Pastured Drumsticks

Why We Raise Our Birds on Pasture…and Sometimes Pallets.

We keep different species of poultry in the Lower 8 pasture, where they are moved daily for the benefit of the birds, the grass, and the cows. Additionally, they receive a bi-monthly bath due to our pastures being flood irrigated. We provide pallets for them to escape the water, although we believe the little chunkers actually enjoy it, judging by how clean they are afterward.

Keeping our birds on pasture offers multiple benefits, including clean air, ample space to move around, and access to sunshine or shade based on their preferences at any given moment. Their feces also adds direly needed nutrients down in the pasture.

For consumers, the benefits of pastured poultry are evident in firmer meat resulting from the birds having the space and motivation to move. Our poultry is never given antibiotics, and they experience minimal stress since they don't have to travel far to the processing center—they simply move up the hill a bit. And no, that's not a metaphor.

In addition, we source our feed from Modesto Milling, a nationally recognized organic mill located just a few miles from our homestead. Their feed solutions are excellent, and our poultry truly enjoy the food they receive. We appreciate the fact that Modesto Milling is locally owned.

*update Dec. 2023*

We successfully processed 87 Cornish Cross Chickens and 29 Broad White Breasted Turkeys! We are only getting better at it and are looking forward to the 2024 season of chickens and turkeys.

*update August 2024*

Looking at the numbers from last year makes me so happy because of how far we have come! We knocked out over 250 chickens this year, and we have 38 turkeys in the pasture finishing up. Move over ‘25, we are coming!