80 Rosambro Broilers (no picture available yet) and 20 Red Broilers.
I am experimenting a little to find out which Breed I prefer.
We will be using the southern (bottom) 5 acre paddock for our chickens. Farmer D's house sits in the middle of the farm and he has a small garden in the back yard. I am very excited to be working with Farmer D. He has been very honest and interested in our plans to farm. Although he is not currently farming his land, he still wantis to maintain the integrity of the farm. I will do my best to ensure we are farming in a sustainable way. Taking care of the land for future generations to farm.
The land has been sitting fallow for many years, while Farmer D has had family health issues to deal with, but it used to be a working cattle farm. This is actually a good stroke of luck for Ray and I, as it tells us that there have been NO chemicals, fertilizers, or pesticides put down on the pasture in many years. Good News for the chickens!!
We still have a few more items to work out before we can get chicks, but we are well on our way now. Our timeline is to have chicks by mid February and have them out on the pasture in the first few weeks of March. If all goes to plan we should have chicken for sale the first week in April. It is all so exciting!
Pastured Poultry defined: Chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese that are raised on pasture, most often they are supplemented with some grains. While on pasture, the poultry eat the tender grass, scratch the ground, and eat bugs, meanwhile they are fertilizing the fields they are on with their manure which is high in nitrogen.
Why is pastured poultry better for you? Our #1 reason for eating pastured poultry is there are No Antibiotics, No Hormones, and No Steroids added to the poultry. Birds that have been raised on grasses out in the field are HEALTHIER BIRDS. They do not need any extra pharmaceuticals to be healthy. They are eating what God intended them to eat. A bird that is eating grasses and bugs is going to have higher Omega 3 fatty acids (good fatty acids) and up to 50% more vitamin A. The birds will be leaner, because they have had room to move, and are eating a healthier grass/grain diet. It also tastes more like chicken. Flavorful, no added pharmaceuticals, and leaner meat, not to mention the quality of life for the birds.
What would you rather eat?
A Chicken that has been raised on fresh grass pasture, eating all the bugs, seeds, grass, and grain they want. Being moved to new grass every day, opening up a whole new salad bar for them. A healthier bird means a healthier meat.
OR
A bird that has been raised in confinement. Thousands of birds raised in one long building that allows almost no room for the bird to move. They are sitting in their own feces for 6 weeks, causing all sorts of conditions requiring medical pharmaceuticals to rectify. These birds are fed a feed that has had arsenic added to it. Arsenic helps rid the animals of some of the diseases that close confinement has caused, but it is added mostly to increase the appetite of the birds, making them gain weight faster.
Consider what you are putting in your body for a moment- Do we really need to be putting arsenic, steroids, hormones, and antibiotics into our bodies? If we are eating this type of meat- factory raised poultry- then we are eating what the bird has been given.
Our goal is to raise a happy healthy bird that will be nutritious for our bodies. We want to raise enough poultry to satisfy our families needs and those of the health consious consumers. I would love to hear your comments and if you are interested in becoming one of our customers in the near future.