I hate the thought that the chickens and eggs I eat have been badly raised or mistreated. Where can I be sure all are well regulated? What labels can I trust?
As a very small boy I was once chased by a farmyard cockerel and ever since I have had a phobia of hens. Some may say that that is irrational; all I can say is that being near a hen fills me with alarm.
I echo andy-hughs. Buy them from a local farmer (in my case just across the road) or, if you have enough room buy a couple of hens. I used to have hens and ducks in France - they ranged freely and I had one heck of a job keeping them off my veg. patch! Nothing like free-range local eggs from hens you can see. There must be someone near you who keeps hens, surely.