04/22/2026
When we say pastured eggs, this is what that looks like here.
Our hens and ducks live outside in mobile coops on pasture starting at about 8 weeks old, with three goofballs, aka livestock guardian dogs watching over them each day.
Every other day, we hook the chicken coops up to the tractor and move them onto fresh grass. The ducks are moved every day since they remain in their mobile coops and well, they’re twice as messy.
It’s a lot of work, and it takes a lot of time, but it keeps the birds on clean pasture instead of ground they’ve already stripped bare.
Each area then rests for 12 to 16 weeks before the flocks come back through. That rest gives the grasses and soil time to recover.
Fresh pasture also means a more natural diet. Along with their non-GMO feed, the chickens and ducks are eating grasses, legumes, seeds, and insects. That variety supports better gut health, stronger immune systems, and lower stress.
If chickens stay in one place too long, things go downhill fast.
They’ll strip the ground to bare soil with all their scratching, pecking, and digging, not to mention their p**p. Manure builds up faster than the soil can absorb it. Nutrients start to concentrate, soil biology declines, and eventually the pasture plants stop growing back. Even in many “free-range” systems, birds tend to stay close to the coop, so the same areas near feeders and doors get overused and go bare.
We raise about 900 hens on 5 acres, which comes out to roughly 242 square feet per bird. That space, combined with frequent movement, helps keep nutrients spread out and gives the pasture time to recover between rotations.
Healthier pastures and healthier birds lead to better eggs.
Pastured eggs tend to have richer yolks, stronger shells, and a more nutrient-dense profile, often with higher levels of omega-3s, vitamins A and E, and antioxidants. You can see the difference when you crack one open.
If you’re buying eggs labeled “pastured,” “free-range,” or “regenerative,” it’s worth asking a few questions:
How often are the birds moved?
How much space do they actually have
How is the pasture managed over time?
In the end, those details matter more than any label.
