Good Eats

People have asked us why we choose to raise chickens for meat.  Is it cheaper? No. A bird you raise to eat usually costs around $17 per bird, from egg to table.  We haven't done our own calculations yet, but we hope it is less because we process them by hand.  After butchering, we'll try to figure it out and post that info here.

But we do find raising the meat birds very rewarding on many levels.

First of all, the meat is delicious!

Furthermore, the small scale of a backyard flock means it is easier to keep the birds healthy. Large scale poultry operations commonly lose several birds every day, due to disease or other factors. 

But in a small flock, the farmer can monitor each individual bird very closely, and manage the  ill birds immediately.
 
Many animals in the industrialized food system are given large doses of strong, chemical medicines in anticipation of exposure to, and to prevent the spread of, disease. 

But most small farmers do not need to use those same measures, and therefore the animal has less hormones and less chemical medicine in its system.

The three most commonly discussed types of farming are: organic, industrial, and sustainable.

Organic chickens eat organic feed and are never given any antibiotics or chemical medication.  The label 'organic' is the gold standard and requires a very rigorous farming operation.

Industrial chickens are raised in giant coops or cages, in very crowded conditions and usually with no sunlight or fresh air.  With the birds packed like sardines, the temperatures in the coops and cages are often over 100 degrees, even with huge fans moving the air.  And the waste is overwhelming from such a huge number of animals.  The conditions are so stressful for the birds, they are given Prozac to keep them from dying or killing each other.

Sustainable farming (what we try to do) is a compromise that permits farmers to give medication only when needed, and feed natural grains that may not have been produced under the strictest organic standards.

Butchering is not something we would ever describe as 'fun,' but at least we know that our birds are healthy and well cared-for during their lives.