Bethesda Farms
| Rating |  |
| Company | Bethesda Farm |
| Outdoor Access | Confinement/Unknown |
| Location | Raiford, FL |
| Total Score | 0 |
Brands with a “1-egg” rating are generally produced on industrial-scale egg operations that grant no meaningful outdoor access. “Outdoor access” on these operations generally means a covered concrete porch that is barely accessible to the chick- ens. Means of egress from the buildings are intentionally small to discourage birds from going outside, and make it possible for only a small percentage of birds to have “access” to the outdoors. No producers in this category were willing to participate in The Cornucopia Institute’s project, and none shared their production practices with Cornucopia researchers. This is disturbing to many organic consumers, since transparency has always been viewed as a hallmark of the organic food movement.
| Criteria | Points | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 2700) | 0 | 1-Egg Rating | Poor |
 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 | 0 | |
| Flocks of 500 birds or fewer receive the most points based on Animal Welfare Approved standards. Average Flock Size | 0 | |
| Single henhouses receive the most points. Single or Double Henhouses | 0 | |
| 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) | 0 | |
| Points determined by integrity of the brand’s organic certifier. Organic Certifier | 0 | |
| Farms that are 100% certified organic receive the most points, farms/brands that are split conventional and organic receive fewer points. Commitment to Organics | 0 | |
| 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 | 0 | |
| Farms with perches, scratching areas and deep litter or year round pasture receive the most points. Indoor Enrichments | 0 | |
| Farms that freshen litter weekly receive the most points. Litter Management | 0 | |
| Farms that ensure birds have ample access to outdoors during daylight hours receive the most points. Natural Light | 0 | |
| Farms that ensure 108 square feet per bird or more outdoors receive the most points. Outdoor Space per Bird | 0 | |
| Farms that ensure birds are in mobile housing or 1 large door per 75 birds receive the most points. Popholes/Exit to the Outdoors | 0 | |
| Farms that ensure birds have access to feed, water and shade outdoors receive the most points. Outdoor Enrichments | 0 | |
| Farms that can ensure outdoor access year round or those that only confine birds during inclement weather receive the most points. Outdoor Space Exemptions | 0 | |
| Farms that use mobile housing rotated on pasture every 1-2 days or weekly receive the most points. Outdoor Management System | 0 | |
| Farms that recycle chicken manure on the farm, using it for fertilizer, without causing nutrient pollution, receive the most points. Manure Handling System | 0 | |
| Farms that never force molting receive the most points. Forced Molting | 0 | |
| Farms that never trim or tip beaks receive the most points. Beak Trimming | 0 | |
| Farms where hens live an average of 3+ years or 1.6-3 years receive the most points. Laying Hen Lifespan | 0 | |
| 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 | 0 | |
| Farms where the death loss rate of hens is less than 3% annually receive the most points. Death Loss Rate | 0 | |
| Farms that breed and incubate their own chicks, or raise their own pullets, receive the most points. Pullets | 0 | |
| 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 | 0 | |
| Farms where all feed is produced on the farm receive the most points. Feed Produced on Farm | 0 | |
| Farms where 100% of the feed is grown in the US or Canada receive the most points. US Grown Feed | 0 | |
| No points are given for this but the information may be useful to certain consumers looking to avoid soy. Soy in Feed | 0 | |
| Farms that do not feed synthetic amino acids receive the most points. Synthetic Amino Acids | 0 | |
| Farms that participated in Cornucopia’s research providing full transparency receive the most points. Disclosure Rate | 0 |