Poultry FAQs

Why do you use pens for your poultry? That doesn't seem very natural.

What do your chickens and turkeys eat? Are they GMO free?

How do I order fresh chicken?

Are chickens available year round?

Do you sell cut up chickens?

Are your chickens really different?

Do you really process all those chickens on your own?

When do you have turkeys available?

When do I need to reserve my turkey if I want one for Thanksgiving or Christmas?

Why do you use pens for your poultry? That doesn't seem very natural.

During daylight, we love to have our chickens out foraging for all the good stuff. Unfortunately, the reality on the farm is that we have predators that like chicken almost as much as we do. We use the pens and our Great Pyrenees, Kiba, to protect the chickens from an untimely demise.

What do your chickens and turkeys eat? Are they GMO free?

Because chickens are omnivores and have high energy needs, we do supplement their diets with grain. Our ration is primarily made with wheat and milo, both of which do not have GMO hybrids. There is a small percentage (<5%) of either corn or soybeans in their ration, which is most likely GMO .

Because of where we are located, going GMO free is not economically feasible at this time. The freight we would have to pay on GMO free feed would double the price of our chicken.

How do I order fresh chicken?

We will process chickens 8-10 times from June - October. I will post those dates on our calendar as soon as they are set. Simply contact us and tell us how many you'd like to reserve. For fresh chickens, you either need to pick up chickens the day we process or the next.

Are chickens available year round?

Yes. We have whole chickens and chicken parts in the freezer all year long.

Do you sell cut up chickens?

Yes! We do offer cut-up chickens. We also sell thighs, wings, and drumsticks four to a package, as well as boneless, skinless breasts two to a package. Whole chickens cut-up into eight pieces are also available. See our store link for pricing.

Are your chickens really different?

YES! Not only is the taste and texture of our chickens markedly better than what you find in the store, but we guarantee that our chickens live a much cleaner life on pasture (as opposed to chickens raised in confinement).

I wouldn't have believed it when we first started. However, here's my testimony. We raised 25 meat birds our first year in the chicken business. Our first processing day, we put 12 in the freezer and it took five of us over 5 hours. FIVE! I was more than ready to quit. However, we ate our first homegrown chicken that night and there was no turning back. We vowed to find ways to become more skilled and more efficient and now we can put 50-90 birds in the freezer in 5 hours depending on how many are working.

Do you really process all those chickens on your own?

Of course! Really. I’m kind of surprised to be able to answer that question in the affirmative sometimes. I grew up in the “city.” My chicken came from the store. However, learning how to raise our own food has been one of the most satisfying aspects of living on the farm. For a wonderful description of what happens, please read this short essay written by a good family friend.

When do you have turkeys available?

We have turkeys available from late summer until Christmas.

When do I need to reserve my turkey if I want one for Thanksgiving or Christmas?

As soon as you think you want one. We raise a limited number so the sooner you reserve yours, the more likely you are to get one.

Let's stay in touch!