Our Hens
Carefully cared for on family farms
Pete & Gerry's hens enjoy life under sunny skies with room to roam, forage, and explore. Their care follows strict Certified Humane standards, ensuring the eggs they produce meet or exceed your ethical needs. Read on to learn more about our eggs with ideals and select the ones that are right for you!
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How our hens are cared forclick to learn more
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How our hens are nourishedclick to learn more
Hen Lifestyles
Explore the many ways of raising hens (and the two we believe in).
Caged
Some of the most cruelly confined in animal agriculture, these hens spend their entire lives indoors in tight cages without room to spread their wings.
Denying hens natural behaviors like nesting to lay eggs, dust bathing for protection from parasites, and more causes intense suffering.
Cage-Free
Hens live in a crowded barn without outdoor access. Inside, they can walk, spread their wings, and lay their eggs in nests.
While it's promising to see laws in many (but not all) states introduce cage-free as a minimum standard of care, these hens still spend their entire lives indoors in large flocks.
Free-Range
Hens are free to frolic, both outdoors and in (important for protection from predators and weather!).
Under sunny skies, they enjoy fresh air and pasture fare—an ideal setting for socializing, self-care, and a leisurely lifestyle.
Pasture-Raised
These girls roam outdoors on pasture aplenty and in spacious coops (important for protection from predators and weather!). With even more room to explore, there's no denying: pasture-raised flocks delight in a life of luxury.
Hen diets
It's simple: well-nourished hens lay better eggs.
Forage
Our girls spend their days roaming through the pasture to socialize, dust bathe, find the best views, and tap into their natural foraging instincts. Along with fresh greens and tasty seeds, some of their favorite pasture finds include grasshoppers, worms, and just about any other crawly creature they can catch.
Supplemental Feed
Even after a leisurely day of foraging, laying hens rely on feed to round out their nutritional needs. Our supplemental feed is carefully crafted with the needs of each individual flock in mind and always includes a healthy mixture of proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, and other beneficial nutrients.
Nearly 300 family farms across the US
By partnering with like-minded family farmers across the country to produce healthy, sustainable food, we're making hen welfare a top priority and supporting our local communities.
Featured Farms
Bomgardner Family Farm
Lebanon County, PA
"I have always been in farming,—when it’s in your blood, it’s in your blood. I like being with my family, and the kids are a great help."
Breckbill Family Farm
Lancaster County, PA
"The hens make a happy noise—they really sing. You know by the noise when they're happy or if something is wrong."
Crouse Family Farm
Lebanon County, PA
"I had never worked on a farm before, and farming taught me to appreciate what kind of work it takes to put food on people's plates. I like being able to contribute to the family and to the success of our farm. It's just a sweet time to all be together."
Dersham Family Farm
Union County, PA
"I like the flexibility, and I love spending time with my family. I enjoy knowing that I’m helping to keep the world going around."
Giovagnoli Family Farm
Boscawen, NH
"I have always farmed, it’s in my blood. It’s almost therapeutic for me. The hens allow me to farm full-time with my sons now; farming keeps families together. It’s going to be tough for small, family-owned farms in the future, unless we can educate the public about the value of small farms and quality of food they produce."
Miller Family Farm
Caledonia County, VT
"I love farming; I like working with animals, raising crops, and I love working outside. Most of all, I like being with my family."
Nolt Family Farm
Perry County, PA
"I like seeing what I have accomplished. I take a lot of pride in it. I also like the personal connection with the company, and that Pete and Gerry’s is fighting for family farmers."
Zimmerman Family Farm
Union County, PA
"I like being my own boss, and I love working with the animals. I’m going to do this as long as I can."
What
is
Certified
HumaneR?
Every Pete & Gerry’s farm follows rigorous free-range or pasture-raised standards set by Certified Humane, a third-party certification program committed to holistic and transparent animal welfare standards. The non-negotiables for our girls include:
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Space
Free-range hens must have access to 2 square feet (or more!) of space per hen, while pasture-raised standards require a minimum of 108 square feet. The bottom line? Both certifications prioritize freedom to frolic so that hens can do what they do best: just be hens.
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Diet
Consistent with the latest research on hen health, all hens must be offered free access to nutritious, species-appropriate feed to supplement their balanced diet of pasture fare, which includes juicy worms, fresh greens, and other tasty treats.
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Shelter
As a safe haven from predators and a clean, dry place to nest and lay their eggs, spacious coops are a must-have for both free-range and pasture-raised flocks.
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Enrichment
Tidy, uncrowded spaces with room to spread their wings and stay active means hens enjoy endless opportunities to behave like hens. Whether perching indoors or foraging out in the pasture, our flocks spend hours socializing with friends before winding down with a dust bath and nesting for the night.
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Perches
All hens must have access to perches large enough that they can wrap their toes around comfortably and balance easily. Both in the coop and beyond, flocks find these perches essential for resting, stretching their wings, enjoying a peaceful moment alone, or getting the perfect bird’s-eye view.
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Hygiene
Each flock must have access to well-maintained litter that keeps our hens feeling fresh and flourishing. As a natural behavior and cornerstone of hen hygiene, routine dust baths allow flocks to properly regulate body temperature and protect themselves from parasites.
