Over the past several years we have developed a dream/idea in my head and have finally taken steps to make that dream into a reality. That dream is to raise animals (initially poultry) on pasture so that the animals can enjoy being animals for the time they have before we harvest them. Watching documentaries such as Food INC., combined with our own observations such as the smell and texture of traditional store-bought chicken were the driving forces behind this idea. Since we are very excited about starting a farm and growing animals for meat, our plans come up frequently in my conversations with friends and family, but often they have no idea what we plan to do, why its necessary, or why it should matter to them. We will attempt to clearly answer those questions here.
First, how is what we plan to do any different than the large chicken houses you occasionally see driving down the highway which produce most of the chicken you see on grocery store shelves? Without delving into all the negatives we believe exist in that massive production side of the poultry business, we will focus on the positives that will exist with our chicken-raising method. Our poultry will arrive on our farm as one-day-old chicks. They will be placed in a brooder (a clean dry enclosure that provides feed, water, and most importantly heat) that is meant to simulate what a baby bird would experience tucked safely away under its mother. They will live in the brooder for approximately 21 days as they grow from little yellow puffballs to young chickens that have grown true feathers. After 3 weeks in the brooder, they will be moved out onto pasture in a mobile coop commonly known as a chicken tractor.
A chicken tractor derives it name since it is moved daily over the pasture, and wherever it passes, it improves the soil fertility and the pasture itself, much like mechanical tractors are used accomplish. The structure will weigh just over 100 lbs. (it has no floor, so the birds just walk along with it) and it will be pulled by hand to fresh grass each day via 2 wheels in the rear. This method allows the chickens fresh clean forage each day consisting of grass, weeds, seeds, and bugs while allowing them to get exercise and enjoy the fresh air and sunlight. After approximately 5 weeks on pasture they will graduate to the dinner table as tasty tender broiler chickens. The difference in these birds due to our careful and attentive management will shine through in the smell, taste, texture, and appearance of the final product.
We feel that if we can improve the welfare of our animals, while practicing ethical and regenerative farming methods, then we are obligated to do so. Who wouldn’t want to raise and eat the best food possible if it were in their means to do so? Our products will help families eat amazing food while refreshing skills like cooking a whole chicken and using all of the bird so that it provides multiple meals. We are very excited to get this farm going and are happy for anyone interested in learning from our efforts! Thank you for reading and we will certainly keep you posted as all of the preparations are made for the arrival of our first chickens.