Kingbird Farm
| Rating |  |
| Farm/Brand Headquarters | Berkshire, NY |
| Website | www.kingbirdfarm.com |
| Market Area | Upstate New York |
| Total Score | 2485 |
Kingbird Farm is a model diverse organic family farm in upstate New York with a flock of 300 laying hens on rotated pasture. Their eggs are available year-round at Greenstar Cooperative Market in Ithaca, NY.
They write: “We are a diverse small farm located just south of Ithaca New York. We offer a wide variety of organic poultry, meats, vegetables, and herbs that are certified organic by NOFA-NY Certified Organic LLC. Our farming methods are based on a belief in the sustainability of diversified, small family farms managed with a respect for the land and the animals we raise on it. Our land has been certified organic for twelve years and we manage our land with crop rotation, cover crops, compost, and rotational grazing.”
| Criteria | Points | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 2600) | 2485 | 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) | 100 | AWA |
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Points determined by integrity of the brand’s organic certifier.
Organic Certifier | 100 | NOFA-NY |
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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 | 4Êsq ft/birdÊ |
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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 | new straw put down daily, complete removal annually |
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Farms that ensure birds have ample access to outdoors during daylight hours receive the most points.
Natural Light | 100 | Birds have ample access to the outdoors for natural light during all daylight hours |
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Farms that ensure 108 square feet per bird or more outdoors receive the most points.
Outdoor Space per Bird | 70 | average between 5 sq ft in winter, 30 sq ft in summer |
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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 |
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Farms that ensure birds have access to feed, water and shade outdoors receive the most points. Outdoor Enrichments | 60 | dust baths, 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 | 90 | hens not let out during storms or deep snowÊ |
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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 | pasture rotated weekly during summer |
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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 | all manure composted and used onsite for crop production |
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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 | 2-3 years old when culled |
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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 to backyard producers or slaugthered for stewing hens |
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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 | 5% annual death loss, mostly due to prolapse |
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Farms that breed and incubate their own chicks, or raise their own pullets, receive the most points.
Pullets | 100 | breed, hatch, and raise own pullets. Male chicks raised as meat birds |
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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 | start going outside at 1 week of age |
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Farms where all feed is produced on the farm receive the most points.
Feed Produced on Farm | 75 | some vegetables, forages,& sprouted grains produced on farm |
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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 | buy from local mill, request local grain |
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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 synthetic methionine used per ton |
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Farms that participated in Cornucopia’s research providing full transparency receive the most points.
Disclosure Rate | 100 | full photo set, full disclosure |
