Free-range eggs

Do you eat free-range eggs? "What are they?", you might ask.

First, think about the meanings of "free". I guess you could be thinking "free = no money". But usually, that meaning of "free" wouldn't become a two part adjective.

These eggs are 100yen, but those ones are free.
The free eggs were laid today, but they are too small to sell.
I got some eggs for free.

Another meaning is "free = not". That patter is noun + free. It means that thing is not there.

fat free yogurt = yogurt with no fat in it
stress free = having no stress

But for my eggs, you should think about the meaning "free = independent/wild/not in a cage".
"range" means "walk around a large area"

In Japanese? 　放し飼いの鶏の卵

These eggs taste wonderful. I get them from the small farmer's shop near my house. From memory, I think they are 210yen for six. They taste so good that I can't eat any other eggs nowadays. Anyway, I think keeping chickens in tiny cages is horrible and cruel, so I refuse to eat regular eggs.


The picture of the chickens is from another place that sells eggs. Those ones are also nice but more expensive and the shop is a little far.

By the way, the verb for mother creatures -
birds, reptiles (snakes, lizards, turtles), frogs, insects, etc  -
giving "birth" to eggs is "lay".

lay --> laid

The butterfly laid her eggs on the leaf.
My chickens lay about 20 eggs every day.