Chickens & Eggs

Laying chickens are the longest-standing staple on our farm, and we've spent plenty of time nailing down the perfect way to keep them. As soon as the pasture turns green in the spring, we move our hens out to the Chicken Tractor in the pasture, where they can roam picking bugs out of the grass.

In the winter, once the growing season is over, we move the birds to the big hoophouse. There they keep warm, boarding with the pigs and making the most of the sunlight hours. We spread corn stalk bales for the chickens to pick through and the pigs to root around in, and the chickens can also pick through through whatever the pigs digest. It's a mutually beneficial relationship.

What makes a pasture-raised chicken different from the ones I buy in the store?

Raised in confined, crowded facilities, where the close quarters and cesspools produce weak and often diseased birds.
Fed rations made from genetically modified crop, laced with medications and antibiotics that transfer to the meat.
Consist of flabby, watery, and nutrient-deficient meat, due to the sedentary and confined life they live.

Raised on sunny, healthy pastures with room to explore the soil and be the chickens they were designed to be.
Fed non-GMO, antibiotic-free grain, grass and bugs, making their meat nutrient-dense.
Benefit from exercise, giving them larger legs and thighs that results in more flavorful dark meat.
Fertilize our pastures, making them richer and healthier for the other animals that will be raised there.

Commercial Chicken

Pastured Chicken

Putting our chicks on pasture

Tyson vs. Streblow Family Farm: an experiment