Knowledge Base & FAQ
Chickens are raised on organic feed. Ward Ridge Farm is constantly working to provide the best nutrition for our chickens. Chickens run on pasture when the weather allows. Approximately from Mid-April to Late October or November. During the winter months, chickens have access to indoor and outdoor areas. The outdoor aviary is about 8,000 sq ft in size and heavily protected from predators.
Laying Hens:
ISA Brown
Black Sex-link
California White Leghorn
Easter Egger
Our current laying hens are primarily black sex-link and ISA Browns.
Black sex-link are a cross breed between a New Hampshire Rooster and a Barred Rock Hen.
ISA Browns are a production bird that lays big brown eggs.
California White Leghorn is a new breed for us in 2025. They lay pure white eggs and so far seem to be pretty hardy.
Easter Eggers lay multi-colored eggs and typically do well in winter which helps in our climate.
Broilers:
Our breed of broiler varies. We have had Cornish Cross, Red Rangers and a few other breeds we've tried for our climate.
Our chicken feed is of the highest quality possible. All organic from certified farms, No GMO, No Soy, No Corn.
Why?
Eggs are known as one of the best nutritional foods anyone can eat. High in protein, Omega 3 and many nutrients the body needs. We are committed to providing the most nutrient rich eggs we possibly can. Many chicken feeds today have significant amounts of filler material. This often amounts to corn and soy because its cheap.
Now to be clear cheap isn't necessarily bad. So lets explain why we don' t have these in our feed.
Corn:
High in Omega 6, Corn can be a major contributor to having an imbalance between omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids in an egg. The benefit of having some corn in our flocks diet is it would help a lot in keeping our chickens warm in the winter. But we don't use it so we have to find other ways.
Soy:
There are a few problems with Soy.
Human Health: Like Corn, Soy is high in Omega 6. Soy also happens to be high in phytoestrogens. In fact, more so than pretty much anything else. This can lead to thyroid issues and has been linked to various types of cancer.
Flock Health: Soy is high in Phytic acid which can lead to vitamin and mineral absorption issues. This can lead to poor chicken health. And if our chickens aren't healthy, are your eggs going to be?
Yes. Our eggs are washed in a commercial egg washer for small farms. Eggs are candled at one end, conveyed through the washer and then dried and packaged on another conveyor.
Our egg washing process does NOT use any detergents, cleaners, acids or anything else to chemically wash the egg. We only use appropriately heated water and the brush system in the commercial washer.
Eggs come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors.
Because our hens are pastured, they eat all kinds of things which can modify the look of the egg. This is perfectly natural.
Some extra protection:
The egg below has a white coating on it. That's actually the bloom (aka cuticle). The bloom is a protective coating around the egg. What happened was this egg was it stayed in the "Shell Gland" longer, causing it to get a little extra protection.
What can I say, some chickens just like to make sure their eggs are protected.
