Great Valley Organic Eggs
| Rating |  |
| Company | Great Valley Poultry |
| Outdoor Access | Standard USDA Protocol |
| Market Area | Local farmers' markets |
| Location | Manteca, CA |
| Website | www.greatvalleypoultry.com |
| Total Score | 1950 |
PLEASE NOTE: this is the listing for Great Valley’s regular organic eggs. Their pastured eggs have a separate listing.
This highly rated brand of organic eggs participated in the Organic Egg Scorecard project by answering questions about their production practices. Details about their egg production practices can be found in the table below. We also encourage all highly rated egg brands to send us a brief description of their farm or company and up to two graphic images (normally one of their logo) to post on this webpage. This farm/company has not sent us their materials; if you are one of their customers, and would like to know more about their background, please contact them and encourage them to forward their information to Cornucopia.
| Criteria | Points | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 2700) | 1950 | 3-Egg Rating | Very Good |
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 |
|
Flocks of 500 birds or fewer receive the most points based on Animal Welfare Approved standards.
Average Flock Size | 40 | 16,000 birds |
|
Single henhouses receive the most points.
Single or Double Henhouses | 100 | single |
|
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) | 60 | Certified humane |
|
Points determined by integrity of the brand’s organic certifier.
Organic Certifier | 100 | Global Culture |
|
Farms that are 100% certified organic receive the most points, farms/brands that are split conventional and organic receive fewer points.
Commitment to Organics | 80 | markets both organic and conventional eggs |
|
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 | 80 | 1.5 sq ft/hen |
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Farms with perches, scratching areas and deep litter or year round pasture receive the most points. Indoor Enrichments | 100 | perches, sawdust litter, year-round outdoor access |
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Farms that freshen litter weekly receive the most points. Litter Management | 100 | Year-round outdoor access |
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Farms that ensure birds have ample access to outdoors during daylight hours receive the most points.
Natural Light | 100 | Year-round outdoor access |
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Farms that ensure 108 square feet per bird or more outdoors receive the most points.
Outdoor Space per Bird | 20 | 1.5 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 | 20 | Two 8' x 10' doors |
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Farms that ensure birds have access to feed, water and shade outdoors receive the most points. Outdoor Enrichments | 60 | 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 | 70 | Access during the day when weather permits |
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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 | 70 | Fixed houseing with rotated pasture |
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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 | 80 | Manure sold for fertilizer |
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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 | 70 | Beak trimming within first 10 days of life |
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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 | 60 | 78 weeks average |
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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 for food |
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Farms where the death loss rate of hens is less than 3% annually receive the most points.
Death Loss Rate | 20 | 0.1 |
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Farms that breed and incubate their own chicks, or raise their own pullets, receive the most points.
Pullets | 70 | Pullets purchased from outside source |
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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 | 80 | average 6 weeks old |
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Farms where all feed is produced on the farm receive the most points.
Feed Produced on Farm | 50 | No feed produced on farm but access to outdoors with some vegetation |
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Farms where 100% of the feed is grown in the US or Canada receive the most points.
US Grown Feed | 50 | Associated feed; didn't say if domestic or not |
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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 | Yes | soy in feed ration |
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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 |
