeds used in Canada also contain a small amount of dried eggshell, meat and bone meal. These are nutritious sources of energy and protien but also of calcium and phosphorous that help maintain strong bones and support daily eggshell formation.
Do egg farmers use hormones and antibiotics?
In Canada, no chickens are ever given hormones, regardless of the type of farm they live on. In fact, ALL eggs sold in Canada are antibiotic and hormone-free. Antibiotics can be used to help prevent pain and suffering in animals when they have infections. However, Canada has strict regulations to ensure that antibiotics have cleared an animal’s system before any product from the animal is sold as food. When laying hens are given antibiotics, their eggs are thrown away until antibiotics can no longer be detected.
Do you know why some eggs have different coloured yolks? The type of food a hen eats changes the colour of the yolk of the egg she produces. A hen that eats a wheat-based diet (more common in Western Canada) produces a pale yellow yolk,
while a hen who eats a corn (more commonly fed in Ontario) or alfalfa-based diet produces a yolk that is dark yellow.