![](https://alderfereggs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Why-Organic.png)
Our Organic Hens:
Outdoor access to organic grass—with care. Our organic hens have plenty of access to the outdoors, on organic grass fields. Most of the year, they roam as they please outside our barns on organically-grown grass, amid clover and wildflowers. Outdoor access for our hens is important, but we also have to insure that our hens are safe from predators and disease from wild birds.
In accordance with Certified Humane standards, we protect our hens by not allowing them outside during the following conditions:
- During cold and inclement weather (would you want to go outside barefoot on a snow covered ground? Hens generally feel the same way).
- When ground predators such as fox and coyote are seen in the immediate area.
- During migratory bird season, or when large flocks of small birds roost nearby, to prevent exposure to diseases such as avian mites or Avian Flu.
Our Organic Hens:
Outdoor access to organic grass—with care. Our organic hens have plenty of access to the outdoors, on organic grass fields. Most of the year, they roam as they please outside our barns on organically-grown grass, amid clover and wildflowers. Outdoor access for our hens is important, but we also have to insure that our hens are safe from predators and disease from wild birds.
USDA Certified Organic:
Alderfer’s is proud to offer our customers an organic option. We are Certified Organic by Pennsylvania Certified Organic and the USDA National Organic Program.
Back in 1998, we decided to make a healthy change and change our home farm over to organic chickens.
The type of feed our chickens eat determines whether their eggs are natural or organic. All the chicken feed we use is 100% vegetarian, and all the feed we give our organic hens is Certified Organic. The difference in the cost of organic feed versus conventional feed is significant, so we offer consumers a choice of natural Cage Free or Certified Organic Cage Free eggs. That way they can select eggs based on their personal preferences and budget.
- Our hens are never caged, and all our barns allow them access to the outdoors. Our animal welfare standards go even farther than the Organic seal requires!
- We never administer antibiotics or hormones to our hens.
- Our hens’ 100% organic feed contains no pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or GMOs.
- It’s also free of animal by-products (and the drug residues/pathogens that may be associated with them). No slaughterhouse waste allowed!
- Our farms are inspected by PCO (Pennsylvania Certified Organic) which is USDA accreditation.