Restocked with the summer’s harvest!
Welp, it’s been another busy summer…
This year we increased production slightly, which meant a few new builds and, of course, more birds. With the season winding down and the thick of it behind us, I’m grateful for full freezers and quality chickens.
A huge thanks to everyone on our waitlist who placed orders and has picked up chickens already this summer! If you haven’t yet, we’re restocked with the summer’s harvest and our prices are the same this year, at $5/lb.
Pasture raised chicken at $5/lb:
· Whole chickens average 5lbs - $25
· Half chickens average 2.5lbs - $12.50
· Chicken for the month: 10% off 4 whole chickens
· Eggs - $5/dozen
New builds
The builds this summer included a new brooder and a new chicken tractor. For the brooder, we followed the same old tried and true model that’s proven successful for us the last few years. Building a brooder isn’t rocket science, but there are a few critical pieces to have in order: heat, shelter, space, bedding and access to food and water. Our brooder seems to tick all those boxes nicely, with multiple heat sources, a full enclosure, just enough space for the chicks to roam without getting too carried away and enough fresh bedding, food and water to keep them happy as they grow.
After last year’s success with the Salatin style chicken tractor, we’re keeping to that model and expanded the fleet with another of the same. This summer also saw its fair share of weird weather—lots of rain, moisture, stormy winds and even some hail. At twice the size and at a lower, more substantial profile, the Salatin tractor continues to weather it all and seems a better fit for our farm. All that to say, I’m still happy with the upgrades and can rest a little easier this year.
In other building news… we’ve also got more eggs on the way! Last year we got a lot of requests for eggs and we’ve listened. Following the same kind of principles as our meat birds, maximizing time on grass and fresh air, I’ve finished building a fully mobile layer coop that will let me move our layers as needed onto fresh grass while meeting all their other needs—more to come on that soon in another blog. With that, we’ve just welcomed more layers onto the farm and they’ve been enjoying their new home so far, but I’d imagine they’re still another week or two from full egg production.
A new farmhand
This season we also got a new farmhand: Kuma. We picked up this mixed Great Pyr Pup from Whitby Animal Services back in January and could ask for a better dog. He’s really taken to the farm, always wanting to be outside and up for choring. His guard dog instincts are already starting to show, as he patrols areas of the farm keeping an eye on us and the livestock. He’s the supervisor we didn’t know we needed.
And, new chicks
Our last flock of broiler chicks for the year arrived earlier this month and are also off to a strong start. They’re feathering up nicely in the brooder and are almost ready to go out on pasture.
More fresh chickens will be ready for pick-up the weekend of September 30!
