New Century Farm

Rating
Farm/Brand HeadquartersKalona, IA
Websitehttps://www.farmershenhouse.com/
Market AreaIA
Total Score1115

They write: “We are a small, family-owned and run operation. We aim to deliver the highest quality, healthiest eggs possible with the least negative impact on the environment, while promising a fair price to our customers and still earning a decent living for our family.”

CriteriaPointsComment
TOTAL (possible score is 1700) 1115
4-egg
Brands that have close daily control over their egg production receive the most points.
Ownership Structure
100Single farm
Brands that only produce organic products make the biggest investments — in time and money — in systems that benefit us all. Eggs sourced from a single operation receive the most points. Eggs of unclear origins and/or with poor oversight receives the fewest points.
Commitment to Organic Label
100Highly committed to organic label
Additional certifications, depending on the credibility of the label, can demonstrate a commitment beyond the organic standards.
Other Labels and Standards
20Whole Foods Market Compliant
Smaller flock sizes (the number of laying hens per housing structure) offer better animal welfare conditions.
Flock Size(s)
80One flock of 6500
The best housing offers space for natural behaviors and legitimate access to the outdoors through adequate exits.
Hen Housing and Exit Areas
70Fixed housing without rotated pasture, can only exit one side with smaller doors
Adequate indoor spacing reduces stress and disease. With less crowding, birds can stretch their wings and more easily perform other natural behaviors.
Indoor Spacing
201.2 square feet
High scoring brands provide enough space to allow each hen to fully utilize their outdoor area, and to perform instinctive behaviors without harming the environment.
Outdoor Spacing
302.5 square feet per bird
High quality outdoor access includes vegetation, soil, and ample opportunities to forage year-round.
Quality of Outdoor Access
60Requires 90% vegetation to be managed, space is not rotated
Birds that are introduced to the outdoors early are more accustomed to spending time outdoors without fear or stress.
Outdoor Access Timing
60Around 20 weeks, weather depending
Year-round access to perches, scratching areas, deep litter, novel foodstuffs, and dust bathing contribute to quality of life.
Enrichments
90Some enrichments provided indoors and out, including food, water, and shade
Chickens use their beaks to interact with the world. Authentic organic farmers account for this behavior, eschewing beak trimming.
Alterations
70Beak trimming done at hatchery
Raising chicks on farm or buying them from certified organic hatcheries shows dedication to organic production from start to finish.
Chicks and Pullets
50Purchases 100% ready-to-lay pullets from local supplier of certified organic pullets with a proven track record, but unknown if pullets have outdoor access
Brands that have low rates of deaths and utilize their spent hens for human consumption or similar score the highest.
Deaths, Culls, and Spent Hens
90Death rate below 5%, spent hens sold live
Brands that closely monitor and manage health of soil, native species, and water quality receive the most points.
Environmental Impacts
50Manure applied to land birds are on, pasture not rotated, but vegetation including shrubs/trees is maintained
Feed Sourcing75Obtains feed from organic supplier that distributes locally
Brands that score well here go above and beyond to ensure the highest animal welfare, taking into consideration their hens’ safety and cleanliness, natural behavior, and stress levels.
Animal Welfare
50Okay animal welfare benchmark
Cornucopia believes you have a right to transparency. Top brands share information with Cornucopia via a survey and cooperate with our own independent investigations.
Transparency
100Full transparency
Brands do not receive points, but this information is offered for people with soy and/or gluten allergies.
Soy free and/or gluten free?
Not soy or gluten free
Brands do not receive points, but are invited to submit the name of their Accredited Organic Certifier (suppliers may have different certifiers).
Organic Certifier (non-scoring)
GOA
Extra credit is offered for various practices that go above-and-beyond in some form.
Extra Credit
0None