Caged eggs, come from chickens who are housed in small battery cages with no access to the outdoor environment. Most stores don't carry this type of egg, but look out for this, you do not want to support this type of egg production. These conditions are inhumane, only with the one goal of mass producing eggs, regardless of the hens well being. 

Then, there is cage-free. There is no clear definition that defines a "cage-free environment." But, the general definition, are hens that can more freely and have more space than caged hens do. They are able to practice natural behaviors like foraging, nesting, and roosting. Different programs have different guidelines as to how much space hens need to have each to be considered "cage-free," it ranges from 1 square foot each to 1.25 square feet each. As well as perches and nesting boxes, but not necessarily access to an outdoor area.

Yes, cage-free and free-range are different. Although, you may be thinking: "Well, what's the difference?" Or "And why exactly should I care?" So, here's our explanation. Free-range hens DO have access to an outdoor area, unlike their cage-free counterparts. However, there are not strict guidelines on how long they must be outside or the quality of the outdoor area itself. Free-range eggs are a good choice because hens are allowed to exhibit natural behavior in an outdoor environment and they (generally) have more space to roam.

Pasture raised hens live the way all hens should live. They have large green pastures to roam and exhibit natural behaviors like dust bathing, scratching, pecking, nesting, and roosting. They must have access to a vegetation covered pasture, around 4 square feet of space each outside and around 1.8 square feet of space in the indoor area. They also are required to be able to use perches and nesting boxes. Supporting this type of hen raising is the best you can do. These hens have a good life where they get to roam and do as they please unlike caged hens who spend much of their time in tiny wire cages. It is worth looking for!