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FAQ's | | Frequently asked questions
These are some of the questions we get asked most frequently. If you have a question that does not appear here, please contact us at goodeggs@peteandgerrys.com
Where do your chickens come from?
We purchase our hens as day old chicks, primarily from a small, family-run hatchery in upstate New York.
How long do your chickens live?
The hens typically live for about a year and seven to eight months. After this period of time, the hens become very unproductive, and the shells of the eggs they lay are very thin.
What happens to your chickens at the end of their lives?
Most of our hens are sold to be slaughtered for meat.
What happens to male chicks?
The role of male chicks is unfortunately a problem for raising egg-laying hens. Roosters are not suitable for meat, and they cannot be kept with the hens. If we raised and kept roosters, our eggs would cost at least twice as much. In a cage-free environment, roosters’ tendency to fight would create a terrible, inhumane environment for hens and people. The hatchery that we work with humanely euthanizes the day old male chicks with CO2 gas. The process is quick and painless. This is an unfortunate part of agriculture, but we hope you understand.
What do you feed your chickens?
Our hen’s diet consists of cracked corn, soy beans, flax seed, vitamins and minerals, and it’s free of pesticides and herbicides. All of the organic grain we feed our hens comes from Les Morrison's Feed Mill, just across the Connecticut River in Barnet, Vermont.
What is the difference between free-range and cage-free?
Free-range chickens roam the land without barn access (although they may have a shelter or cover from trees). Cage-free means that chickens live in barns like ours with outdoor porch access and private nesting areas.
Why aren’t your chickens free-range?
The weather conditions in the Northeast make it impossible for chickens to live outdoors at all times. Our barns have porches that allow the chickens access to the outdoors whenever they like.
What about pasturing hens?
Organic hens are required by the USDA to have access to pasture for at least part of the year. Our organic hens all have pasture access when weather and wildlife conditions permit it.
Why aren’t all of your eggs organic?
The type of feed the chickens eat determines whether the eggs are natural or organic. All of the chicken feed we use is natural, and some of it is organic. This is the only difference between our natural and organic eggs. The difference in the cost of the feed is significant, so we offer consumers a choice of natural or organic eggs,
which they can select based on their personal preferences or budgetary needs.
We are certified organic by the New Hampshire
Department of Agriculture and also certified organic
by the USDA National Organic Program.
Why do you use plastic egg cartons?
We have spent a lot of timing studying the difference between cardboard egg cartons and the plastic egg cartons we use. Based on the research, we believe that our egg cartons – which are made from 100% recycled soda bottles (PETE 1) and can be recycled again – are the best environmental option. We continue to monitor packaging options; if and when something becomes available that we think is even more environmentally-friendly, we will look at making a switch.
What types of green initiatives do you employ?
Packaging—Our egg cartons are made from 100% recycled plastic from used soda and water bottles. PETE 1 is the most widely recycled plastic. If you recycle our container along with your plastic soda bottles, you’ll be doing your part to help our environment.
Energy Conservation—We installed energy-efficient lights throughout our barns, processing plant and offices. We recently installed an energy management system for our cold storage building that reduces our energy consumption and out carbon footprint.
Composting
In the fall of 2007 we began composting our hen manure using an "in-vessel" composting system. The system is like a giant roto-tiller. Currently we share our hen manure with local farmers who spread the manure on their fields.
What causes the different egg shell colors?
Egg shell color is determined by the breed of hen and is often related to the color of the feathers over the hen’s ears. Brown hens typically lay brown eggs and white chickens lay white eggs, although there are a few breeds of white chickens with brown ear-feathers that lay brown eggs. Our Ameraucana hens lay pastel blue eggs.
Why are the yolks of your eggs brighter yellow than most others?
The size of the yolk is related to the breed of the hens, and the color is mostly related to the diet. Along with natural grasses that the hens may eat, the heirloom hens are fed a diet that is rich in alfalfa and marigold, which darken the yolk and add flavor.
How long does it take from the time the eggs are laid to when they are on store shelves?
Our eggs are shipped directly from the farm and are typically processed within days of being laid. The eggs then go on directly to distributors who, in turn, deliver them to stores. The time between the pick up at the farm and the placement on store shelves will vary, but it generally is about five days.
How many family farms do you work with? Where are they located?
We work with nearly 25 of family farms throughout New England and Pennsylvania.
What types of cleaning or food safety processes do you use?
We take food safety and quality very, very seriously, and we have voluntarily applied our process to the rigorous and internationally recognized SQF program. We continuously monitor our egg processing with a HACCP (Hazard Analysis, Critical Control Point) monitoring system.
During egg processing, which consists mainly of washing, drying, inspecting, weighing, and packaging, we use a light organic approved soap to wash the shells. After the eggs are washed, they are sanitized with a mild chlorine solution. The eggs are inspected for defects, weighed, deposited in cartons, and then put into refrigeration for shipping.
What does Certified Humane mean?
Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs is a member of humane farm animal care a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the welfare of animals. You can learn more about Certified Humane program on their website at http://www.certifiedhumane.org/.
What do you mean by Heirloom Eggs?
There are many different breeds of chickens, but only three breeds are generally used in the U.S. for egg production. Heirloom breeds date back to before industrial agriculture. We are proud to be raising these hens to introduce a new generation to the great flavor and quality these eggs offer.
Where can I buy your eggs?
Our eggs are sold at a variety of chain and independent grocery stores through New England, New York (including Manhattan), New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Virginia, with new locations being added all the time. For a store list, please visit us the Where to Buy Page.
What makes a Pete and Gerry's Organic Egg organic?
Our hens eat organic grain beginning in the second day of life. We do not give our hens antibiotics or medications. No pesticides or herbicides are used in the production of the grain that they eat. They live in spacious wide-open barns where they can choose where they will lay their eggs and also where they want to be. When conditions are appropriate our hens are also given access to the outdoors.
What do we feed our hens?
All of the organic grain we feed our hens comes from Les Morrison's Feed Mill, just across the Connecticut River in Barnet, Vermont. The feed given to our hens is composed of organic corn, organic soybean, organic linseed, and organic flaxseed. The grain that we get from Les Morrison is free of pesticides and herbicides.
The whole Morrison family is involved in the mill, and Les' oldest son, Earl, will eventually take his father's place running the business. Les and his family take as much pride in the grain they mill for our hens as we take in the eggs our hens lay. When it comes to producing better tasting organic eggs, our relationship with the Morrison family has made all the difference.
What is Omega-3?
Our hens are fed certified organic flaxseed, which contains high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids. The Omega-3 in the hen's diet is passed on to their egg. Our eggs contain approximately 200mg of Omega-3 per egg. Two of our eggs contain approximately the same level of Omega-3 found in 1.5 ounces of fish.
Omega-3 fatty acids are a form of polyunsaturated fats, one of four basic types of at that the body derives from food. All polyunsaturated fats, including the Omega-3s, are increasingly recognized as important to human health. Some of the health benefits of including more omega-3 in your diet are that a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids can help prevent heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and even ease arthritis pain.
Certified USDA Organic by the NH Department of Agriculture
We are certified organic by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture and also certified organic by the USDA National Organic Program. For more information about these organizations, check out these websites:
The National Organic Program The New Hampshire Department of Agriculture
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