A brand committed for animal welfare
Consumers today are looking for healthier, more natural food that is farmed in a way that is more respectful of animals and the environment.
In response to this concern for animal welfare and the need to protect laying hens, the Cocotine brand is transitioning to alternatively farmed (cage-free) eggs. Our “animal welfare cage-free” range is one step in that transition, positioned between standard cage-free eggs and free-range eggs.
Learn about the concrete actions our farmers are taking to improve their livestock’s living conditions by converting their buildings with cages into cage-free facilities with winter gardens. Over and above compliance with quality standards, our co-operative is driven by our mission of “feeding humankind well”.
Our commitment to alternative farming methods
Cocotine has made a commitment to stop cage egg farming. Chicken welfare involves considering the needs of laying hens and improving farming conditions.
Egg labelling
French regulations require that each egg be marked with a number from 0 to 3 (the first number printed on the eggshell). That code refers to the type of farm where the egg was produced and is followed by two letters indicating the country where it was laid (FR for France):
- Code 3 means caged farming, which accounts for a sizeable proportion of the eggs produced in France. The chickens live in cages, in groups of 12 to 60, where they have a nest, perches and an area for pecking and scratching).
- Code 2 eggs are laid by hens housed in buildings without cages. The birds can move freely around the space but have no access to the outdoors.
- Code 1 means free-range farming. The hens have access to an outdoor chicken run during the day.
- Code 0 eggs are organically farmed. The chickens are given organic feed and have access to the outdoors with vegetation. Indoors, nests and perches are available to them.
“Animal welfare cage-free” eggs
By creating an “animal welfare cage-free” range, Cocotine has gone a step further in tending to the welfare of laying hens and improving their living conditions.
The fact is that chickens have a need to explore, peck, perch, scratch the ground and interact with their fellow birds. They also require dry, flaky litter to care for their plumage. “Animal welfare cage-free” farms have an area next to the chicken coop with natural daylight and open space, called a winter garden. This environment is rich in stimulation, encourages the birds to engage in natural behaviour and guarantees good housing conditions for the laying hens.
Our “animal welfare cage-free” farmers
The Cocotine brand represents more than 230 co-op farmers who are committed to producing high-quality French eggs. Because they are in daily contact with their livestock, our farmers want to take concrete action for their welfare and so are gradually converting their buildings with cages to cage-free farming with winter gardens. In this way, they are able to send alternatively farmed fresh and extra-fresh eggs to our processing plants.