Our Hens and Eggs

Hen Welfare

At Joy Farms, our hens live in small, contented flocks of just 60 to 200 — not the 16,000 you’d find in large-scale production. By day, they roam freely across acres of pasture, scratching at the grass, dust bathing in the sunshine, and foraging for grubs and nettles.

They’re outside from dawn to dusk if they choose, with the freedom to shelter under handmade field shelters, bask in the sun, display natural behaviours like dust bathing or simply explore. At night, they return to safe, cosy sheds where every hen has space and comfort.

By keeping our stocking numbers low, we give each hen the space, stimulation, and natural lifestyle she deserves — because happy hens lay the tastiest eggs.

The Eggs

We chose our breeds for flavour, welfare, and beauty. Their brown and pale blue eggs look as good as they taste, thanks to:

• Traditional slower-laying breeds producing fewer eggs per year (250 vs 500), reducing stress on the hens and resulting in more flavour.

• Carefully balanced feed types and free ranging to keep life interesting and nutritious.

• Space to forage on the chalky, worm-rich soils of Surrey.

• The result? Richer flavour, stronger shells, golden yolks – eggs worth paying a little more for.

Why Pay More?

Supermarket eggs often come from flocks of 16,000 hens or more. At Joy Farms, our hens live in flocks of 60-200. That difference shows in every egg. When you buy ours, you’re choosing:

• Taste – slow-laying, specialist breeds for depth of flavour.

• Welfare – happier hens, lower stress, higher quality of life.

• Freshness – direct from farm to table, unwashed for longer natural protection (find out why). [link to FAQs]

• Provenance – every egg from the Surrey Hills, supporting local farming.

Awarded Surrey Hills Enterprises Mark

We are proud to hold the Trade Mark Surrey Hills, awarded only to businesses that champion quality, sustainability and provenance in this special landscape.

The Award is presented to the best of what Surrey has to offer and celebrates high-quality businesses that reflect and support the distinct and special nature of the Surrey Hills.

When you buy our eggs, you support both a family farm, the right way to farm food and the wider Surrey Hills community.

Sustainability

At Joy Farms, producing eggs with passion means caring for the planet too. Eggs are one of the most environmentally efficient sources of high-quality protein, using less land, water, and energy than most other foods.

Our hens roam freely across acres, with double the space and natural feed, keeping carbon emissions and environmental impact as low as possible. 

On top of this, we’ve planted over 1,000 broadleaf and nut trees, which will sequester an estimated 200 tonnes of CO₂ over the next 20 years, adding to the planet’s carbon reduction.

Choosing our eggs means choosing a food that’s nutritious, delicious, and genuinely kinder to the planet — an easy way to enjoy sustainable, high-quality protein every day.

Meet the Joy family, farming in Surrey since 1929