Nest Fresh

More Than Cage Free

Produced without harmful chemicals on small family farms that use rotational pasturing, NestFresh Free Range Eggs go beyond cage free with at least 25 square feet of pasture per hen. All NestFresh Eggs are always 100% cage free, laid by hens that are free to move around large barns furnished with nestboxes, perches, and dustbathing areas that encourage them to exhibit their natural behaviors, but NestFresh Free Range Eggs come from hens that live an even more natural way of life. We believe that small family farming with a focus on animal welfare and environmental stewardship is good for the hens, the land, and our consumers.

Our Farms

NestFresh Free Range Eggs come from small farms that are run by families who care about the animals and environment under their care. NestFresh is proud of all of our farms, so we love sharing their stories with you. We invite you to look through some photos from and notes about the farms that produce the free range eggs that you love.

The farms that produce NestFresh Free Range Eggs are committed to sustainability, animal welfare, and traditional farming methods. They do not use any chemicals on the pasture to ensure the health of the land, their animals, and their families.

On these small family farms, many of the farms duties are done by hand and shared by the whole family. Throughout the day different family members check on the hens, providing food and water and gathering the eggs.

The farmers open the large barn doors in the early morning to allow the birds to scratch and forage in the grass beginning at sunrise. They are able to enjoy the pasture all day until the sun begins to set. The doors are closed for the night to keep the birds safe and allow them to sleep.

Farmers provide shade, dustbathing areas, and water to the birds on the pasture to encourage them to spend time outside and to ensure their comfort while they are outside of the barns.

While the farmers encourage the hens to enjoy the pasture, they also ensure that the hens are comfortable within the barns. With perches, nestboxes, and woodchips for dustbathing the hens’ natural behaviors are not only allowed but encouraged.

Hens rise early, so the farmers must also be early birds. They light lanterns in the barns before sunrise every morning to awaken the birds and encourage them to begin eating, drinking, and laying eggs for the day.

There is no electrical refrigeration on these farms, but the quality and safety of the eggs is still a top priority. The farmers refrigerate eggs under 45 degrees with ice and insulation.

The hens lay their eggs in nests filled with straw and sawdust for their comfort and to mimic their natural environment.

On small farms,the entire family helps care for the birds. This boy offers the hens treats to encourage them to move around the pasture to the best areas for foraging.

NestFresh Free Range Egg Standards

Because there are no federal standards for free range production, NestFresh has developed standards that all of our farms must follow when producing NestFresh Free Range Eggs. These guidelines ensure the health and wellbeing of our hens and the land they pasture. It is our goal to hold ourselves to the highest standards for cage free, free range egg production. We believe that our consumers are entitled to know how their food is produced, so we share our full standards in the hopes that we raise our hens and care for the earth in a way that meets your expectations.

In order to provide consumers with free range eggs that exceed their expectations for quality, safety, and animal welfare, all farms producing NestFresh Free Range Eggs must adhere to the following standards. Many farmers not only meet, but surpass these minimum requirements.

Living conditions are designed to promote good hen health and quality egg production.

Farmers provide food and water to hens daily. Molting without food and water is prohibited.
Ample feed and water space is provided to ensure birds do not compete for resources and that all birds are well-nourished. Flocks do not exceed 2,000 hens.
There is at least 1.5 square feet per hen indoors.
Ample perches, nestboxes, and substrate for dustbathing are available to allow and encourage natural behaviors.
No antibiotics are used on hens.
Farmers handle hens in a gentle, well-trained manner to ensure their comfort.

There is at least 25 square feet of pasture per hen.

Each barn opening is wide enough to allow multiple hens through at once.
Doors are open after lay period in the morning and closed at night to ensure the hens’ safety.
Farmers make every effort to provide daily access, but outdoor access may be limited due to threat of disease or severe inclement weather conditions.
Grazing areas are within 400 yards of the barn.
Either trees or a man-made canopy are used to provide at least 5% shaded areas.
In the summer, water is provided in shaded areas.

Farmers use rotational pasturing to supply ample vegetation for the hens and maintain proper soil conservation.

Farmers reseed barren areas to create vegetation.
Vegetation is trimmed to a maximum height of 3 inches to promote new growth.
No synthetic fertilizers or chemical sprays are applied to the pasture areas.

Farmers encourage as much grass-feeding as possible, but provide alternatives to keep hens well-fed when necessary.

Alfalfa hay is offered to hens when fresh vegetation is not available.
Course grit is available to the hens to assist in the natural digestion of vegetation.
No animal by-products are used in the feed.
The feed provided to hens is vegetarian, but the hens may supplement this with non-vegetarian sources through foraging on pasture.