What exactly is
Pasture Raised Chicken
So you've heard of Organic and you've heard of Free Range, but what are pasture raised chickens and what makes them so unique and ethical?​
​
We are dedicated to raising chickens ethically and sustainably.
As consumers we care about what goes into our products, and as a small-scale farm we take pride in the personal attention and the care we give to our birds.
​​
"Pasture-raised farming is an agricultural practice where livestock, such as chickens, cows, pigs, and sheep, are raised outdoors on pasture, allowing animals to roam freely, graze on natural vegetation and forage for natural foods like insects, worms, and grasses."
About pastured farming
Where you typically see poultry labelled as “free-range” or “organic”, these birds are often housed in static sheds but they don’t naturally range too far. For those birds, their pasture can quickly get turned into mud so they lack fresh grass.
This is where pasture-raised practices differ. These practices give animals the opportunity to graze on fresh pasture instead of being confined indoors & fed a controlled, un-natural diet.
​
Modern pastured practices on small scale farms will house chickens in portable floorless shelters so they can easily be moved to new pasture where they can continually graze on fresh natural vegetation and forage for insects, worms and grasses, whilst ensuring they are safe from predators.
You can learn more about the process we use here.
Why pastured farming?
​
-
Animal Welfare: Animals have access to open spaces, fresh air, and sunlight, which promotes their overall health, natural behaviors and well-being.
-
Natural Diet: Animals graze on insects, worms, grasses and other plants, which can lead to healthier and more nutritious meat, eggs, and dairy products.
-
Environmental Benefits: Pastured farming supports soil health and biodiversity. Animal manure acts as a natural fertilizer, enriching the soil and promoting plant growth.
-
Sustainability: This method often involves rotational grazing, where animals are moved to different pasture areas regularly. This practice helps prevent overgrazing and allows the land to recover.
-
Ethical Farming: Pastured farming typically aligns with more sustainable and ethical farming practices, supporting a balanced ecosystem.
Aren't all animals raised on pasture?
No. While many of us grew up with tales of Old MacDonald and visions of farm animals happily roaming the countryside, most farm animals haven’t lived like this for 100 years. In our modern, industrial food system, the vast majority of farm animals live in extreme confinement, crowded in warehouses for their entire lives. They’re given routine antibiotics and undergo severe mutilations to produce in these stressful and unhealthy conditions. This is why chicken costs approx £2.50 per kg and why we are becoming antibiotic resistant and have a human health crisis of diet-related disease.
The result
Animals raised humanely on pasture can produce meat, dairy and eggs that are better for us. When cows graze on green grass and healthy pastures, their milk has more vitamins and higher levels of cancer-fighting conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). When chickens scratch, peck and forage naturally, their eggs are tastier and more nutritious, with higher levels of Vitamin E, beta carotene and Omega-3 fatty acids, and their meat is more tender, flavorsome & richer. All of the wonderful grasses, herbs, flowers, bugs and the amazing variety of life in healthy pastures gets passed along the food chain up to us in the form of healthier food, so you know exactly what goes into their body, goes into yours.
