Did you know our chicken is all pasture-raised?

Update - October 1, 2024 - We have decided to keep our focus on beef and lamb, so we will no longer be providing chicken from our online store.

We began our chicken journey with meat chickens raised in our barn. They had access to the outside during the day, but they were locked inside at night because they needed protection from hawks, foxes and other predators. As anyone who has raised meat chickens knows though, chickens who spend any amount of time in containment can quickly get dirty and uncomfortable. Even with constant rebedding and ventilation changes, we were prompted to overhaul the way we raise our birds.

We now use large chicken tractors, on pasture, that we move daily. These tractors hold up to 80 chickens with plenty of room for them to move and run. This also means that they spend 24 hours a day foraging for bugs and food on fresh grass. They also keep themselves clean since they move to new grass every day.

The tractors have a strong tarp-like covering on one end so the birds are able to get out of any inclement weather like wind and rain, but the majority of the tractor is covered in chicken wire that gives the birds access to sunshine and fresh air while protecting them from all predators. In the future, we hope one or two of our Great Pyrenees offspring will work as chicken guards also.

We have some of the best-tasting chicken I personally have ever had. And knowing that the chickens live happy, healthy, and carefree lives only adds to my love of our chicken meat. Meat chickens are already bred to grow so quickly which adds physical stress to their body’s organs and frames. So giving them every opportunity to move freely, breathe fresh air, avoid illness, and get exercise is really, in my opinion, the only ethical way to raise them.

While we realize that buying chicken from larger chain stores that have their chicken shipped in from large feedlot operations is financially more feasible for most families, we think it is important that everyone is at least aware that there is a better way to raise meat birds. Small growers can’t compete with the prices at Walmart and Aldi, but we can run circles around them with our husbandry practices and the ethical way we treat our animals. And regardless of where you shop, everyone can do their part to make a difference. Chicken breasts from the small farmer might not be financially possible 5 nights a week for the average family, but maybe it is possible for those bigger, special holiday meals? Or when you have friends over for dinner, sharing the story behind the way the meat was raised can start a new and important discussion. Sharing blog posts like this one is another way to help the entire industry by spreading the word. Taking your children, friends, brothers, and mothers with you to the local farmers market to see and meet the local farmers who are working hard to raise animals in better ways is another great way to get others involved.