Eben-Haezer’s Happy Hens
| Rating |  |
| Farm/Brand Headquarters | Ramona, CA |
| Website | www.happy-hens.com |
| Market Area | Southern California |
| Total Score | 2500 |
They write: “Here in the beautiful, rural town of Ramona located in the outer region of San Diego, California is the Happy Hens Egg Ranch. At Happy Hens we grow the freshest, tastiest, local, nutrient dense eggs on the market. We uphold a strong commitment to not only provide the best eggs to our local community but also to do it in a way that promotes sustainability as well as provide the best life for our girls.”
“Our Happy Hens truly enjoy a “happy” lifestyle outdoors while having the freedom to express all their natural behaviors. On most picturesque days in Ramona, you can find our girls basking in the sun, taking dust baths, and foraging through our lush pastures for bugs and worms. In addition, they also consume superior Certified Organic Feed and Certified Organic Soy/Corn Free Feed. Our hens live in mobile barns fully equipped with fresh water and lots of perch and nesting space to shelter them from the country night critters. These barns are moved regularly (semi weekly/weekly) to ensure even fertilization of the ground as well as quality pasture for the girls. We also have our loyal day and night crew of Anatolian Shepherds who guard our girls from predators.”
| Criteria | Points | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 2600) | 2500 | 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 |
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Flocks of 500 birds or fewer receive the most points based on Animal Welfare Approved standards.
Average Flock Size | 100 | under 500 birds |
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Single henhouses receive the most points.
Single or Double Henhouses | 100 | single |
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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) | none | |
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Points determined by integrity of the brand’s organic certifier.
Organic Certifier | 100 | A Bee Organic Certifiers |
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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 |
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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 birdsÊ |
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Farms with perches, scratching areas and deep litter or year round pasture receive the most points. Indoor Enrichments | 100 | perches, dust baths, scratching, pasture access |
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Farms that freshen litter weekly receive the most points. Litter Management | 100 | year-round pasture access |
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Farms that ensure birds have ample access to outdoors during daylight hours receive the most points.
Natural Light | 100 | birds are outdoors all day |
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Farms that ensure 108 square feet per bird or more outdoors receive the most points.
Outdoor Space per Bird | 100 | over 108 sq ft/hen |
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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 kept on rotated pasture with mobile housing |
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Farms that ensure birds have access to feed, water and shade outdoors receive the most points. Outdoor Enrichments | 100 | feed, water, shade |
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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-roundÊ |
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Farms that use mobile housing rotated on pasture every 1-2 days or weekly receive the most points.
Outdoor Management System | 90 | rotated pasture with mobile housing, moved weekly |
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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 is spread out by birds through rotations |
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Farms that never force molting receive the most points. Forced Molting | 100 | no forced molting |
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Farms that never trim or tip beaks receive the most points.
Beak Trimming | 100 | no beak trimming |
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Farms where hens live an average of 3+ years or 1.6-3 years receive the most points.
Laying Hen Lifespan | 80 | 2.5 years old |
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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 | sold live for food, eggs |
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Farms where the death loss rate of hens is less than 3% annually receive the most points.
Death Loss Rate | 100 | less than 1% annually, usually bobcats |
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Farms that breed and incubate their own chicks, or raise their own pullets, receive the most points.
Pullets | 80 | raise up from day old chicks |
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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 | 100 | 1 week old |
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Farms where all feed is produced on the farm receive the most points.
Feed Produced on Farm | 80 | oats and barley planted in pasture |
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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 |
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No points are given for this but the information may be useful to certain consumers looking to avoid soy. Soy in Feed | No | Hens consume no soy or corn |
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Farms that do not feed synthetic amino acids receive the most points. Synthetic Amino Acids | 70 | No more than 2 lbs per ton |
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Farms that participated in Cornucopia’s research providing full transparency receive the most points.
Disclosure Rate | 100 | full disclosure |
