Morning Fresh Farms:
astudyinexcellence
By Dr. Simon M. Shane, Editor
since 2005, participating with other
producers in Western states in packing
Morning Fresh Farms is fully and distributing eggs in the region to
integrated with on-site pullet balance supply with
rearing, feed mixing, egg pro- local demand. Caged
duction and processing and a unique and cage-free eggs
added-value manure operation. Joe are packed under the
Raith is the CEO and Derek Yancey is Eggland’s Best Brand
president of the Colorado company es- in addition to private
tablished during the early 1970s. label and Morning
The facility is located on 1,200 acres Fresh premium packs
in Weld County and is guided by 12 distributed over a
principles emphasizing the production seven-state area.
of safe products of consistent quality: Recognizing the
Employees are expected to
demonstrate a strong work
ethic that is rewarded by fair
remuneration in a safe and
progressive workplace. The
company also has a strong
commitment to the community and operates according
to the highest standards of
environmental stewardship.
Current capacity includes
slightly over one million hens
in cages and a separate self-
contained cage-free opera- Dedicate d feed mill for Morning Fresh complex wi th ade-
tion holding 150,000 hens. A quate ingredient storage and computerized control system.
dedicated feed mill produces
up to 1,000 tons per week. Corn is
purchased from Colorado farms and
is mixed with soybean meal, distillers
dried grains and animal by-products
hens to feed, perch and lay in installations located on an upper level. Hens
have access to the ground level with
Scarab Composter aerating mix-
ture of manure and sawdust.
demand for cage-free eggs in the late
1990s, company president Derek Yancey undertook a review of available
housing systems which would conform
➤ Company culture places a high value on sanita-
tion, bio-security, vaccination and monitoring
for possible disease.
that are available in Colorado and adjoining states.
Morning Fresh has been a member of
the Rocky Mountain Eggs Cooperative
8 • EggIndustry • August 2008 • www.WATTpoultry.com
to the most rigorous standards of welfare. The company has erected a series
of in-line houses fitted with the German Salmet aviary system which allow
a layer of sand. Eggs are conveyed mechanically from the
rollaway nests to rod conveyors
for transport to a dedicated in-line processing plant.
The cage houses operated
by Morning Fresh range in age
from 30 years to recently-con-structed units. From the outset
of the operation, a commitment
to on-belt manure drying systems was
made. Manure is removed from houses
two to three times per week from each
house and is transported by trucks to
an on-site processing facility. Most
manure is dehydrated in a rotary kiln
fueled by an on-site gas well. Product is
packed in containers ranging from 1 lb.
bags to 1 ton totes. Remaining manure
is composted by mixing it with ground
waste wood. The warm and dry climate
facilitates processing of manure using
Scarab agitators which transit longitudinal rows located over a 10-acre area
on a compacted clay base.
