General
Where can I buy Pete & Gerry's Eggs?
We are sold in several stores throughout the Continental United States and are continuing to expand. Please check our store locator to find a market near you.
I can't find your eggs in my favorite store. What do I do?
Great question! We find that store managers are eager to carry products that their customers request, so we suggest letting your store manager know that you'd like to see our eggs at your store. You can also drop us a line at familyfarmteam@peteandgerrys.com and we're happy to see what we can do to help.
Pete & Gerry's is a B Corp. What does that mean?
Certified B Corporations are companies taking part in collective action to advocate for a shared goal of a global economy that benefits people and planet (fun fact: B stands for 'benefit'). Achieving certification requires a rigorous application process and adherence to strict standards set by the B Lab for social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. You can learn more at Pete & Gerry's B Corp Information Page.
What are the best eggs to buy?
Ultimately, this decision is up to you. We invite you to check out our Eggucation page to learn what each label truly means. Here at Pete & Gerry's and alongside our sister brand, Nellie's Free Range, we offer multiple egg types to ensure all our customers can enjoy eggs from humanely raised hens, regardless of budget.
Our Farms
How many family farms do you partner with?
We have over 300 independent, family-owned and operated farms in our network throughout the Northeast and Midwest. We are very proud of the fact that our company can provide realistic living for those families that still want to farm in a world of industrial-scale agriculture. If you're interested in joining our farm network, please complete our Farmer Application Form.
How do I join your network of farmers?
We'd love to chat with you about joining the Pete & Gerry's farm network! If you think you're a good fit, please complete our Farmer Application Form.
Do you give your hens hormones?
We do not give our Pete & Gerry's hens hormones. In fact, it is illegal for anyone raising poultry to administer hormones.
Do you give your hens antibiotics?
Pete & Gerry’s Farms are committed to Animal Welfare and believe in raising our hens in compliance with Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC) Certification Standards (Certified Humane). Our farms undergo 3rd party inspection to ensure requirements such as feed, veterinary care, housing, and outdoor access meet the Humane Certified criteria. This means we do not give our hens antibiotics in their feed or water as a mass preventive measure and instead focus on raising our hens in a clean and healthy environment.
How many eggs does a hen lay per day?
Most hens lay around 1 egg per day. A flock will average around 307 eggs per hen over the first year of laying and will decrease as the hens age.
What do you feed your hens?
While our hens are Certified Humane® and spend most of their days foraging for bugs and tasty greens, they are not ruminants, like cows, and therefore cannot get 100% of their diet this way. That’s why we provide our flocks with a supplementary feed containing corn and soy. Soybeans are a great source of additional protein, while corn provides carbohydrates. There is also a wide range of other beneficial nutrients and minerals in our feed that help to keep the hens healthy, like electrolytes and calcium. To learn more about the care we take in developing our feed mix, please check out our blog post: Good Feed Makes for Good Eggs.
Are your hens vegetarian?
No! While our feed for the hens is vegetarian, our ladies love to roam the pasture and forage for their own meals like bugs or worms.
Our Standards
What does free range really mean?
Our free-range eggs are produced according to Certified Humane Free-Range standards, which means that during most times of the day and year, our hens are free to roam outside as they please with a minimum of 2 square feet per hen of pasture. It is very rare for the entire flock to choose to be outside at any one time during the day - many of them prefer shade, water, feed, or social opportunities inside the barn - so the girls that feel like venturing out usually have a vast expanse of a field all to themselves to explore.
What does Pasture-Raised really mean?
Our pasture-raised flocks are raised to Certified Humane Pasture-Raised standards, which allows them to roam freely on expansive green pastures with 108 spacious square feet of outdoor space per hen. They can exhibit natural hen behaviors like perching, dust bathing, socializing with friends, foraging for juicy worms, and soaking up the sunshine. Find more information about our pasture-raised eggs.
What does Organic really mean?
With our Organic eggs, the main difference comes down to the supplemental feed offered to our hens. For organic flocks that call Pete & Gerry's home, every ingredient in their feed is 100% USDA Organic Certified. This means there are no synthetic pesticides used to grow any ingredients in their feed, and everything is GMO-free. This also means the pastures our organic hens love to explore are never treated with chemical pesticides or fertilizer.
