The James Ranch Hens and their Four Roosters have the Life!
James Ranch Golden Yolks are sold only at the James Ranch Market.
The hens are fed a completely soy free diet, non-GMO grains, and glean from the pastures of the James Ranch Tree Farm.
The James Ranch laying hens spend the light of day cruising through the tree farm looking for insects and earthworms, dine on hand delivered local grains, take their daily dust bath in the shade of the spruce trees, drink from the clean water of the Animas River, lay their eggs in nest boxes lined with native grasses, and most importantly are protected from coyotes, foxes and bobcats by their very own burro, Xena.
Laying hens need a lot of protein in their daily diet to lay eggs well. The industry relies on the monoculture of soybeans to supply that protein need. We are passionate about feeding our hens soy-free feed which has lead us to diligently source local conscientious farmers. The wheat and milo are from multi-generational farmers from the Mesa. The corn, we are thrilled to report, is not genetically modified and grown by the Ute Mountain Ute tribe. The dry land farmers in Dove Creek grow the regenerative, black oil sunflower seeds. We work with our local grain mill, Farmer’s Supply, to gather, store and mix. Our goal is to find the best possible feed, while being conscious of low transportation costs, supporting our local farmers, while providing the hens with nutrient dense whole grains.
By late afternoon these ladies have laid their daily eggs and it is time to collect, hand wash and sort. The multi-colored eggs create a pallet of natural hues not to be ignored.
The hens are never in one place for long, because the clever humans that attend to them put their summer bungalow on skids so it can be moved often among the rows of spruce trees providing them with fresh grass to eat and a plethora of bugs to chase down.
Pasturing is the traditional method of raising egg-laying hens and other poultry. It is ecologically sustainable, humane, and produces the tastiest, most nutritious eggs; eggs from pastured hens contain up to 2 times healthier omega-3 fatty acids than those of their less fortunate cousins, factory hens.
Not only do we all love eating these fresh, nutrient dense, clean eggs laid by such fortunate chickens, it is an absolute pleasure working with them and witnessing their healthy, clean, and protected lives.
