Happy Egg Co.
| Rating |  |
| Farm/Brand Headquarters | San Francisco, CA |
| Website | happyegg.co |
| Market Area | Nationwide |
| Total Score | 2035 |
They write: “Margaret and Clifford Kent married and began renting a farm in a village in Cornwall, England. Margaret had grown up in a farming household and received a wedding present of 50 chickens from her parents. Selling eggs to the community through their farm shop, the Kents’ grew an egg business — as well as their flock, which multiplied to 2,000 birds in just ten years. Their son Michael grew up picking eggs, working on the farm on holidays and weekends, and helping to make feed for the hens.”
“The Kents continued to invest in their birds, discovering that providing them with clean air, good lighting, space, and calm conditions resulted in happy hens and quality products. They had a passion for raising hens in a free range environment and disrupting the egg industry with innovative ways of humanely caring for birds and marketing eggs. Michael Kent took ownership of his family’s business once his parents retired, furthering its expansion and pioneering new ideas in the egg industry.”
“Seeing a need for an even higher-welfare option in Free Range egg-laying, Happy Egg was born in the UK. Happy Egg later migrated to the United States, championing the cause of Free Range birds and high quality eggs.”
| Criteria | Points | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 2600) | 2035 | 4-Egg Rating | Excellent |
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 | 70 | Family owned business |
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Flocks of 500 birds or fewer receive the most points based on Animal Welfare Approved standards.
Average Flock Size | 40 | 10,000-20,000 bird flocks |
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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) | 40 | American Humane Approved |
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Points determined by integrity of the brand’s organic certifier.
Organic Certifier | 75 | QAI |
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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 | 80 | Markets conventional and organic, produced at separate locations |
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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 | 50 | 1.2 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 | 90 | perches, some litter, access to outdoors |
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Farms that freshen litter weekly receive the most points. Litter Management | 100 | Year-round outdoor access, litter freshened as needed |
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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 | 70 | 21.8 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 | 90 | one linear foot of door for every 100 birds |
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Farms that ensure birds have access to feed, water and shade outdoors receive the most points. Outdoor Enrichments | 80 | shade trees, perches, and water |
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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 | 90 | confined during extreme weather |
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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 | 60 | fixed houses with non-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 recycled on the farm, sold to neighboring farms |
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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 | 80 | tipped on day one 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 | 80 | 1.6 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 | 70 | processed on farm for fertilizer |
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Farms where the death loss rate of hens is less than 3% annually receive the most points.
Death Loss Rate | 80 | under 5% |
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Farms that breed and incubate their own chicks, or raise their own pullets, receive the most points.
Pullets | 80 | raises own pullets from 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 | 40 | 15-20 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 but hens have access to 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 | 70 | try to find domestic sources where possible |
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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 |
