Week 10 | Spring 4 Sneak Peek Tu-Th | May 7 & 9
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Update on our chickens
While most of the crops growing at the farm right now are green, we've got several heritage breeds of chickens strutting around in a variety of colors: Rhode Island Red, White Plymouth Rock, Barred Plymouth Rock, Light Brahma, and Buff Orpington. This is our first batch of heritage birds, and they enjoy pecking around in their little corner of the farm.
These heritage birds represent the third cycle of chickens to be raised and processed on the farm (their time is near). Actually, they started as chicks at the farm alongside our second batch of birds, a faster-growing breed called Jumbo Cornish Rock. The heritage breeds are taking several weeks longer to come to their full weight, so they seem more like a whole new crop. They're also the first batch to spend a considerable amount of time outside now that the weather is more hospitable.
This batch is predominantly cockerels (i.e., males) though a few girls slipped through in the shipment of chicks, so we might turn a couple of them into layers for the farm's own use. With plenty of frozen birds in the freezer, and this batch being processed soon, we'll take a hiatus to focus on crops over the height of the growing season, and we'll reassess the viability of continuing to raise chickens for meat for our CSA members.
For more information about the farm's decision to raise and process chickens, please click here. We welcome your input and would love to have feedback from those of you who have ordered them. We've heard nothing but good so far, and our experiences with them have been very favorable.
-- Robin
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Questions?
Call Robin (in Chicago), 708-370-8017 | Chris (farmer/owner), 608-712-1585
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