Bee Heaven/Rachel’s Eggs

Total Score2500

They write: “Our happy hens eat soy-free, certified organic feed, harvest gleanings from the farm, and they’re pastured in our tropical fruit grove in their chicken tractors. Wait……. their WHAT??? What’s a chicken tractor? It’s a bottomless, moveable pen, which provides shelter from the rain, roosting poles, nest boxes and protection from predators. We move them every few days to new grass, giving the hens regular access to fresh pasture, bugs, weeds and seeds. They, in turn, reduce the insect and weed population and fertilize the soil as they go along. We love it and so do the girls! Our farm has been certified organic since 1997. Our first laying flock began producing in November 2004. Every year we add some new chicks and cull our roosters and older hens. Our assortment of heritage breeds ensures that every pack of our eggs includes a rainbow of brown, white, green, blue and speckled eggs, in nearly every size imaginable (we eat the really teeny ones, and the occasional ones that are so big they’d get crushed in the egg carton).”

Ownership Structure100
Average Flock Size100
Single or Double Henhouses100
Other Certifications (bonus points)100
Organic Certifier85
Commitment to Organics100
Indoor Space per Bird100
Indoor Enrichments100
Litter Management100
Natural Light100
Outdoor Space per Bird100
Popholes/Exit to the Outdoors100
Outdoor Enrichments100
Outdoor Space Exemptions100
Outdoor Management System95
Manure Handling System100
Forced Molting100
Beak Trimming100
Laying Hen Lifespan80
Use of Spent Hens100
Death Loss Rate60
Pullets90
Pullet Access to Outdoors100
Feed Produced on Farm50
US Grown Feed70
Soy in FeedNo
Synthetic Amino Acids70
Disclosure Rate100