Chicken

Once a year, in the fall when temperatures cool a bit from the blazing heat of summer, we raise meat chickens here on the ranch. Our chickens are never kept in cages of any kind or crammed into overcrowded pens or barns. As with our layers, they are penned up at night for their own protection and released onto fresh grass daily to consume what they will to supplement their diet of high quality, non GMO feed. In addition, they are provided with fresh water throughout the day. That’s about where the similarity to egg laying chickens ends, however. Meat birds are a very different animal, as most are genetically selected to grow very quickly and finish out in 6-10 weeks, depending on the breed. They tend to have larger breasts and thighs and are much heavier than a laying breed. These birds, if not managed properly, will over-consume and lay in their own filth, resulting in severe health problems which can be noted in mass produced situations. To avoid this, we feed our birds smaller portions at regular intervals and ensure they get enough exercise by placing feeders and waterers far apart and moving them often. Nighttime pens are cleaned when the birds are released in the morning, so that they have a clean fresh area to return to in the evening. The end result after about 8 weeks (slightly less for males, slightly more for females) is a densely meaty, succulently tender, nutrient-rich chicken bursting with flavor, and weighing between 4 and 7 lbs. These chickens hold up very well to soups, stews, rotisserie, baking, pit cooking, injecting and frying, etc. They will not fall apart on you, and they will never be tough. We process them ourselves, vacuum pack them and flash freeze them immediately to retain freshness. Your chicken is raised completely naturally and will never see antibiotics or preservatives of any kind.