When it comes to eggs there is a lot of 'BS' out there. 'Free range', for instance, can mean 10,000 chooks in one hectare. Or to put it another way; one chook per square metre - 24/7, 365 days a year. It's not what we imagine when we think 'free range'. At Honest Eggs Co. we are setting new standards. Our chooks get things like 24/7 access to various grasses, worms, and bugs, as well as roaming roosts so there is no ammonia build up that can permeate the shell and impact the taste of eggs. Watch the video below that featured on SBS (6 mins) to see for yourself and learn more about our standards below. As Andy and Ben say "this is the picture you have in your head of what you want it to be"...

At less than 50 chooks per AFL ground (<30 chooks per hectare) we have stocking levels far below the governments controversial 10,000 per hectare (14,450 per AFL ground) regulation for free range, and far less than the CSIRO recommendation of 1,500 per hectare. Our chooks move around our entire farm (which takes them a while!).

Our chooks have access to their natural diet of various grasses, bugs, worms, and grubs 24/7 (not just at certain times). We also provide a grain-based supplement developed by our Vet along with plenty of water. 

Our chooks have Roaming Roosts that are moved to fresh pastures every 2-5 days. The roaming roost approach reduces ammonia build up from droppings that can permeate the egg shell. This ensures our eggs always have a clean and delicious taste that the best in the industry love to work with. 

Debeaking came about because chooks in high-density cages, or high-density 'free range', get bored, stressed, angry, and start fighting. Our stocking density means our chooks are happy. There is no need to debeak, because they are living the open range dream.  

Whilst 75% of people continue to think hormones are used in egg and meat chooks in Australia, the reality is it was banned some time ago. We could stay silent on that, but staying silent wouldn't change perceptions so here we are doing our part to clear up that misperception. Tell a friend!

Just like humans, chooks need plenty of sunlight to produce Vitamin D. Vitamin D is vital for many internal processes. During the day the Roaming Roosts and built in sunshades provide shelter from the midday sun as they would get under a tree.

Our Alpacas and Maremma dogs keep our chooks safe from foxes and other predators, especially during the night. 

Why bring eggs in from another state when there are plenty of eggs available within your own? With Honest Eggs Co. you can be guaranteed that we source all of our eggs from farms that are within 300km of their end customer to reduce 'food-miles' - a hidden cost of large industry. 

There are not many who will let you see the reality of their farms. And if they will, you are probably on to a good thing. As Andy and Ben found out on the SBS TV series Andy and Ben Eat Australia, we are committed to 100% transparency, and you are welcome to come and visit us. We encourage you to shop from farmers who are committed to transparency.  

Rotational farming puts less stress on the land. Our livestock eat the grass down to a level where we can see the chooks, who then come in and eat the bugs, worms and various grasses. The chooks droppings are high in nitrogen, a natural fertiliser, which in turn encourages better grass growth. We then move the chooks on and once the grass grows higher, quicker, and better, we reintroduce the livestock. It's a natural regenerative cycle that improves the land without the insistent need for fertilisers and pesticides that the intensive farming industry created.  

Honest Eggs Co. was started by the Righetti and Garsed families who live in Yandoit near Daylesford. At the heart of their values are Family and Community. They want to use Honest Eggs Co. business to improve farming yields for farming families, and income for local communities. 

We are committed to no bullshit. We don't put rolling hills with chooks on the front of our packs but in reality have 10,000 chooks per hectare (1 per sqm) and a dirt run down the side of a barn just because it meets government regulations and we can get away with it. Our no BS approach permeates everything we do. It means things like even the photos on our website are all from our farms (that's even Paul's hat). We are farming for those who value integrity. 

If you are looking to buy a product that is backed by people who have values around animal welfare, the environment, transparency, and business for more than profit, we stack up better on every dimension.