What is "pasture raised" vs "cage free" vs "free range"? Arent they all good for the animal?"
In a short answer no… they are not all good.
Our chickens are not simply “free range” or “cage free,” which are terms that have unfortunately been watered down and no longer have significant meaning in today’s food industry.
“Free range” means that chickens have access to a small outdoor pen, but they are often so crowded in the hen house that they never find their way out the door.
“Cage free” simply means that the hens are kept in large, often overcrowded indoor pens instead of smaller cages.
As you can see, Neither term indicates a substantial change in conditions that would improve the well being of the animals.
“Pastured” eggs come from hens that are allowed to wander freely in grass pastures or large outdoor moveable pens, giving them access to hours of sunshine and fresh grass each day.
We take it a step further and allow our chickens, tukerys and ducks acces to all of our property during thier waking hours. They even have acces to over 100 acres of conservation land abutting Trippy Acres.
What about organic chicken from the grocery store?
Did you know???
The white striping in your chicken breast is a sign of poor quality meat. These bow-legged and sickly chickens are cheap and easy to grow, but the meat doesn’t have as many omega-3s and breasts are prone to a woody texture. It is caused by changing the genetics of the chicken in an effort to grow chickens too big, too fast.
According to the USDA, all chicken meat is “antibiotic-free.” If an antibiotic is used on the farm, federal rules require the antibiotics to have cleared the animals’ systems before they can be slaughtered. Unfortunately, less than 1% of commercial birds are tested…
So what do you do?
To enjoy chicken guilt-free, you need the highest-quality source possible – and with help from neighbors and friends, we’ve found it- from an Amish chick farm in Pennsylvania!
These birds are slow-growth, heritage breeds that are pasture-raised, fed non-GMO, soy free and organic food. We never give our animals antibiotics ever so you can be sure it is not entering your food!
Bringing our home grown food into your home will prove to be a healthier and guilt free choice!
Do happy animals REALLY make healthier food?
The idea that happier farm animals produce higher quality food is not new, and it seems to be catching on. In the case of pastured hens, a study was conducted in 2007 which concluded pastured eggs contained 1/3 less cholesterol, 1/4 less saturated fat, and 5 times the Vitamin D of commercially produced eggs. In this case, the eggs do turn out better when hens have room to roam and forage, as nature intended.
What is a heritage breed chicken?
Most chickens today that are bred for commercial farming are not bread for livability or sustainability. Instead they are raised for their fast growth rates and often have poor health within 8 weeks of life.
Meat chickens are bred to grow as large as possible, as fast as possible, so farmers can butcher them quickly, and are a single breed: the cornish cross. This is the chicken you find in your grocery store and often in natural food markets.
Laying chickens are bred to lay large, often flavorless eggs, as quickly and as often as possible. The difference is seen in the color of the yolk as well as taste and texture of the egg.
“In 1925, it took 16 weeks to raise a chicken to 2.5 pounds. Today, chickens weight double that in just six weeks!” –ASPCA
Heritage breed chickens go back to the roots of farming and are recognized as an original breed of chicken that reproduces naturally, have long productive outdoor lifespan and are slow growing. These chickens have a better quality of life and make more nutritous eggs and meat.
Why do we make sure our animals are soy free?
Soy is in everything. It’s an industrial food ingredient. If it comes in a box and it is supposed to be edible then chances are high that soy is on the ingredient list. And the likelihood is that the soy is transgenic, genetically modified. Unless it says Organic Soy… look for the organic seal.
96% or more of the soy grown in the US is genetically modified. Americans eat more soy than traditional soy consuming cultures. We don’t want soy to be in everything we eat.
We feed our animals an entirely soy-free diet for good reasons:
Soy is high in phytic acid. Monogastric animals like chickens, pigs and humans don’t produce the enzyme phytase. Without phytase, phytic acid can block uptake of vitamins and minerals. Not only is this a waste, but it’s creating pollution problems.
Soy is high in phytoestrogens. Our children are entering adolescence earlier and earlier.
Soy is high in trypsin inhibitors. Trypsin is an enzyme that helps to break down many different proteins. Inhibition of trypsin contributes to allergies.
Do you feed your animals corn?
We feed our animals corn in the winter months only. Corn is essential to allow animals to maintain a higher body temperature. This ensure that not only do they survive the fridged days here in New Hampshire, but they are warm and comfortable while pasture grazing even on the coldest days.
In the summer, corn is removed from thier feed as it is not necessary and can be eaten as a “junk food favorite” by the animals. Removing the corn in the spring and summer allows for greater encouragement of foraging and eating more nutritous foods.
Do you offer free delivery?
If you live in Rochester, Barrington, or Strafford, we offer local delivery to SELECT areas of these towns for a $5 fee. Anyone who purchases over $75 on our farm and lives within the local delivery areas, will have thier $5 delivery fee waived.
To find out if you live within our delivery areas please send us a message.
Join Our Seasonal CSA
CSA stands for Community Shared Agriculture. It is a model of agriculture that benefits both the consumer and the farmer. At its core, a CSA works because a local customer is supporting their small community farmer by paying for their food up front. The consumer is purchasing a “share” in the farm and receives fresh local foods on a regular basis in return.