Windy N Ranch

Rating
Farm/Brand HeadquartersEllensburg, WA
Websitehttps://www.windynranch.com/
Market AreaWA
Total Score1560

This brand’s eggs can be found at four local farmers markets, through farm pickup, and one local drop site in WA.

CriteriaPointsComment
TOTAL (possible score is 1700) 1560
5-egg
Brands that have close daily control over their egg production receive the most points.
Ownership Structure
100Single-farm source, daily and hands-on interaction with the laying hens and farm business
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
100100% organic sourcing and brand
Additional certifications, depending on the credibility of the label, can demonstrate a commitment beyond the organic standards.
Other Labels and Standards
100Animal Welfare Approved
Smaller flock sizes (the number of laying hens per housing structure) offer better animal welfare conditions.
Flock Size(s)
100Flock size of 400 birds
The best housing offers space for natural behaviors and legitimate access to the outdoors through adequate exits.
Hen Housing and Exit Areas
100Fixed housing with good quality exit areas
Adequate indoor spacing reduces stress and disease. With less crowding, birds can stretch their wings and more easily perform other natural behaviors.
Indoor Spacing
100Minimum 1.8 square feet indoors
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
100Hens have hundreds of acres to potentially roam, required to have at least 4 square feet per bird
High quality outdoor access includes vegetation, soil, and ample opportunities to forage year-round.
Quality of Outdoor Access
100High quality outdoor access
Birds that are introduced to the outdoors early are more accustomed to spending time outdoors without fear or stress.
Outdoor Access Timing
50Unknown/did not answer, but notes that birds have 24/7 outdoor access
Year-round access to perches, scratching areas, deep litter, novel foodstuffs, and dust bathing contribute to quality of life.
Enrichments
100Enrichments provided indoors and outdoors
Chickens use their beaks to interact with the world. Authentic organic farmers account for this behavior, eschewing beak trimming.
Alterations
100Beak trimming not allowed
Raising chicks on farm or buying them from certified organic hatcheries shows dedication to organic production from start to finish.
Chicks and Pullets
80Brand purchases organic chicks to raise into pullets
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
80Death loss under 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
75Manure is spread by the birds, unknown what level of vegetation is maintained
Feed Sourcing100 Produces feed on-farm and obtains some 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
75Brand allows forced molting but otherwise provides excellent welfare
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 and open 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)
Oregon Tilth Certified Organic
Extra credit is offered for various practices that go above-and-beyond in some form.
Extra Credit
0None