Alexandre Kids (Alexandre Family Farms)
| Rating |  |
| Farm/Brand Headquarters | Crescent City, CA |
| Website | www.alexandrefamilyfarm.com |
| Market Area | West Coast independent grocers, WF, and Costco |
| Total Score | 2490 |
They write: “We, the Alexandre kids, start with day old baby chicks that we hand raise in one of our family dairy barns for the first two months, and then all of the chickens are on organic pastures under the watchful eyes of dairy cows. We have three breeds: New Hampshire Reds, Rhode Island Reds, and Black Australorps. Roosters are kept with the laying hens to ensure desirable fertilized eggs.”
“The chickens graze on green, lush organic grass and have room to roam in the fresh coastal air and sunshine. Our chickens eat certified organic feeds; irrigated dairy pastures consisting of 50 to 100 variety of plant species ranging from grasses, forbs, herbs and clovers; oyster shell, with limited daily feeding of mixture of organic grains and minerals. We never add any chemicals, hormones or antibiotics. The chicken coops, which provide a portable home with nesting boxes, are moved every few days at dusk when the chickens move in to roost for the night. The chicken coops are moved a couple of times per week around the pastures so that the pasture gets desired fertilizer while not allowing an area to get overgrazed or get too much manure on it. Everyday our chickens choose to go outside and forage on grass and bugs. It is common to see chickens intermingled with grazing cows. Fences are generally not used at all. We keep a Great Pyrenees guard dog at each mobile coop to protect the chickens from predators.”
“All of this produces the highest quality and best tasting eggs. So while the chickens may have it great, you’ll have it even better when you see and taste the delicious, nutritious, farm-fresh organic eggs from Alexandre Kid’s pastured poultry.”
| Criteria | Points | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 2600) | 2490 | 5-Egg Rating | Top Rated |
Family farms and farmer cooperatives that market their own eggs receive the most points. Corporations that do not produce any eggs receive the fewest points.
Ownership Structure | 100 | family farm, produces all of own eggs |
|
Flocks of 500 birds or fewer receive the most points based on Animal Welfare Approved standards.
Average Flock Size | 80 | Flocks average 1,767 |
|
Single henhouses receive the most points.
Single or Double Henhouses | 100 | Single (mobile coops) |
|
Animal Welfare Approved and Biodynamic certifications receive the most bonus points. Producers are not penalized for not having additional certifications beyond organic.
Other Certifications (bonus points) | 40 | GAP rates, Certified non-GMO |
|
Points determined by integrity of the brand’s organic certifier.
Organic Certifier | 85 | CCOF |
|
Farms that are 100% certified organic receive the most points, farms/brands that are split conventional and organic receive fewer points.
Commitment to Organics | 100 | 100% organic farm |
|
More than 1.8 square feet per bird receives the most points, less than 1.2 square feet receives the fewest.
Indoor Space per Bird | 100 | Full outdoor access for the birds |
|
Farms with perches, scratching areas and deep litter or year round pasture receive the most points. Indoor Enrichments | 100 | Perches and year round pasture access |
|
Farms that freshen litter weekly receive the most points. Litter Management | 100 | Year round pasture access |
|
Farms that ensure birds have ample access to outdoors during daylight hours receive the most points.
Natural Light | 100 | Year round pasture access, all natural light |
|
Farms that ensure 108 square feet per bird or more outdoors receive the most points.
Outdoor Space per Bird | 100 | 17 acres per coop |
|
Farms that ensure birds are in mobile housing or 1 large door per 75 birds receive the most points.
Popholes/Exit to the Outdoors | 100 | Birds are kept on rotated pastures in mobile chicken coops |
|
Farms that ensure birds have access to feed, water and shade outdoors receive the most points. Outdoor Enrichments | 100 | Feed, water, shade |
|
Farms that can ensure outdoor access year round or those that only confine birds during inclement weather receive the most points.
Outdoor Space Exemptions | 100 | Outdoor access year-round |
|
Farms that use mobile housing rotated on pasture every 1-2 days or weekly receive the most points.
Outdoor Management System | 95 | Mobile coops moved twice a week |
|
Farms that recycle chicken manure on the farm, using it for fertilizer, without causing nutrient pollution, receive the most points.
Manure Handling System | 100 | manure recycled on the farm |
|
Farms that never force molting receive the most points. Forced Molting | 100 | no forced molting |
|
Farms that never trim or tip beaks receive the most points.
Beak Trimming | 100 | No beak-trimmed birds |
|
Farms where hens live an average of 3+ years or 1.6-3 years receive the most points.
Laying Hen Lifespan | 100 | hens die a natural death |
|
Farms where spent hens die a natural death, are sold for meat, or are processed and sold for human consumption, receive the most points.
Use of Spent Hens | 100 | Die a natural death on farm |
|
Farms where the death loss rate of hens is less than 3% annually receive the most points.
Death Loss Rate | 90 | Death rate under 4% for active laying hens |
|
Farms that breed and incubate their own chicks, or raise their own pullets, receive the most points.
Pullets | 80 | Usually raises own pullets from chicks |
|
Farms that allow pullets access to the outdoors within the first 6 weeks of life, or within 6-10 weeks, receive the most points.
Pullet Access to Outdoors | 75 | Access to outdoors starts at 8 weeks in transition coop |
|
Farms where all feed is produced on the farm receive the most points.
Feed Produced on Farm | 75 | hens are given milk from farm in addition to pasture |
|
Farms where 100% of the feed is grown in the US or Canada receive the most points.
US Grown Feed | 100 | all US grown feed purchased from Grange Co-op |
|
No points are given for this but the information may be useful to certain consumers looking to avoid soy. Soy in Feed | Yes | soy in feed ration |
|
Farms that do not feed synthetic amino acids receive the most points. Synthetic Amino Acids | 70 | No more than 2 lbs synthetic methionine used per ton |
|
Farms that participated in Cornucopia’s research providing full transparency receive the most points.
Disclosure Rate | 100 | full disclosure |
