In recent years, corn & soy-free has become a major buzzword in the food world—especially when it comes to eggs and chicken. Many families associate these labels with cleaner, healthier, and more natural food choices, and those concerns deserve respect.
This past week, social media attention turned toward a large egg company, Vital Farms, with criticism surrounding how their hens are housed and fed. While the conversation began around whether their eggs are truly pasture-raised, much of the public focus quickly shifted toward one issue in particular: corn and soy in chicken feed.
At the same time, another concern has entered the discussion—linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid commonly found in plant-based foods like soybeans and corn.
Today, we want to step away from the noise and take a closer look at what poultry nutrition science actually says, and why the reality is more nuanced than social media headlines often suggest.
Important note: We are not defending or condemning any specific brand. Every consumer has the right to choose the food that aligns with their values. Our goal is simply to share context and science that often gets left out of the conversation.
Why Corn and Soy Were Fed to Chickens in the First Place
Chickens are naturally jungle fowl. Long before industrial farming existed, chickens foraged for insects, seeds, grasses, and leftover grains. As poultry production began to expand in the early to mid-1900s, farmers and researchers asked a practical question:
"What feed ingredients most reliably support chicken health, egg production, and growth year-round?"
Corn: A Consistent Energy Source
Corn became widely used because it is:
- Highly digestible for poultry
- Energy-dense (essential for laying hens and growing birds)
- Consistent in quality
Corn provides the calories chickens need to maintain body weight, regulate temperature, and sustain consistent egg production.
Soybeans: Protein and Essential Amino Acids
As poultry science advanced, researchers learned that chickens require specific amino acids—like lysine and methionine—that they cannot produce on their own.
Soybeans stood out because they provide:
- High-quality plant protein
- An amino acid profile well-matched to poultry needs
- Efficient digestibility when properly processed
So Where Did the Fear of Corn & Soy Come From?
The push against corn and soy did not originate from poultry nutrition research. It largely grew out of:
- Human diet trends (Paleo, Whole30, anti-soy messaging)
- GMO and chemical-use concerns
- Industrial monocropping practices
- Fear of “processed” ingredients
These are all completely valid concerns consumers should have. However, over time, these concerns were broadly applied to animal feed—often without distinguishing between:
- Raw vs. properly processed soybeans
- Chemically treated vs. cleanly grown crops
- Human digestion vs. poultry digestion
Linoleic Acid: What It Is—and What It Isn’t
Linoleic acid is an omega-6 fatty acid found naturally in many foods, including:
- Nuts and seeds
- Vegetable oils
- Corn and soybeans
Here’s an important but often overlooked fact:
A balanced amount of linoleic acid is considered an essential fatty acid for poultry.
Decades of research show that linoleic acid is required for:
- Normal egg size and egg weight
- Optimal egg production
- Reproductive performance
A classic review in Poultry Science demonstrated that diets deficient in linoleic acid resulted in reduced egg weight and production, while adequate levels supported healthy laying performance.
But of course, too much linoleic acid is bad - which is why balance is key.
Do Corn and Soybeans Automatically Create “High-Linoleic” Eggs?
No—and this is where the conversation often loses accuracy.
Egg Fatty Acids Reflect the Type of Fat, Not Just the Ingredient Name
Research consistently shows that egg yolk fatty acid profiles reflect the fats included in the diet, not simply whether corn or soy are present.
A study published in Poultry Science found that when laying hens were fed different dietary oils (including soybean oil and other fat sources), the fatty acid composition of the egg yolk mirrored those fat sources—not the base grains themselves.
(Source: Poultry Science, Oxford Academic – https://academic.oup.com/ps/article/89/11/2484/1602087)
In other words:
- Adding refined vegetable oils high in omega-6 will raise linoleic acid levels
- Balanced rations without excess oils do not automatically do so
Processing Matters: Why Roasted Soybeans Are Different
Raw soybeans contain naturally occurring anti-nutritional factors—such as trypsin inhibitors and lectins—that interfere with digestion.
That’s why soybeans used in quality poultry feed are heat-treated or roasted.
Proper roasting:
- Neutralizes anti-nutritional compounds
- Improves protein availability
- Changes how fats are metabolized by the bird
When soybeans are properly processed and included at appropriate levels, it becomes a safe, digestible, and nutritionally valuable feed ingredient for chickens.
Diet Balance Matters More Than Elimination
Studies show that the balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fats in a hen’s diet has a greater influence on egg fatty acid profiles than the mere presence of corn or soy.
Research published in Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology explains that dietary fat metabolism in hens depends on:
- Overall fat intake
- Ratio of omega-6 to omega-3
- Inclusion of pasture, forage, and insects
(Source: https://jasbsci.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40104-015-0029-9)
This is why pasture access plays such a significant role—chickens on pasture naturally consume insects and greens that contribute omega-3 fats, helping balance omega-6 intake.
Corn & Soy-Free Can Work—But It Isn’t Automatically Better
Corn- and soy-free diets can absolutely be formulated responsibly. However:
- Many alternative ingredients also contain linoleic acid
- Some alternatives introduce their own anti-nutritional compounds
- Removing soy without balancing amino acids can reduce bird health and egg quality
- Corn & soy free ingredients can be sprayed with chemicals
Higher cost or trend-driven labels do not automatically equal better nutrition.
Our Approach
Our main focus on our farm is the health of our chickens. If we produce super healthy chickens on pasture, we can provide our customers with super healthy meat. From our personal experience, feeding our chickens a diet that includes corn and properly roasted soybeans is what helps them thrive.
We have a very good relationship with our feed supplier and know that our chicken feed is:
- Free from herbicides, pesticides, and glyphosate
- Carefully processed
- Balanced for amino acids and energy
Combined with 24/7 pasture access, this approach supports healthy birds, strong egg production, and balanced nutrition.
We fully respect customers who choose corn- & soy-free products. Food choices are personal, and transparency matters.
So Why Did Vital Farms Show Such High Linoleic Acid?
Vital Farms feeds their hens conventional corn & soy feed. This means that the ingredients included are likely sprayed with herbicides, pesticides, and glyphosate, and the soybeans are not prepared properly.
When Vital Farms first started, they likely used ingredients that were prepared properly. However, since they were bought out by certain affiliations like BlackRock, it is likely shortcuts were made to enhance profits.
It is great this information has come out, as they should not be charging $12/dozen for using poor quality ingredients.
However, I don't want this to take away the truth behind poultry nutrition as the issue isn’t corn or soybeans themselves—it’s imbalance, poor processing, and oversimplification.
Understanding how animals are fed matters far more than focusing on single ingredients in isolation.
If you ever want to talk more about our feeding practices or why we’ve chosen this path, we’re always happy to share.