What is Certified Humane?
Certified Humane is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of farm animals, ensuring the humane and responsible treatment of our beloved hens. We invite you to view their standards and find their specific guidelines for egg laying hens.
Is your packaging recyclable?
Yes! Our rPET cartons are both made with recycled plastic and are recyclable as a #1 plastic type. In certain stores, we offer cardboard cartons that are also recyclable.
Our Eggs
How much protein is in an egg?
Each large egg contains around 6 grams of protein; Jumbo eggs are about 8 grams of protein. Eggs are considered a complete protein, meaning they contain each of the nine amino acids.
Why are Pete & Gerry's eggs brown?
Eggshell color is all about the ears! Or, earlobes. Egg shell color is determined by the breed of hen and is often related to the color of the feathers over the hen’s earlobes. Brown hens, like those on our farms, 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). However, it's important to note that shell color has nothing to do with the nutritional content or quality of an egg.
Why do some eggs have different yolk colors?
While free-range and pasture raised eggs have many benefits, we’ve also found that it leads to more variability in yolk color due to different grazing habits, preferences from hen to hen, and flock age. As hens age, their grazing habits and feed composition will change based on their needs, and we tend to see lighter yellow yolks in their eggs. However, despite any differences in appearance or taste, these eggs still have the same nutritional value as eggs from any other family farm in our network.
What causes double yolks?
Double yolks are relatively rare (about 1/1000) and tend to be very large; due to their size, these eggs are typically graded as 'Super Jumbo'. These double yolked eggs primarily come from younger flocks who are just learning how to lay eggs. These larger eggs are packaged together as Jumbos (even though they are technically Super Jumbos), and over 50% tend to have double yolks.
Are your liquid egg whites pasteurized?
Yes! Unlike our shelled eggs, our 16-ounce containers of liquid egg whites are pasteurized and great to use for most baking applications.
Do you wash the eggs?
Per USDA regulations and food safety requirements, our eggs are washed and sanitized using organic certified detergents and sanitizing methods approved for contact with the eggshell. After washing, our eggs pass through a vision system that detects and removes any eggs with remaining dirt or feathers present on the surface. Finally, our QA team monitors the process and our finished eggs to identify areas for improvement.
Why are my eggs cracked?
We do monitor for cracks, and typically our cartons protect the eggs from breakage pretty well, but it can be difficult to keep track of the exact care the eggs are kept in once they are shipped to the store. To err on the side of caution, we would not recommend eating any of the cracked eggs; once an egg has cracked, it becomes vulnerable to bacteria.
What are these dark spots in my eggs?
If you notice a small spot floating around your egg, it is likely a meat spot or blood spot which can vary in size from tiny specks to a few millimeters in diameter. Most times, it can be cut out with the tip of a knife, and the egg is still perfectly fine to eat.
From time to time, the incidence of blood spots in eggs increases above the normal 6% rate when the hens in a flock get excited by changes in lighting or temperature. Meat spots are typically laid by older laying hens, and candling methods reveal most eggs with meat spots, but due to shell density, color, contrast, and depth, some of these eggs do get through.
My liquid egg white was cloudy instead of clear. Is it still safe to eat?
This indicates your egg whites have been over-pasteurized. When this occurs, the eggs get "cooked" or heated for just a bit longer than they should be, which can result in a cloudy or opaque product that sometimes has chunky or otherwise unusual texture. Over-pasteurized egg whites are still completely safe to consume.
Can I eat eggs past the expiration date?
Unfortunately, we cannot recommend that you eat our eggs after the date printed on the packaging. In general, we put a “use by” date on our cartons, which means that the eggs should be consumed on or before that date. Use of a “sell by” date is not federally required but may be required by certain states, so if your carton does specify “sell by” near the printed date, then the eggs can be consumed within 15 days of that date.
Other
Press inquiries
For press inquiries, please contact peteandgerrys@inkhouse.com.