Pasture raising- What's the big deal, and why doesn't everyone do it?
Why we do it:
Pasture raising chickens is better for everyone. The birds are healthier and happier when they have room to roam and bugs to eat. The farm is cleaner. All farm animals benefit as well. This is because chickens eat pests and parasites. They also till soil when looking for food.
Pasture raising helps our chickens get sun, exercise, add variety in their diet, and help them socialize naturally. This makes for healthier, happier birds. Which make for healthier, tastier, eggs and meat.
Why doesn't everyone do it?
Unfortunately, we aren’t the only ones who find chickens tasty. Part of the reason people lock up chickens, is to keep predator’s from getting them. We have to worry about stray dogs, racoons, and hawks- just to name a few. We have had our share of loss, and have had to invest in housing and guard dogs to keep them safe.
Keeping farm animals together adds another headache! All the farm animals would rather eat the chicken’s food then their own (which can hurt them). We have had to create elaborate systems to allow our chickens free access to food and shelter, while keeping our other animals out. As pictured above, a sneaky goat will always let you know if you need to do more to keep other animals out.
The chickens don’t always cooperate either! When allowed to free range, they will sometimes lay their eggs any old place. They lose them, get them dirty, or even eat them! Many people cage their birds to avoid these troubles. We work hard to provide them comfy, private nesting areas. We train our birds not to eat their eggs, and are diligent about collecting them.
Another reason free- ranging can be difficult, is that the birds don’t always come back to their safe shelter at night. Sometimes they get lost or go on little adventures. We often need to do a headcount, and go hunt down our chickens to make sure they are safe at the end of the day.
Overall, it takes work, dedication and problem- solving to pasture- raise. It can be more expensive. However, we find it is worth the effort to give our animals and the costumers the very best.
Pasture raised, farm fresh eggs
When you buy eggs from us, you are getting eggs that are better for you than supermarket eggs from confined chickens. Pasture raised eggs are higher in vitamins A, E, D, and Omega-3. They are lower in cholesterol and saturated fat.
The difference in nutrition is what gives pasture raised eggs their vibrant orange color. More specifically, this color is created by something called “carotenoids.” It is the same factor that gives carrots, pumpkins, and tomato’s their color. Carotenoids can reduce the risk of some cancer’s and diseases (Johnson 2002).
While we let our chicken’s forage naturally, we also supplement with free access to feed for the birds optimal health and nutrition. We use organic feeds with high quality ingredients. One such company we utilize is “pink rose organix.”
Follow the links below to read more on the research of health benefits.
More on carotenoids:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12134711/
More on pastured egg nutrition:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/pastured-vs-omega-3-vs-conventional-eggs#TOC_TITLE_HDR_4
Because our eggs are fresh and chock full of nutrition, they taste better! They have a richer flavor, and a creamier texture. But don’t take our word for it. Try a carton today and see for yourself!
By law, an egg can be sold for up to 30 days after the date it was put in the carton. That means those supermarket eggs can be two months old by the time you buy them.
When you buy eggs from our farm, you are getting eggs that have been laid within that week. You get eggs that are more firm and fresh then you will find at the store.
Commercial eggs produced in large batch must be washed before sold. This removes the natural protective “bloom” on the eggs. The bloom is the outer coating that seals the eggs pores, and prevents bacteria from getting in. Eggs have bloom so that the hens can lay several eggs, and incubate the eggs over the course of about 20 days.
With the bloom on the fresh eggs, they are fine to be stored out of the fridge at room temperature. They can be kept at room temperature for about three months. When you buy our small batch produced eggs, you are getting shelf stable eggs with the bloom. Feel free to leave it on your countertop!
*It is important to note however, that once eggs are placed in the fridge, this removes the bloom and they then need to stay in the fridge.*
When you buy eggs from our farm, you are contributing to better farm practices. We use humane practices from the start of the animal’s life, until the end. We believe in providing the animals the best life possible while they are with us. Because we raise animals in small batch, we are able to give each animal individual attention. If you want to learn more about our practices or meet the animals, we are happy to do farm tours or give you more information.
Get yours today! Currently selling for $6 a dozen!
New deal- Ask us about discounts for recycling egg cartons!
Pasture Raised Chicken
We raise chicken for meat as well. We are breeding a large meat chicken that is mixed with the silkie breed. These chickens have the darker, flavorful, savory meat of the silkie. However, they are larger, meatier chickens with less gamey flavor than their silkie counterparts. Birds are sold whole, $6 per pound.
