The True Heroes in Organic Egg Production—Pasture Based Family-Scale Farmers
Home/Photo Gallery/The True Heroes in Organic Egg Production—Pasture Based Family-Scale Farmers
Organic laying hens rotated on pasture. The hens live in a movable coop which is moved on a regular basis to a new pasture. This movable coop on Alexandre EcoDairy Farm in California houses approximately 1000 laying hens. Photo courtesy of Alexandre EcoDairy, CA.
Hens on pasture can be protected from predators in various ways. On this farm in California, hens are protected by a Great Pyrenees guard dog and dairy cows. Photo courtesy by Alexandre EcoDariy, CA.
Inside the chicken coop at Kingbird Farm, NY, where chickens are also free to roam on rotated pasture. Photo courtesy of Kingbird Farm.
Eggs from pastured eggs have nutritional benefits. Studies show higher levels of vitamins and beneficial omega-3 fatty acids when hens were free to roam on well-managed pasture. Photo courtesy of Old Friends Farm, MA.
Hens on rotated pasture. Feed and water on pasture encourages the birds to go outside. Photo courtesy of Misty Meadow Farm, WA.
Diversity on pasture has many benefits. When hens share pasture with dairy cows, such as this Minnesota farm, hens control parasites that may plague dairy cows, and cows provide natural predator control for the hens. Photo by The Cornucopia Institute.
Many pasture-based egg producers living in regions of the country with cold winters give year-round outdoor access to their hens, even after snowfall. Photo courtesy of Windy Ridge Farm, NY.
The type of housing used on farms rotating on pasture is varied as the farms themselves. On this Texas farm, which supplies eggs for the Vital Farms brand, converted cotton trailers house 500 laying hens each. Photo courtesy of Vital Farms.
Sign/logo on a mobile at Organic Pastures in California
Egg mobile with chickens at Organic Pastures in California (note great Pyrenees puppy peaking out behind chicken coop—it will be a valuable friend and protector to the flock in years to come)
