Vital Farms
| Rating |  |
| Farm/Brand Headquarters | Austin, TX |
| Website | www.vitalfarms.com |
| Market Area | Nationwide |
| Total Score | 2170 |
| Criteria | Points | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 2600) | 2170 | 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 | 80 | Contract with farmers, close relationship |
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Flocks of 500 birds or fewer receive the most points based on Animal Welfare Approved standards.
Average Flock Size | 60 | Flocks no larger than 20k birds |
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Single henhouses receive the most points.
Single or Double Henhouses | 100 | Single, fixed housing |
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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) | 60 | Requires other animal welfare certifications |
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Points determined by integrity of the brand’s organic certifier.
Organic Certifier | 100 | Farms have different 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 | 80 | Produces both conventional pasture raised and organic pasture raised; organic producers kept separate from non-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 |
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Farms with perches, scratching areas and deep litter or year round pasture receive the most points. Indoor Enrichments | 80 | Majority but not all farms have enough perch space |
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Farms that freshen litter weekly receive the most points. Litter Management | 100 | Year-round outdoor access, litter kept clean |
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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 | 80 | 50-150 acres per farm of outdoor rotation space |
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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 | Large doors allow good access for hens |
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Farms that ensure birds have access to feed, water and shade outdoors receive the most points. Outdoor Enrichments | 90 | Shade provided outdoors |
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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-round |
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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 housing with rotated outdoor space; some farms utilize silvopasture |
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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 | 60 | Manure handling is different on every farm |
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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 | Beaks tipped |
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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 | 40 | 1.5 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 | Dependant on farm; old 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 | 40 | 6-8% annually |
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Farms that breed and incubate their own chicks, or raise their own pullets, receive the most points.
Pullets | 80 | Pullets brought in from outside |
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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 | 60 | Around 17 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 birds acquire part of diet from 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 | Confirm organic certificates |
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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 (for organic birds) |
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Farms that participated in Cornucopia’s research providing full transparency receive the most points.
Disclosure Rate | 100 | Good transparency |
