Our Free-Range standards
Raising the Standards of Free-Range
Free-range is one of the most familiar claims in the egg aisle, but what it means can vary widely from one carton to the next. So, we built our free-range standards to set a higher bar for animal welfare within the free-range category. And like every other carton of Vital Farms eggs, you can see the farm where your eggs were laid.
The result? When you bring home a carton of Vital Farms Free-Range Eggs, you’ll know it comes from hens that get more time outside on better land, easier access to get there, and a nicer barn to come back to.
Our standard
Together, these standards reflect Vital Farms’ commitments to animal care, product quality, and transparency.
More Days Outdoors
Compared to other free-range standards, our girls have access to more hours and days outside.
Easier Access to the Outdoors
Our barns have larger, regularly spaced exits on both sides, scaled to flock size so hens throughout the flock can more easily get outside.
Measured Living Vegetation
We require at least 50% of the outdoor area to be covered with living plants, giving hens real grass, bushes, and trees to roam and forage in. Other free-range standards may require vegetation, but don’t always set a specific minimum.
Guaranteed Shade and Water Outdoors
Our standards require a defined amount of distributed shade and a minimum number of drinkers outside.
3rd Party Verified
Every flock on our Free-Range farms will undergo independent verification against our established Free-Range standards.
The proof is in
every carton
Of course, you don’t have to take our word for it: Every Vital Farms Free-Range farm is third-party verified and traceable back to the farm they were laid.
See for yourself: Check the carton for the name of the farm your eggs came from.
