Hambone's Mercantile

Several times, people have asked if the eggs we offer for sale are organic. The answer is no. And, the main reason for that is our flock started out as a back-yard flock and continues to be so. We keep our numbers pretty low and are by no means an egg production facility. We are very small scale, and even if we wanted to go organic (meaning we would have to comply with every USDA guideline and be certified through USDA), it simply isn’t feasible as the application fee alone is several hundred dollars, and there are additional annual inspection and other fees every year. Those are no problem for egg producing corporations that sell their products at large grocers, but for us, who do the majority of our business right here in our local community, through word of mouth and a small online presence, those fees are astronomical. Wholesome farm eggs shouldn’t come with a massive price tag just because of government regulations and fees.

Also, sometimes we give our chickens non-organic snacks (have you ever seen a pack of raptors…I mean flock of chickens…devour a cupcake?? That’s pure joy and the pinnacle of enjoying life right there! How can we deny our lovely ladies such an experience because they are “organic” and have to always be on their best behavior? They worked hard for that cupcake!). We try our best to eat healthy and well for ourselves, but I guarantee we cannot afford to eat all organic all the time, and really, we wouldn’t want to. Some organic practices are no better than “traditional” methods. Here at Hambone’s Mercantile, we strive for balance. Nutritious food, lots of foraging time, and sometimes, a cupcake or two.

The next question we get often is are your chickens fed soy, wheat, corn, etc. free feed? The answer is no, we do not specifically seek out ingredient free feed for our flock. Our main focus is quality, protein content, and nutritional value. Our flock spends the majority of their day foraging on pasture grass and eating whatever small unfortunate creatures may cross their paths throughout the day (dragonflies are a particular favorite, if they can catch them!). For this reason, we tend to feed a higher protein ration, and offer a high quality free-choice complete feed 24/7. The higher protein feed helps the ladies produce high quality eggs daily, and the feed its self ensures our hens aren’t missing any major nutrients from their diet. We add supplemental kelp and cayenne powders because it seems to have a positive effect on egg quality. We see stronger shells and darker, richer colored yolks with these additions. We also provide enriching foods like purple cabbages, kale, and alfalfa greens because the hens love them.

Also, as an academic, sometimes I read scientific papers for funsies. All the papers I have come across basically say the same thing. There is little to no evidence to support that any components of soy, wheat, or corn remain intact. All are broken down by the chicken’s digestive system and re-packaged into building blocks for amino acids and proteins. As far as GMO free feed goes, we do try to avoid GMO ingredients, but there are no labeling requirements. The best we can do is give preference to brands that label their feed as non-GMO, and purchase it where we can. Most GMO grains that make up animal feeds are Genetically Modified to be “round-up ready” meaning they can be drenched in the herbicide and not be affected, but all the stuff that may grow in the field with that crop WILL be. We don’t think more pesticides should be the answer, so for this reason, we tend away from GMOs, but not really for any other particular reasons.

Basically, we strive for healthy chickens that produce lovely eggs and lead as fulfilling of a chicken-y life as we can provide for them. They come first, everything else is secondary. High quality feed, lots of forage, and lots of love.